On the origin of the Fermi arc phenomena in the underdoped cuprates: signature of KT-type superconducting transition

Abstract: We study the effect of thermal phase fluctuation on the electron spectral function $A(k,\omega)$ in a d-wave superconductor with Monte Carlo simulation. The phase degree of freedom is modeled by a XY-type model with build-in d-wave character. We find a ridge-like structure emerges abruptly on the underlying Fermi surface in $A(k,\omega=0)$ above the KT-transition temperature of the XY model. Such a ridge-like structure, which shares the same characters with the Fermi arc observed in the pseudogap phase of the underdoped cuprates, is found to be caused by the vortex-like phase fluctuation of the XY model.