SO(4) Theory of Antiferromagnetism and Superconductivity in Bechgaard Salts

Abstract

Motivated by recent experiments with Bechgaard salts, we investigate the competition between antiferromagnetism and triplet superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional electron systems. We unify the two orders in an SO(4) symmetric framework, demonstrating the existence of such symmetry in one-dimensional Luttinger liquids. SO(4) symmetry strongly constrains the phase diagram, leading to coexistence regions of antiferromagnetic, superconducting, and normal phases, as observed in TMTSF2PF6. We predict a sharp neutron scattering resonance in superconducting samples.