Charge stripe manipulation of superconducting pairing symmetry transition.

Abstract

Charge stripes have been widely observed in many different types of unconventional superconductors, holding varying periods ( <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi></math> ) and intensities. However, a general understanding on the interplay between charge stripes and superconducting properties is still incomplete. Here, using large-scale unbiased numerical simulations on a general inhomogeneous Hubbard model, we discover that the charge-stripe period <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi></math> , which is variable in different real material systems, could dictate the pairing symmetries-d wave for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi> <mo>≥</mo> <mn>4</mn> <mo>,</mo> <mi>s</mi></math> and d waves for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi> <mo>≤</mo> <mn>3</mn></math> . In the latter, tuning hole doping and charge-stripe amplitude can trigger a d-s wave transition and magnetic-correlation shift, where the d-wave state converts to a pairing-density wave state, competing with the s wave. These interesting phenomena arise from an unusual stripe-induced selection rule of pairing symmetries around on-stripe region and within inter-stripe region, giving rise to a critical point of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>3</mn></math> for the phase transition. In general, our findings offer important insights into the differences in the superconducting pairing mechanisms across many <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>P</mi></math> -dependent superconducting systems, highlighting the decisive role of charge stripe.