Charge Stripe Manipulation of Superconducting Pairing Symmetry Transition

Charge stripes have been widely observed in many different types of unconventional superconductors, holding varying periods ($\mathcal{P}$) and intensities. However, a general understanding on the interplay between charge stripes and superconducting properties is still incomplete. Here, using large-scale unbiased numerical simulations on a general inhomogeneous Hubbard model, we discover that the charge-stripe period $\mathcal{P}$, which is variable in different real material systems, could dictate the pairing symmetries – $d$ wave for $\mathcal{P}\ge 4$, $s$ and $d$ waves for $\mathcal{P}\le 3$. In the latter, tuning hole doping and charge-stripe amplitude can trigger a $d$-$s$ wave transition and magnetic-correlation shift, where the $d$-wave state converts to a pairing-density wave state, competing with the $s$ wave. These interesting phenomena arise from an unusual stripe-induced selection rule of pairing symmetries around on-stripe region and within inter-stripe region, giving rise to a critical point of $\mathcal{P}=3$ for the phase transition. In general, our findings offer new insights into the differences in the superconducting pairing mechanisms across many $\mathcal{P}$-dependent superconducting systems, highlighting the decisive role of charge stripe.