Stripe fractionalization II: the quantum spin nematic and the Abrikosov lattice

Abstract

In part (I) of this two paper series on stripe fractionalization, we argued that in principle the `domain wall-ness' of the stripe phase could persist in the spin and charge disordered superconductors, and we demonstrated how this physics is in one-to-one correspondence with Ising gauge theory. Here we focus on yet another type of order suggested by the gauge theory: the quantum spin nematic. Although it is not easy to measure this order directly, we argue that the superconducting vortices act as perturbations destroying the gauge symmetry locally. This turns out to give rise to a simple example of a gauge-theoretical phenomenon known as topological interaction. As a consequence, at any finite vortex density a globally ordered antiferromagnet emerges. This offers a potential explanation for recent observations in the underdoped 214 system.