biostudies-literatureChen WGordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF)Science Foundation of IrelandEuropean Research CouncilGordon and Betty Moore FoundationRoyal SocietyRoyal Society (The Royal Society)e2206481119https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9351522biostudies-literatureUnknown119(31)Electron-pair density wave (PDW) states are now an intense focus of research in the field of cuprate correlated superconductivity. PDWs exhibit periodically modulating superconductive electron pairing that can be visualized directly using scanned Josephson tunneling microscopy (SJTM). Although from theory, intertwining the <i>d</i>-wave superconducting (DSC) and PDW order parameters allows a plethora of global electron-pair orders to appear, which one actually occurs in the various cuprates is unknown. Here, we use SJTM to visualize the interplay of PDW and DSC states in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x at a carrier density where the charge density wave modulations are virtually nonexistent. Simultaneous visualization of their amplitudes reveals that the intertwiProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaIdentification of a nematic pair density wave state in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x.PMC9351522SFI 17/RP/5445788932GBMF9457R64897DLV-788932GBMF9616Ren WDavis JCSUchida SJohnson PDChen WKennedy NEisaki HHamidian MHO'Mahony SMfalseIdentification of a nematic pair density wave state in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x.Electron-pair density wave (PDW) states are now an intense focus of research in the field of cuprate correlated superconductivity. PDWs exhibit periodically modulating superconductive electron pairing that can be visualized directly using scanned Josephson tunneling microscopy (SJTM). Although from theory, intertwining the <i>d</i>-wave superconducting (DSC) and PDW order parameters allows a plethora of global electron-pair orders to appear, which one actually occurs in the various cuprates is unknown. Here, we use SJTM to visualize the interplay of PDW and DSC states in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x at a carrier density where the charge density wave modulations are virtually nonexistent. Simultaneous visualization of their amplitudes reveals that the intertwi2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-04-22T06:34:15.88Z2025-04-05T21:45:28.032ZS-EPMC93515223589568010.1073/pnas.2206481119