arXiv subjects

Zhangkai Cao

Publications and source records attributed to Zhangkai Cao.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Oriented Triplet $p$-Wave Pairing from Fermi surface Anisotropy and Nonlocal Attraction

Using constrained-path quantum Monte Carlo, we map the ground-state phase diagram versus the nearest-neighbor (NN) attraction $V$ and spin-dependent hopping anisotropy $α$ for the two-dimensional attractive $t$--$U$--$V$ Hubbard model at filling $n\simeq0.85$. We identify an onsite $s$-wave superfluid, a Cooper pair Bose metal with an uncondensed Bose surface, and an oriented equal-spin triplet $p$-wave pairing phase. The NN attraction activates the odd-parity channel, while hopping anisotropy suppresses the competing $s$-wave coherence and selects a $p_x/p_y$ polar axis, and thus lowers the critical $|V_c|$ for the onset of triplet-dominant $p$-wave pairing. A channel-resolved Landau analysis provides a criterion for the Landau $p$-wave scale $V_c^{\mathrm L}(α)$, consistent with the observed anisotropy dependence of $|V_c|$. Our results establish how NN interaction and Fermi surface anisotropy cooperate to generate the oriented triplet $p$-wave pairing, and suggest that cold-atom and altermagnetic platforms could potentially realize this mechanism.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Pairing phase diagram for electron-doped cuprates in the square-lattice $t-U-V$ Hubbard model

Motivated by significant discrepancies between experimental observations of electron-doped cuprates and numerical results of the Hubbard model, we investigate the role of nearest-neighbor (NN) electron interactions $V$ by studying the $t-U-V$ model on square lattices. Upon doping $δ$= 0.153, by using constrained path quantum Monte Carlo (CPQMC) method, we find that NN electron attraction $V$ can notably drive an exotic $p$-wave spin-triplet pairing, while the NN electron repulsion $V$ will suppress the $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave ($d$-wave) pairing and triggers the $d_{xy}$-wave pairing. Especially in the intermediate coupling regime, as NN repulsion increases, the intensity of $d_{xy}$-wave pairing also increases, further suppressing the presence of $d$-wave pairing, which may help explain the notable suppression of $d$-wave pairing in electron-doped cuprate superconductors. Besides the pairing phase, we also find that the NN electron attraction $V$ has no significant effect on spin density wave (SDW) and charge density wave (CDW), but repulsion $V$ significantly enhanced CDW and suppressed SDW. Our study suggests the $t-U-V$ Hubbard model can serve as the minimal model to capture the essential physics of the electron-doped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Variation of Bose surface by Filling in Cooper pair Bose metal

The Cooper pair Bose metal (CPBM) is a non-superfluid quantum phase in which uncondensed fermion pairs form a "Bose surface" in momentum space. We investigate the CPBM in the two-dimensional spin-anisotropic attractive Hubbard model by tuning the next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) hopping t', carrier filling n, and spin anisotropy alpha, using large-scale constrained-path quantum Monte Carlo simulations. A moderate NNN hopping (t'/t = 0.2) substantially enlarges the CPBM region: the phase extends into weaker anisotropy regimes and coexists with a commensurate charge-density wave (CDW) near half-filling (n > 0.95), where CDW order would otherwise dominate at t' = 0. Interestingly, t' suppresses the overall CDW peak amplitude and introduces a geometric correlation between the orientations of the Fermi and Bose surfaces: for weak Fermi-surface rotations, the Bose surface remains aligned with the lattice axes, while larger distortions drive both surfaces to rotate in tandem. Momentum-resolved pairing distributions reveal that the bosonic pairing channels are jointly controlled by t' and carrier filling n. For small t', d_xy-wave correlations dominate across the entire filling range. In contrast, for larger t', the dominant pairing symmetry varies with n, reflecting a nontrivial interplay between frustration and density. These findings establish carrier filling and NNN hopping as complementary levers for manipulating CPBM stability and provide concrete criteria for identifying non-superfluid bosonic matter in cold-atom and correlated-electron systems.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2025

p-wave superconductivity induced by nearest-neighbor attraction in the square-lattice extended Hubbard model

