Document EPL, 82 (2008) 47004
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/82/47004
Superconductivity vs. spin-charge separation: Application to high-Tc cuprates
Tai-Kai NgDepartment of Physics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Clear Water Bay Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
phtai@ust.hk
received 20 November 2007; accepted in final form 27 March 2008; published May 2008
published online 7 May 2008
Abstract
In this paper we examine the consequences of spin-charge separation on superconductivity. We show that
a superconductor with spin-charge separation is a strongly phase-disordered superconductor which is a
diamagnetic metal with Drude-like optical conductivity. With a few phenomenological assumptions we argue
that this unusual state may correspond to the "upper" pseudo-gap phase of several (underdoped)
high-Tc cuprates. Vortices with unquantized magnetic flux are predicted to exist in this unusual
state of matter.
71.10.-w - Theories and models of many-electron systems.
71.27.+a - Strongly correlated electron systems; heavy fermions.
74.20.Mn - Nonconventional mechanisms (spin fluctuations, polarons and bipolarons, resonating valence bond model, anyon mechanism, marginal Fermi liquid, Luttinger liquid, etc.).
© EPLA 2008