Nodal Quasiparticles at a Nematic Quantum Critical Point

ORAL

Abstract

The nodal quasiparticles in the high-Tc superconductors are robust consequences of the d-wave symmetry. Under most circumstances, the properties of these Dirac-like particles are generally simple, since most interactions involving them are ``irrelevant.'' However, they are strongly scattered by the symmetry breaking fluctuations near an electronic nematic quantum critical point. In the quantum critical regime, an anomalous damping and enhancement of the dispersion anisotropy of the quasi-particles results. Possible relevance of this to the so-called ``Fermi arc'' seen in the underdoped cuprates is discussed.

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Authors

  • Paul Oreto

  • Eun-Ah Kim

    Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

  • Steven Kivelson

    Stanford University, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

  • Eduardo Fradkin

    Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign