Effect of the next-nearest neighbor hopping on the stability and band structure of the incommensurate phases in the cuprates

Using a spin-rotation invariant version of the slave-boson approach we investigate the relative stability and band structure of various incommensurate phases in the cuprates. Our findings obtained in the Hubbard model with next-nearest neighbor hopping -t'/t similar or equal to 0. 15, as appropriate for the La2-xSrxCuO4 family, support the formation of diagonal (vertical) stripe phases in the doping regime x = 1/16 (x = 1/8), respectively. In contrast, based on the fact that a larger value -t'/t = 0.3 expected for YBa2Cu3O6+delta triggers a crossover to the diagonal (1, 1) spiral phase at increasing doping, we argue that it might explain why the static charge order has been detected in YBa2CU3O6+delta only in the highly underdoped regime. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.