Abstract
The problem of weakly correlated electrons on a square lattice is formulated in terms of a one-loop renormalization group. Starting from the action for the entire Brillouin zone we reduce successively the cutoff Λ about the Fermi surface and follow the renormalization of the coupling U as a function of three energy-momenta. We calculate the intrinsic temperature scale Tco where the renormalization-group flow crosses over from the regime (Λ>Tco) where the electron-electron (e-e) and electron-hole (e-h) terms are equally important to the regime (ΛTco) where only the e-e term plays a role. In the low-energy regime only the pairing interaction V is marginally relevant, containing contributions from all renormalization-group steps of the regime Λ>Tco. We identify the most attractive eigenvalue λmin of VΛ=Tco. At low filling, λmin corresponds to the B2 representation (dxy symmetry), while near half filling the strongest attraction occurs in the B1 representation (dx2y2 symmetry). In the direction of the van Hove singularities, the order parameter shows peaks with increasing strength as one approaches half filling. We also give a possible interpretation of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments trying to determine the symmetry of the order parameter in the high-Tc compound Bi2 Sr2 CaCu2 O8. © 1996 The American Physical Society.