- Letter
Superconductivity near a nematoelastic quantum critical point
Phys. Rev. B 105, L220501 – Published 3 June, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.105.L220501
Abstract
We study the pairing instability of a two-dimensional metallic system induced by Ising-nematic quantum fluctuations in the presence of an unavoidable relevant coupling of the nematic order parameter to the elastic modes (acoustic phonons) of the lattice. We find that this nematoelastic coupling leads to a decrease of both the superconducting (SC) critical temperature and the gap function , regardless of the gap symmetry. Interestingly, we show that provides a knob that allows us to investigate the emergence of the SC phase at low temperatures, as an instability from either a non-Fermi liquid or a Fermi liquid normal state. The phase transitions between the SC and these normal states are characterized by different critical exponents, which may also vary for each gap symmetry. Finally, we argue that these results might explain the dependence of in the vicinity of the nematic quantum critical point exhibited by the compound .
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
- Critical phenomena
- Elasticity
- Exotic phases of matter
- Fermions
- Lattice dynamics
- Order parameters
- Pairing mechanisms
- Phase diagrams
- Phase transitions
- Quantum phase transitions
- Spin-singlet pairing
- Superconducting gap
- Superconducting order parameter
- Superconducting phase transition
- Superconductivity
- Transition temperature