Two-hole bound states from a systematic low-energy effective field theory for magnons and holes in an antiferromagnet

Abstract

Identifying the correct low-energy effective theory for magnons and holes in an antiferromagnet has remained an open problem for a long time. In analogy to the effective theory for pions and nucleons in QCD, based on a symmetry analysis of Hubbard and $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$-type models, we construct a systematic low-energy effective field theory for magnons and holes located inside pockets centered at lattice momenta $(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{\ensuremath{\pi}}{2a},\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}\frac{\ensuremath{\pi}}{2a})$. The effective theory is based on a nonlinear realization of the spontaneously broken spin symmetry and makes model-independent universal predictions for the entire class of lightly doped antiferromagnetic precursors of high-temperature superconductors. The predictions of the effective theory are exact, order by order in a systematic low-energy expansion. We derive the one-magnon exchange potentials between two holes in an otherwise undoped system. Remarkably, in some cases the corresponding two-hole Schr\"odinger equations can even be solved analytically. The resulting bound states have $d$-wave characteristics. The ground state wave function of two holes residing in different hole pockets has a ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$-like symmetry, while for two holes in the same pocket the symmetry resembles ${d}_{xy}$.