We first explain the pseudogap of high-temperature superconductivity based on an approach of quantum optics. After introducing a damping factor for the lifetime $τ$ of quasiparticles, the superconducting dome is naturally produced, and the pseudogap is the consequence of pairing with damped coherence. We derive a new expression of Ginzburg-Landau free energy density, in which a six-order term due to decoherence damping effect is included. Without invoking any microscopic pairing mechanism, this approach provides a simple universal equation of second-order phase transition, which can be reduced to two well-known empirical scaling equations: the superconducting dome Presland-Tallon equation, and the normal-state pseudogap crossover temperature $T^{*}$ line.
ARPES measurements on underdoped cuprates above the superconducting transition temperature exhibit the unique phenomenon of Fermi arcs, gapless arcs of Fermi surface around the nodal points of the superconducting gap, which terminate before reaching the antinodes. We show that this phenomenon is easily explained (including its temperature dependence and observed hole-electron asymmetry) as the natural consequence of a time-fluctuating d-wave gap.
The real-space localized hole pair is constructed in the Cu-O plane of the hole-doped cuprate superconductors. We prove analytically and numerically that two electrons, due to the nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsive confinement effect, can be in pairing inside a single plaquette with the d-wave symmetry. The scenario supports the `no glue' pairing picture for the cuprates. Based on the scenarios, the physical origin of the Fermi pocket (or Fermi arc) and the two pseudogap behavior are provided. Our framework leads directly to a unified linear relationship between the pseudogap temperature T* an…
A new model of high-T_c superconductivity (HTSC) has been developed by us which we find is able to explain almost all the HTSC properties, like high T_c, origin and nature of NSPG (normal state pseudogap), anomalous superconducting state (SS) energy gap (SSEG) properties, absence of NMR spin relaxation rate coherence peak, existence of NSPG below T_c, nature of high-T_c magnetic superconductivity, external magnetic field (H) dependence of the NSPG formation temperature T*, etc. The coexistence of NSPG and SS BCS energy gap (EG), below T_C, has been predicted by the model before its experimenta…
By re-examining recently-published data from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy we demonstrate that, in the superconducting region of the phase diagram, the pseudogap ground state is an arc metal. This scenario is consistent with results from Raman spectroscopy, specific heat and NMR. In addition, we propose an explanation for the "Fermi pockets" inferred from quantum oscillations in terms of a pseudogapped bilayer Fermi surface.
A model in which a gap forms in the renormalized electronic density of state (DOS) with missing states recovered just above the pseudogap $Δ_{pg}$, is able to give a robust description of the striking, triangular like, peak seen in the real part of the optical self-energy of underdoped cuprates. We use this model to explore the effect of the pseudogap on the real part of the optical conductivity and on the partial sum rule associated with it. An important result is that the optical spectral weight redistributes over a much larger frequency window than it does in the DOS.
To address the issue of the pseudogap in the superconducting state of the high temperature superconducting cuprates, we studied the temperature dependent redistribution of the spectral weight in the \textit{c}-axis polarized optical spectra for underdoped YBa$_{2}$(Cu$_{1-x}$Zn$_{x}$)$_{3}$O$_{7-δ}$ single crystals with $x=0,0.007,$ 0.012, and 0.04. It was found that for Zn substituted samples, the spectral weight transfer to the high energy region, which characterizes the pseudogap state, continues even below the superconducting transition temperature (\textit{T}$_{c}$), indicating the coexis…
We utilize ultrafast optical measurement to study the quasiparticle relaxation in stoichiometric LiFeAs and nearly optimally doped (BaK)Fe2As2 crystals. According to our temperature-dependent studies of LiFeAs, we have observed pseudogap-like feature at onset temperature of ~ 55 K, which is above Tc = 15 K. In addition, the onset temperature of pseudogap ~90K was also observed in Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 (Tc = 36 K). Our findings seem implying that the pseudogap feature, which is due to antiferromagnetic fluctuations, is universal for the largely studied 11, 111, 122, and 1111 iron-based superconductor…
The observation of a large Nernst signal in cuprates above the superconducting transition temperature has attracted much attention. A potential explanation is that it originates from superconducting fluctuations. Although the Nernst signal is indeed consistent with gaussian fluctuations for overdoped cuprates, gaussian theory fails to describe the temperature dependence seen for underdoped cuprates. Here, we consider the vertex correction to gaussian theory resulting from the pseudogap. This yields a Nernst signal in good agreement with the data.
