Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/416610a

Title: Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor.

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Abstract

A change in 'symmetry' is often observed when matter undergoes a phase transition--the symmetry is said to be spontaneously broken. The transition made by underdoped high-transition-temperature (high-{Tc}) superconductors is unusual, in that it is not a mean-field transition as seen in other superconductors. Rather, there is a region in the phase diagram above the superconducting transition temperature {Tc} (where phase coherence and superconductivity begin) but below a characteristic temperature T* where a 'pseudogap' appears in the spectrum of electronic excitations. It is therefore important to establish if T* is just a cross-over temperature arising from fluctuations in the order parameter that will establish superconductivity at Tc or if it marks a phase transition where symmetry is spontaneously broken. Here we report that, for a material in the pseudogap state, left-circularly polarized photons give a different photocurrent from right-circularly polarized photons. This shows that time-reversal symmetry is spontaneously broken below T*, which therefore corresponds to a phase transition.

Authors:: Kaminski, A; Rosenkranz, S; Fretwell, H M; Campuzano, J C; Li, Z; Raffy, H; Cullen, W G; You, H; Olson, C G; Varma, C M; Hochst, H

Publication Date:: 2002-04-11

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF); FOR

OSTI Identifier:: 949632

Report Number(s):: ANL/MSD/JA-42729
TRN: US1003601

DOE Contract Number:: DE-AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Nature

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 416; Journal Issue: 6881 ; Apr. 11, 2002

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: ENGLISH

Subject:: 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; FLUCTUATIONS; ORDER PARAMETERS; PHASE DIAGRAMS; PHOTOCURRENTS; PHOTONS; SUPERCONDUCTIVITY; SUPERCONDUCTORS; SYMMETRY; TRANSITION TEMPERATURE

Citation Formats


                    Kaminski, A, Rosenkranz, S, Fretwell, H M, Campuzano, J C, Li, Z, Raffy, H, Cullen, W G, You, H, Olson, C G, Varma, C M, Hochst, H, Materials Science Division, Univ. of Illinois-Chicago, Univ. of Wales Swansea, Universite Paris-Sud, Univ. of Iowa, Lucent Tech., and Synchrotron Radiation Center. Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor..  United States: N. p., 2002. 
        Web.  doi:10.1038/416610a.

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                    Kaminski, A, Rosenkranz, S, Fretwell, H M, Campuzano, J C, Li, Z, Raffy, H, Cullen, W G, You, H, Olson, C G, Varma, C M, Hochst, H, Materials Science Division, Univ. of Illinois-Chicago, Univ. of Wales Swansea, Universite Paris-Sud, Univ. of Iowa, Lucent Tech., & Synchrotron Radiation Center. Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor..  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/416610a

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                    Kaminski, A, Rosenkranz, S, Fretwell, H M, Campuzano, J C, Li, Z, Raffy, H, Cullen, W G, You, H, Olson, C G, Varma, C M, Hochst, H, Materials Science Division, Univ. of Illinois-Chicago, Univ. of Wales Swansea, Universite Paris-Sud, Univ. of Iowa, Lucent Tech., and Synchrotron Radiation Center. Thu .  
        "Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor.".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1038/416610a.

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@article{osti_949632,

  title        = {Spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry in the pseudogap state of a high-T{sub c} superconductor.},

  author       = {Kaminski, A and Rosenkranz, S and Fretwell, H M and Campuzano, J C and Li, Z and Raffy, H and Cullen, W G and You, H and Olson, C G and Varma, C M and Hochst, H and Materials Science Division and Univ. of Illinois-Chicago and Univ. of Wales Swansea and Universite Paris-Sud and Univ. of Iowa and Lucent Tech. and Synchrotron Radiation Center},

  abstractNote = {A change in 'symmetry' is often observed when matter undergoes a phase transition--the symmetry is said to be spontaneously broken. The transition made by underdoped high-transition-temperature (high-{Tc}) superconductors is unusual, in that it is not a mean-field transition as seen in other superconductors. Rather, there is a region in the phase diagram above the superconducting transition temperature {Tc} (where phase coherence and superconductivity begin) but below a characteristic temperature T* where a 'pseudogap' appears in the spectrum of electronic excitations. It is therefore important to establish if T* is just a cross-over temperature arising from fluctuations in the order parameter that will establish superconductivity at Tc or if it marks a phase transition where symmetry is spontaneously broken. Here we report that, for a material in the pseudogap state, left-circularly polarized photons give a different photocurrent from right-circularly polarized photons. This shows that time-reversal symmetry is spontaneously broken below T*, which therefore corresponds to a phase transition.},

  doi          = {10.1038/416610a},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/949632},
  journal      = {Nature},
number       = 6881 ; Apr. 11, 2002,

  volume       = 416,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2002},

  month        = {4}

}

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