Detecting fractions of electrons in the high-T-c cuprates - art. no. 214511

Citation
T. Senthil et Mpa. Fisher, Detecting fractions of electrons in the high-T-c cuprates - art. no. 214511, PHYS REV B, 6421(21), 2001, pp. 4511
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
PHYSICAL REVIEW B
ISSN journal
01631829 → ACNP
Volume
6421
Issue
21
Year of publication
2001
Database
ISI
SICI code
0163-1829(200112)6421:21<4511:DFOEIT>2.0.ZU;2-J
Abstract
We propose several tests of the idea that the electron is fractionalized in the underdoped and undoped cuprates. These include the ac Josephson effect and tunneling into small superconducting grains in the Coulomb blockade re gime. In both cases, we argue that the results are qualitatively modified f rom the conventional ones if the insulating tunnel barrier is fractionalize d. These experiments directly detect the possible existence of the chargon- a charge e spinless boson-in the insulator. The effects described in this p aper provide a means to probing whether the undoped cuprate (despite its ma gnetism) is fractionalized. Thus, the experiments discussed here are comple mentary to the flux-trapping experiment we proposed in our earlier work.