Massless Dirac Fermions, Gauge Fields, and Underdoped Cuprates

Journal Article · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2109· OSTI ID:542301

Kim, D H; Lee, P A; Wen, X ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

We study 2+1 dimensional massless Dirac fermions and bosons coupled to a U(1) gauge field as a model for underdoped cuprates. We find that the uniform susceptibility and the specific heat coefficient are logarithmically enhanced (compared to linear-in-T behavior) due to the fluctuation of a transverse gauge field which is the only massless mode at finite boson density. We analyze existing data, and find good agreement in the spin gap phase. Within our picture, the drop of the susceptibility below the superconducting T{sub c} arises from the suppression of gauge fluctuations. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 542301
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 79; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
BOSONS
COUPLING
ENERGY GAP
FERMIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
SPECIFIC HEAT