The pseudogap is a key property of the cuprate superconductors, whose understanding should illuminate the pairing mechanism. Recent experimental data support a close connection between the pseudogap and an oxygen-driven C4 symmetry breaking within the CuO2 plane unit cell. Using ab initio Molecular Dynamics, we demonstrate the existence of a strong nonlinear electron-oxygen vibrator coupling in two cuprates. In a mean field approach applied to this coupling within a model Hamiltonian, we derive a C4 splitting/pseudogap phase diagram in agreement with experiment - providing an explanation for t…
We report the observation of a pseudogap in the \emph{ab}-plane optical conductivity of underdoped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($x = 0.2$ and 0.12) single crystals. Both samples show prominent gaps opened by a spin density wave (SDW) order and superconductivity at the transition temperatures $T_{\it SDW}$ and $T_c$, respectively. In addition, we observe an evident pseudogap below $T^{\ast} \sim$ 75 K, a temperature much lower than $T_{\it SDW}$ but much higher than $T_{c}$. A spectral weight analysis shows that the pseudogap is closely connected to the superconducting gap, indicating the…
We calculate the c-axis infrared conductivity $σ_c(ω)$ in underdoped cuprate superconductors for spinfluctuation exchange scattering within the CuO$_2$-planes including a phenomenological d-wave pseudogap of amplitude $E_g$. For temperatures decreasing below a temperature $T^* \sim E_g/2$, a gap for $ω< 2E_g$ develops in $σ_c(ω)$ in the incoherent (diffuse) transmission limit. The resistivity shows 'semiconducting' behavior, i.e. it increases for low temperatures above the constant behavior for $E_g=0$. We find that the pseudogap structure in the in-plane optical conductivity is about twice as…
The quasi-two-dimensional nickel chalcogenides $TlNi_2Se_2$ is a newly discovered superconductor. We have performed optical spectroscopy study on $TlNi_2Se_2$ single crystals over a broad frequency range at various temperatures. The overall optical reflectance spectra are similar to those observed in its isostructure $BaNi_2As_2$. Both the suppression in $R(ω)$ and the peaklike feature in $σ_1(ω)$ suggest the progressive formation of a pseudogap feature in the midinfrared range with decreasing temperatures, which might be originated from the dynamic local fluctuation of charge-density-wave (CD…
We investigate the low-energy quasiparticle excitation spectra of cuprate superconductors by incorporating both superconductivity (SC) and competing orders (CO) in the bare Green's function and quantum phase fluctuations in the proper self-energy. Our approach provides consistent explanations for various empirical observations, including the excess subgap quasiparticle density of states, ``dichotomy'' in the momentum-dependent quasiparticle coherence and the temperature-dependent gap evolution, and the presence (absence) of the low-energy pseudogap in hole- (electron-) type cuprates depending …
We derive analytic expressions for the critical temperatures of the superconducting (SC) and pseudogap (PG) phases of the high-Tc cuprates, which are in excellent agreement with the experimental data for single-layered materials such as LSCO, Bi2201 and Hg1201. Our effective Hamiltonian, defined in the oxygen square sub-lattices formed by the alternate hybridization of $p_x$ and $p_y$ orbitals with the $3d$ copper orbitals, provides an unified explanation for the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ symmetry of both the SC and PG order parameters. Attractive and repulsive interactions involve holes of the two differ…
For high-Tc superconductors, clarifying the role and origin of the pseudogap is essential for understanding the pairing mechanism. Among the various models describing the pseudogap, the preformed Cooper pair model is a potential candidate. Therefore, we present experimental evidence for the preformed Cooper pair model by studying the pseudogap spectrum observed in the optical conductivity of a Ca10(Pt4As8)(Fe2As2)5 (Tc = 34.6 K) single crystal. We observed a clear pseudogap structure in the optical conductivity and observed its temperature dependence. In the superconducting (SC) state, one SC …
We use ultrafast optical spectroscopy to study the nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation dynamics of the iron-based superconductor KCa$_2$Fe$_4$As$_4$F$_2$ with $T_c=33.5$ K. Our results reveal a possible pseudogap ($Δ_{PG}$ = 2.4 $\pm$ 0.1 meV) below $T^*\approx 50$ K but prior to the opening of a superconducting gap ($Δ_{SC}$(0) $\approx$ 4.3 $\pm$ 0.1 meV). Measurements under high pump fluence real two distinct, coherent phonon oscillations with 1.95 and 5.51 THz frequencies, respectively. The high-frequency $A_{1g}$(2) mode corresponds to the $c-$axis polarized vibrations of FeAs planes …
One of the most intriguing puzzle is why there is a coexistence of Fermi arcs and Fermi pockets in the pseudogap phase of cuprate superconductors? This puzzle is calling for an explanation. Based on the t-J model in the fermion-spin representation, the coexistence of the Fermi arcs and Fermi pockets in cuprate superconductors is studied by taking into account the pseudogap effect. It is shown that the pseudogap induces an energy band splitting, and then the poles of the electron Green's function at zero energy form two contours in momentum space, however, the electron spectral weight on these …
We suggest a model for electronic structure of cuprate superconductors that makes it possible to describe evolution of this structure with the doping and provides a new explanation for a number of typical features of cuprates, including the pseudogap and the Fermi arcs. According to this model, the unique electronic structure of cuprates is favorable for the formation of two-atomic negative-U centers (NUCs) and realization of a peculiar mechanism of the electron-electron interaction.
