An organizing principle for two-dimensional strongly correlated superconductivity

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Mechanics

Background:

• Cuprate superconductors display unconventional properties.
• The pseudogap phenomenon is a key characteristic of their normal state.
• Understanding these features is crucial for developing new superconductors.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the unusual features of superconductivity in cuprates.
• Relate these features to normal-state phenomena like the pseudogap.
• Explain the origin of the superconducting dome and pairing mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized plaquette dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT).
• Studied the two-dimensional Hubbard model.
• Analyzed the transition from Mott insulator to correlated metal upon doping.

Main Results:

• A pseudogap phase appears upon doping the Mott insulator.
• The transition to a correlated metal is first-order, with crossovers in the supercritical region.
• The asymmetric superconducting dome and pairing mechanisms are linked to the normal-state transition.

Conclusions:

• The normal-state first-order transition and its crossovers organize the superconducting state in cuprates.
• These remnants explain key features like the superconducting dome and pairing mechanism shifts.
• Dynamical mean-field theory provides a framework for understanding cuprate superconductivity.