The two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model is widely believed to contain the key ingredients of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprate materials. Here, we report a constrained path quantum Monte Carlo (CPQMC) study of the square-lattice extended Hubbard model with on-site Coulomb repulsion U and nearest-neighbor (NN) electron attraction V. Upon doping $δ$= 0.125, we find that the NN electron attraction V can notably drive an exotic spin-triplet (p-wave) superconducting (SC) phase, and enhance the p-wave SC correlations with the increase of V. But in the intermediate coupling regime, the $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave (d-wave) does not significantly increase with the increase of V, indicating that the d-wave is not affected by V in strongly correlated system. Besides the pairing phase, a spin density wave (SDW) only exists near the half-filling in the particle-hole channel, and doping disrupts the formation of SDW order. Especially, the NN electron attraction V has no significant effect on SDW, reflecting the consistent relationship between d-wave SC and spin correlation. Moreover, as doping increases, the dominant region of p-wave also expands, further suppressing the presence of d-wave, which may help explain the disappearance of d-wave SC in overdoped cuprate superconductors. We also find the d-wave exhibits a singular nonzero (near point ($2π/3, π$)) condensation structure in momentum space, resulting in a different staggered behavior in the x and y direction with distance in real space. On the contrary, the p-wave condensed at zero momentum, and the p-wave correlation exhibits exponential decay in real space. Our work suggests the p-wave SC region can be induced and further broadened by the NN electron attraction V, offering a feasible mechanism to realize p-wave superconductivity in realistic cuprate materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Exotic d-wave Cooper Pair Bose Metal in two dimensions

The study of non-Fermi liquids sheds light on unconventional phenomena in condensed matter systems that lie beyond the scope of Landau Fermi liquid theory. One intriguing example is the Bose metal, characterized by an uncondensed bosonic ground state. However, constructing a Bose metal phase in two dimensions (2D) remains a significant challenge.} Utilizing constraint path quantum Monte Carlo and functional renormalization group methods on a fermionic system with spin anisotropy in a 2D lattice, we reveal the emergence of a Cooper pair Bose metal (CPBM) phase in a highly anisotropic regime ($α< 0.30$) with wide range of filling, as proposed in [A. E. Feiguin and M. P. A. Fisher, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 025303 (2009)]. Our findings exhibit a visible nonzero momentum Bose surface in the Cooper-pair distribution function, accompanied by a distinct signal of $d_{xy}$ correlation between pairs. Our results highlight that spin-dependent anisotropy in the Fermi surface leads to versatile pairing forms. Platforms such as ultracold atoms in optical lattices and recently proposed altermagnets hold promise for realizing this intriguing phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

dx2-y2-wave Bose Metal induced by the next-nearest-neighbor hopping t'

Superconductivity arises when electrons form Cooper pairs with phase coherence. In contrast, a lack of phase coherence in Cooper pairs can lead to an uncondensed metallic ground state known as the Bose metal state. In this study, we investigate an attractively interacting fermionic system with nearest-neighbor (NN) hopping (t) and next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) hopping (t') anisotropy between two species of spins in a two-dimensional (2D) lattice. Utilizing the constrained path quantum Monte Carlo (CPQMC) method, we demonstrate the existence of a dx2-y2-wave Cooper pair Bose metal (CPBM) phase with t'/t > 0.7. The CPBM phase exhibits a dome-like structure in the phase diagram of filling n~0.65, with the maximal region around an optimal t'/t ~ 0.2, suggesting that an appropriate value of t' facilitates the formation of the Bose metal. Furthermore, we find that a Bose metal formed by fermions with a closed Fermi surface confirms that the crucial condition for this exotic phenomenon is primarily the anisotropy of the Fermi surface, rather than its topology. Our finding of the dx2-y2-wave CPBM demonstrates the same pairing symmetry as the pseudogap behavior in cuprates, and its experimental realization in ultracold atom systems is also feasible.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Ab Initio Studies on Interactions in K$_3$C$_{60}$ under High Pressure

Fullerene solids doped with alkali metals (A$_3$C$_{60}$, A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibit a superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) as high as 40 K, and their unconventional superconducting properties have been a subject of debate. With application of high pressure on K$_3$C$_{60}$ and Rb$_3$C$_{60}$, the experiments demonstrate the decrease of $T_c$. In this paper, we focus on K$_3$C$_{60}$ and derive the structure of K$_3$C$_{60}$ under different pressures based on first-principles calculations, exploring the trends of Coulomb interactions at various pressures. By utilizing the Maximally Localized Wannier function approach, Constrained Density Functional Perturbation Theory (cDFPT), and Constrained Random Phase Approximation (cRPA), we construct a microscopic low-energy model near the Fermi level. Our results strongly indicate that, in the K$_3$C$_{60}$ system, as pressure increases, the effect of phonons is the key to intraorbital electron pairing. There is a dominance of the phonon-driven superconducting mechanism at high pressure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Low-temperature T-linear resistivity in the strange metal phase of overdoped cuprate superconductors due to umklapp scattering from a spin excitation

