Science, Vol.344, No.6184, 612-616, 2014
Simultaneous Transitions in Cuprate Momentum-Space Topology and Electronic Symmetry Breaking
The existence of electronic symmetry breaking in the underdoped cuprates and its disappearance with increased hole density p are now widely reported. However, the relation between this transition and the momentum-space ((k) over right arrow -space) electronic structure underpinning the superconductivity has not yet been established. Here, we visualize the (Q) over right arrow =0 (intra-unit-cell) and (Q) over right arrow not equal 0 (density-wave) broken-symmetry states, simultaneously with the coherent. (k) over right arrow -space topology, for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta samples spanning the phase diagram 0.06 <= p <= 0.23. We show that the electronic symmetry-breaking tendencies weaken with increasing p and disappear close to a critical doping p(c) = 0.19. Concomitantly, the coherent. (k) over right arrow -space topology undergoes an abrupt transition, from arcs to closed contours, at the same p(c). These data reveal that the (k) over right arrow -space topology transformation in cuprates is linked intimately with the disappearance of the electronic symmetry breaking at a concealed critical point.