We present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies of the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which elucidate the relation between superconductivity and the pseudogap and highlight low-energy quasiparticle dynamics in the superconducting state. Our experiments suggest that the pseudogap and superconducting gap represent distinct states, which coexist below T$_c$. Studies on Bi-2212 demonstrate that the near-nodal and near-antinodal regions behave differently as a function of temperature and doping, implying that different orders dominate in different momentum-space regio…
A possible explanation for the existence of the cuprate "pseudogap" state is that it is a d-wave superconductor without quantum phase rigidity. Transport and thermodynamic studies provide compelling evidence that supports this proposal, but few spectroscopic explorations of it have been made. One spectroscopic signature of d-wave superconductivity is the particle-hole symmetric "octet" of dispersive Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference modulations. Here we report on this octet's evolution from low temperatures to well into the underdoped pseudogap regime. No pronounced changes occur in the oc…
We present a theoretical framework for a quantitative understanding of the full doping dependence of the optical spectra of the cuprates. In accord with experimental observations, the computed spectra show how the high-energy Mott features continue to persist in the overdoped regime even after the mid-infrared (MIR) peak originating from the pseudogap has collapsed in a quantum critical point. In this way, we reconcile the opposing tendencies of the MIR and Mott peaks to shift in opposite directions in the optical spectra with increasing doping. The competition between the pseudogap and the Mo…
We report on a study of the electromagnetic response of three different families of high-T_c superconductors that in combination allowed us to cover the whole doping range from under- to overdoped. The discussion is focused on the ab-plane charge dynamics in the {\it pseudogap state} which is realized in underdoped materials below a characteristic temperature T^*; a temperature that can significantly exceed the superconducting transition temperature T_c. We explore the evolution of the pseudogap response by changing the doping level, by varying the temperature from the above to below T^*, or b…
The relation between pseudogap (PG) and superconducting (SC) gap, whether PG is a precursor of SC or they coexist or compete, is a long-standing controversy in cuprate high-temperature supercondutors. Here, we report ultrafast time-resolved optical reflectivity investigation of the dynamic densities and relaxations of PG and SC quasiparticles (QPs) in the underdoped $\rm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}}$ ($T_c$ = 82 K) single crystals. We find evidence of two distinct PG components in the positive reflectivity changes in the PG state, characterized by relaxation timescales of $τ_{fast}$ $\approx$ 0.2 ps…
I review some of the experimental evidence and theoretical arguments that suggest that pseudogap matter is a new form of matter that coexists with coherent electron matter in the normal state and with superconducting matter below the superconducting transition temperature. I describe work in progress on a phenomenological two-fluid description of the evolution of pseudogap behavior that offers an explanation for the unexpectedly simple scaling behavior for the uniform magnetic susceptibility found in the underdoped cuprates and use this to propose a physical picture of the underdoped cuprates …
We use a recently proposed model of the interplane conductivity of high temperature superconductors to investigate the `scattering rate sum-rule' introduced by Basov and co-workers. We present a new derivation of the sum-rule. The quantal and thermal fluctuations of the order parameter which have been argued to produce the observed pseudogap behavior are shown to increase the total integrated `scattering rate' but may either increase or decrease the `quasiparticle' contribution from frequencies greater than twice the superconducting gap.
