The origin of hour-glass magnetic dispersion in underdoped cuprate superconductors

Abstract

In the present work we explain the hour-glass magnetic dispersion in underdoped cuprates. The dispersion arises due to the Lifshitz-type magnetic criticality. Superconductivity also plays a role, but the role is secondary. We list six major experimental observations related to the hour-glass and explain all of them. The theory provides a unified picture of the evolution of magnetic excitations in various cuprate families, including "hour-glass" and "wine-glass" dispersions and an emergent static incommensurate order. We propose the Lifshitz spin liquid "fingerprint" sum rule, and show that the latest data confirm the validity of the sum rule.