Superconductivity and magnetic fluctuations in electron-doped cobaltate superconductors

We study the interplay between superconductivity and antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in electron-doped cobaltate NaxCoO2·yH2ONaxCoO2·yH2O based on the kinetic energy driven superconductivity mechanism. We show that the superconducting state is governed by both charge carrier pairing and quasiparticle coherent, and displays a common dome-shaped phase diagram in agreement with experimental results. By calculating the dynamical spin structure factor, we theoretically find that the magnetic excitation shows a commensurate resonance peak, which locates at antiferromagnetic wave vector Q(2π/3,2π/3) for a broad range of low energies, then evolves outward into six incommensurate magnetic scattering peaks with increasing energy. Such commensurate–incommensurate spin resonance excitation should be measured by the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) technique. Our present results strongly suggest that magnetic resonance can indeed be one of the fundamental features in doped Mott insulators.

► Electron doped Mott insulators on a triangular lattice.
► Fermion–spin theory within the charge–spin separation framework.
► The kinetic energy driven superconductivity mechanism.
► Commensurate–incommensurate spin resonance excitations in superconducting states.