Effects of phase separation in the cuprate superconductors
E. V. L. de Mello, E. S. Caixeiro
2004
Physical Review B
Phase separation has been observed by several different experiments and it is believed to be closely related with the physics of cuprates but its exactly role is not yet well known. We propose that the onset of pseudogap phenomenon or the upper pseudogap temperature T^* has its origin in a spontaneous phase separation transition at the temperature T_ps=T^*. In order to perform quantitative calculations, we use a Cahn-Hilliard (CH) differential equation originally proposed to the studies of
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... s and on a spinodal decomposition mechanism. Solving numerically the CH equation it is possible to follow the time evolution of a coarse-grained order parameter which satisfies a Ginzburg-Landau free-energy functional commonly used to model superconductors. In this approach, we follow the process of charge segregation into two main equilibrium hole density branches and the energy gap normally attributed to the upper pseudogap arises as the free-energy potential barrier between these two equilibrium densities below T_ps. This simulation provides quantitative results charge inhomogeneity in agreement with reproduce the observed stripe and granular pattern of segregation. Furthermore, with a Bogoliubov-deGennes (BdG) local superconducting critical temperature calculation for the lower pseudogap or the onset of local superconductivity, it yields novel interpretation of several non-conventional measurements on cuprates.
doi:10.1103/physrevb.70.224517
fatcat:a6mshsw27vc5bp76kbrdd7a2wa