S-wave superconductivity in anisotropic holographic insulators

Within gauge/gravity duality, we consider finite density systems in a helical lattice dual to asymptotically anti-de Sitter space-times with Bianchi VII symmetry. These systems can become an anisotropic insulator in one direction while retaining metallic be- havior in others. To this model, we add a U(1) charged scalar and show that below a critical temperature, it forms a spatially homogeneous condensate that restores isotropy in a new superconducting ground state. We determine the phase diagram in terms of the helix parameters and perform a stability analysis on its IR fixed point corresponding to a finite density condensed phase at zero temperature. Moreover, by analyzing fluctuations about the gravity background, we study the optical conductivity. Due to the lattice, this model provides an example for a holographic insulator-superfluid transition in which there is no unrealistic delta-function peak in the normal phase DC conductivity. Our results suggest that in the zero temperature limit, all degrees of freedom present in the normal phase condense. This, together with the breaking of translation invariance, has implications for Homes’ and Uemuras’s relations. This is of relevance for applications to real world condensed matter systems. We find a range of parameters in this system where Homes’ relation holds.