Homogenous nodal superconductivity coexisting with inhomogeneous charge order in strongly underdoped Bi-2212

Abstract

We use novel STM techniques in concert to study the doping dependence of electronic structure in Bi-2212. At all dopings, the low energy states are relatively homogenous except for dispersive density-of-states modulations whose properties are used to elucidate the momentum-space characteristics of quasi-particles. The superconductive coherence-peaks, ubiquitous in near-optimal tunneling spectra, are destroyed with strong underdoping. A new spectral type, likely characteristic of the zero temperature pseudogap regime, appears in these samples. Exclusively in regions exhibiting this new spectrum, we find a quasi periodic modulations in dI/dV as well as in topograph with Q(2pi/4.5a,0) and (0,2pi/4.5a)+-15%. This is consistent with the existence of a local charge density modulation at these wave vectors. Surprisingly, this state coexists harmoniously with the low energy nodal quasi-particles. We discuss the relevance of these findings to the cuprate phase diagram and to the relationship between the pseudogap and superconductivity.