I discuss a proposed phase diagram of the cuprate superconductors as a function of temperature, carrier concentration, and a strong magnetic field perpendicular to the layers. I show how the phase diagram gives a unified interpretation of a number of recent experiments. Superconductivity, Tokyo, Sep 7-12, 2009
Keynote talk, 9th International Conference on Materials and Mechanisms of
H c2Figure 1: Proposed phase diagram of the cuprates showing the interplay between superconductivity (SC), spin density wave (SDW) order, and Fermi surface configuration as a function of carrier density (x), temperature (T ), and magnetic field (H) perpendicular to the layers. Full lines are thermal or quantum phase transitions, dashed lines are crossovers, and dotted lines are guides to the eye. The phase transitions associated with valence bond solid (VBS) (or "charge") and nematic order are not shown. The superconducting regions are colored pink. We have assumed the absence of interlayer coupling, and so the SDW order is long-ranged only at T = 0: it is present in the regions labeled "SDW" and on the thick orange line for x < x s . In the blue normal regions, the 'pseudogap' is between T c and T * , the 'Strange Metal' has an in-plane resistivity which is measured to be linear in T , and the "Large Fermi surface" has a conventional T 2 resistivity.This brief note contains a summary of the key aspects of the proposed phase diagram of the cuprate superconductors shown in Fig. 1, and the central role played by ideas of quantum criticality. A more detailed discussion can be found in another recent review by the author [1], which also contains more complete citations to the literature. Here, I will focus on the central physical ideas and highlight support from recent experiments.The phase transitions and crossovers in Fig. 1 appear quite intricate. However, they can be understood simply by focusing first on the quantum critical point (QCP) at doping density, x = x m , temperature T = 0, magnetic field H = 0. As indicated in Fig. 1, this quantum critical point is pre-empted by the onset of superconductivity.The QCP at x = x m is a transition between two metallic (hence the subscript m) Fermi liquid phases. At x > x m we have the full symmetry of the square lattice, and a "large" Fermi surface metal consisting of a hole-like Fermi surface enclosing the area 1 + x expected from the Luttinger theorem (this is for hole doping; with electron doping, x, the area enclosed is 1 − x). At x < x m we have the onset of spin density wave (SDW) order, and this breaks apart the large Fermi surface into "small" Fermi pockets. Nevertheless the Luttinger theorem continues to be obeyed, after accounting for the large unit cell created by the SDW order. The ultimate theory of this quantum critical point is not fully understood, despite much theoretical attention [2].Strong evidence for the QCP at x = x m , and its associated T > 0 crossovers comes from recent experiments on Nd-LSCO [3,4]. They detected the crossover between "Strange Metal" and "Fl...