Stripe Dynamics, Global Phase Ordering and Quantum Criticality in High Tc Superconductors

Abstract

By modeling the stripe phase in cuprates as spin gapped stripes coupled to the RVB liquid of preformed electron pairs, I derive the low energy effective theory of the RVB phase variable. It is found that the effect of stripe dynamics (including both longitudinal and transverse modes) leads to incipient temporal phase stiffness in the RVB liquid, which tunes a quantum phase transition toward a superconducting ground state with global phase order. Physical consequences of this quantum criticality are discussed.