Amperean pairing and the pseudogap phase of cuprate superconductors

Understand

The enigmatic pseudogap phase in underdoped cuprate high T_c superconductors has long been recognized as a central puzzle of the T_c problem.

• Recent data show that the pseudogap is likely a distinct phase, characterized by a medium range and quasi-static charge ordering.
• However, the origin of the ordering wavevector and the mechanism of the charge order is unknown.
• At the same time, earlier data show that precursive superconducting fluctuations are also associated with this phase.