Stripe Formation within SO(5) Theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates stripe order formation in high-temperature superconductors using SO(5) theory, revealing how competing interactions lead to diverse microstructures like stripes and droplets.

Contribution

It demonstrates that SO(5) theory naturally favors non-topological stripe formations due to frustrated phase separation and Coulomb interactions.

Findings

Stripe and microstructure formation depends on charge concentration.

SO(5) energy functional favors non-topological stripes.

Various phases like droplets and inverted droplets are stabilized.

Abstract

We study the formation of stripe order within the SO(5) theory of high T_c superconductivity. We show that spin and charge modulations arise as a result of the competition between a local tendency to phase separate and the long-range Coulomb interaction. This frustrated phase separation leads to hole-rich and hole-poor regions which are respectively superconducting and antiferromagnetic. A rich variety of microstructures ranging from droplet and striped to inverted-droplet phases are stabilized, depending on the charge carrier concentration. We show that the SO(5) energy functional favors non-topological stripes.