Exploring the spin-orbit interaction in cuprate superconductors

Strong spin-orbit coupling and electron correlations are not often found to coexist in a single material. Models of superconductivity often include spin-orbit interactions as a small perturbation. With the discovery of a non-trivial spin texture in the double layer Bi-based cuprate, the possibility of a more complex and central role of spin orbit coupling in high temperature superconductivity comes into question. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we examine the implications of this spin texture in other cuprates as well as discuss the possibility of a universal source of the measured polarization among this high temperature superconductor family.