TY - JOUR
T1 - Local condensation of charge- 4e superconductivity at a nematic domain wall
AU - Hecker, Matthias
AU - Fernandes, Rafael M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Physical Society.
PY - 2024/4/1
Y1 - 2024/4/1
N2 - In the fluctuation regime that precedes the onset of pairing in multicomponent superconductors, such as nematic and chiral superconductors, the normal state is generally unstable toward the formation of charge-4e order - an exotic quantum state in which electrons form coherent quartets rather than Cooper pairs. However, charge-4e order is often suppressed by other competing composite orders, such as nematics. Importantly, the formation of nematic domains is unavoidable due to the long-range strains generated, leading to one-dimensional regions where the competing nematic order is suppressed. Here, we employ a real-space variational approach to demonstrate that, in such nematic domain walls, charge-4e order is locally condensed via a vestigial-order mechanism. We explore the experimental manifestations of this effect and discuss materials in which it can be potentially observed.
AB - In the fluctuation regime that precedes the onset of pairing in multicomponent superconductors, such as nematic and chiral superconductors, the normal state is generally unstable toward the formation of charge-4e order - an exotic quantum state in which electrons form coherent quartets rather than Cooper pairs. However, charge-4e order is often suppressed by other competing composite orders, such as nematics. Importantly, the formation of nematic domains is unavoidable due to the long-range strains generated, leading to one-dimensional regions where the competing nematic order is suppressed. Here, we employ a real-space variational approach to demonstrate that, in such nematic domain walls, charge-4e order is locally condensed via a vestigial-order mechanism. We explore the experimental manifestations of this effect and discuss materials in which it can be potentially observed.
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U2 - 10.1103/physrevb.109.134514
DO - 10.1103/physrevb.109.134514
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85191338030
SN - 2469-9950
VL - 109
JO - Physical Review B
JF - Physical Review B
IS - 13
M1 - 134514
ER -