The strange-metal phase of overdoped cuprate superconductors exhibits a linear in temperature resistivity in the low temperature, however, the origin of this remarkable anomaly is still not well understood. Here the linear temperature dependence of the resistivity in the strange-metal phase of overdoped cuprate superconductors is investigated. The momentum dependence of the transport scattering rate arising from the umklapp scattering between electrons by the exchange of the spin excitations is derived and employed to calculate the resistivity by making use of the Boltzmann equation. It is shown that the resistivity is mainly dominated by the antinodal and nodal umklapp scattering. In particular, a very low temperature $T_{\rm scale}$ scales with $Δ^{2}_{p}$, where $Δ_{p}$ is the minimum umklapp vector at the antinode. In the low temperature above $T_{\rm scale}$, the resistivity is linear in temperature with the temperature linear coefficient that decreases with the increase of doping, however, in the far lower temperature below $T_{\rm scale}$, the resistivity is instead quadratic in temperature. The theory also shows that the same spin excitation that acts like a bosonic glue to hold the electron pairs together also mediates scattering of electrons in the strange-metal phase responsible for the linear in temperature resistivity in the low temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Electromagnetic response of cuprate superconductors with coexisting electronic nematicity

The electronically nematic order has emerged as a key feature of cuprate superconductors,however, its correlation with the fundamental properties such as the electromagnetic response remains unclear. Here the nematic-order state strength dependence of the electromagnetic response in cuprate superconductors is investigated within the framework of the kinetic-energy-driven superconductivity. It is shown that a significant anisotropy of the electromagnetic response is caused by the electronic nematicity. In particular, in addition to the pure d-wave component of the superconducting gap, the pure s-wave component of the superconducting gap is generated by the electronic nematicity, therefore there is a coexistence and competition of the d-wave component and the s-wave component. This coexistence and competition leads to that the maximal condensation energy appears at around the optimal strength of the electronic nematicity, and then decreases in both the weak and strong strength regions, which in turn induces the enhancement of superconductivity, and gives rise to the dome-like shape of the nematic-order state strength dependence of the superfluid density.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Characteristic energy of the nematic-order state and its connection to enhancement of superconductivity in cuprate superconductors

The new development in sublattice-phase-resolved imaging of electronic structure now allow for the visualisation of the nematic-order state characteristic energy of cuprate superconductors in a wide doping regime. However, it is still unclear how this characteristic energy of the nematic-order state is correlated with the enhancement of superconductivity. Here the doping dependence of the nematic-order state characteristic energy in cuprate superconductors and of its possible connection to the enhancement of superconductivity is investigated within the framework of the kinetic-energy-driven superconductivity. It is shown that the characteristic energy of the nematic-order state is found to be particularly large in the underdoped regime, then it smoothly decreases upon the increase of doping, in full agreement with the corresponding experimental observations. Moreover, the characteristic energy of the nematic-order state as a function of the nematic-order state strength in the underdoped regime presents a similar behavior of the superconducting transition temperature. This suggests a possible connection between the nematic-order state characteristic energy and the enhancement of the superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Enhancement of superconductivity by electronic nematicity in cuprate superconductors

The cuprate superconductors are characterized by numerous ordering tendencies, with the nematic order being the most distinct form of order. Here the intertwinement of the electronic nematicity with superconductivity in cuprate superconductors is studied based on the kinetic-energy-driven superconductivity. It is shown that the optimized Tc takes a dome-like shape with the weak and strong strength regions on each side of the optimal strength of the electronic nematicity, where the optimized Tc reaches its maximum. This dome-like shape nematic-order strength dependence of Tc indicates that the electronic nematicity enhances superconductivity. Moreover, this nematic order induces the anisotropy of the electron Fermi surface (EFS), where although the original EFS with the four-fold rotation symmetry is broken up into that with a residual two-fold rotation symmetry, this EFS with the two-fold rotation symmetry still is truncated to form the Fermi arcs with the most spectral weight that locates at the tips of the Fermi arcs. Concomitantly, these tips of the Fermi arcs connected by the wave vectors ${\bf q}_{i}$ construct an octet scattering model, however, the partial wave vectors and their respective symmetry-corresponding partners occur with unequal amplitudes, leading to these ordered states being broken both rotation and translation symmetries. As a natural consequence, the electronic structure is inequivalent between the $k_{x}$ and $k_{y}$ directions. These anisotropic features of the electronic structure are also confirmed via the result of the autocorrelation of the single-particle excitation spectra, where the breaking of the rotation symmetry is verified by the inequivalence on the average of the electronic structure at the two Bragg scattering sites. Furthermore, the strong energy dependence of the order parameter of the electronic nematicity is also discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