Berry Phase Coupling and the Cuprate Neutron Scattering Resonance

Abstract

We examine the influence of coupling between particle-hole and particle-particle spin fluctuations on the inelastic neutron scattering resonance (INSR) in cuprate superconductors in both weak and strong interaction limits. For weak-interactions in the particle-hole channel, we find that the interchannel coupling can eliminate the resonance. For strong interactions which drive the system close to a $\bm{Q}=(π,π)$ magnetic instablity, the resonance frequency always approaches zero but its value is influenced by the interchannel coupling. We comment on constraints imposed on cuprate physics by the INSR phenomenology, and a comparison between the cuprates and the newly-discovered iron pnictide superconductors is discussed.

5 pages, 1 figure