Pseudogap (PG), a phenomenon of opening of gap like features above superconducting (SC) transition temperature (Tc), has been universally observed in the high-Tc cuprates (HTC) (1,2), some heavy fermion superconductors (3), and iron pnictides (4-7). Here, we report the observation of PG behavior in optical conductivity in an underdoped Ba0.6+δK0.4-δFe2As2 (Tconset =36 K) single crystal far above Tc, up to 100 K (~ 3Tc). Unique scale separation in Ba0.6+δK0.4-δFe2As2 compound - magnetic and SC correlation energy scales being widely separated - enabled us to establish that the PG structures obse…
We reveal the full energy-momentum structure of the pseudogap of underdoped high-Tc cuprate superconductors. Our combined theoretical and experimental analysis explains the spectral-weight suppression observed in the B2g Raman response at finite energies in terms of a pseudogap appearing in the single-electron excitation spectra above the Fermi level in the nodal direction of momentum space. This result suggests an s-wave pseudogap (which never closes in the energy-momentum space), distinct from the d-wave superconducting gap. Recent tunneling and photoemission experiments on underdoped cuprat…
One of the hallmarks of high-temperature superconductors is a pseudogap regime appearing in the underdoped cuprates above the superconducting transition temperature Tc. The pseudogap continously develops out of the superconducting gap. In addition, high-frequency conductivity experiments show a superconducting scaling of the optical response in the pseudogap regime, pointing towards a superconducting origin of the pseudogap. The phase-fluctuation vortex scenario is further supported by the measurement of an unusually large Nernst signal above Tc and the recently observed field-enhanced diamagn…
We study the effect of fluctuations on the {\bf ac} conductivity of a layered superconductor both for $c$-axis and $ab$-plane electromagnetic wave polarizations. The fluctuation contributions of different physical nature and signs (paraconductivity, Maki-Thompson anomalous contribution, one-electron density of states renormalization) are found to be suppressed by the external field at different characterisitic frequencies ($ ω_{\rm AL}\sim T-T_{\rm c}$, $ω_{\rm MT} \sim \max\{ T-T_{\rm c}, τ_φ^{-1}\}$, $ ω_{\rm DOS} \sim \min\{T,τ^{-1}\}$ for the $2D$ case). As a result the appearance of the n…
The explanation of the anomalous behavior in $κ$-type (BEDT-TTF)$_2$X which was revealed by the nuclear magnetic resonance experiments is presented. We calculate the electronic properties by using the one-loop approximation for the superconducting fluctuation. The decrease of the density of states due to the large damping effect is obtained and the one-particle spectrum has a pseudogap structure around the Fermi level. It is found that these behaviors are peculiar to the quasi two-dimensional system and are enhanced in the incoherent metal. The similarity between the cuprates and this compound…
We propose an explanation of several experimental features related to the ``pseudogap'' in HTS cuprates in terms of a spin-charge gauge theory approach to the t-J model. The metal-insulator crossover as temperature decreases is explained from the competition between antiferromagnetism and dissipative charge dynamics. We show that gauge interactions bind spinon and holon into an electron resonance, whose recombination time shows up in the out-of-plane resistivity. The theoretical results are sistematically compared with experimental data, finding a very good agreement.
We report the ultra-fast optical response of quasi-particles (QPs) in both the pseudogap (PG) and superconducting (SC) states of underdoped (UD) Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi2212) single crystal measured with the time-resolved pump-probe technique. At a probe energy $\hbarω_{pr}$=1.55 eV, it is found that the reflectivity change $Δ$R/R changes its sign at exactly $T_{c}$, which allows the direct separation of the charge dynamics of PG and SC QPs. Further systematic investigations indicate that the transient signals associated with PG and SC QPs depend on the probe beam energy and pol…
We have calculated the optical conductivity and the Raman response for the d-density wave model, proposed as a possible explanation for the pseudogap seen in high Tc cuprates. The total optical spectral weight remains approximately constant on opening of the pseudogap for fixed temperature. This occurs because there is a transfer of weight from the Drude peak to interband transitions across the pseudogap. The interband peak in the optical conductivity is prominent but becomes progressively reduced with increasing temperature, with impurity scattering, which distributes it over a larger energy …
The ab-plane reflectance of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+d) thin films was measured in the 30-25000 cm^(-1) range for one underdoped (Tc = 70 K), and one overdoped sample (Tc = 63 K) as a function of temperature (10-300 K). We find qualitatively similar behaviors in the temperature dependence of the normal-state infrared response of both samples. Above Tc, the effective spectral weight, obtained from the integrated conductivity, does not decrease when T decreases, so that no opening of an optical pseudogap is seen. We suggest that these are consequences of the pseudogap opening first in the k=(0, pi) direct…
A full Fermi surface exists in underdoped high-temperature superconductors if the temperature T lies above the pseudogap temperature T*. Below T* only arcs of Fermi surface survive, scaling with T/T* as T -> 0, with T* displaying strong doping dependence. There is no accepted explanation for this behavior. We show that generalizing the BCS theory of normal superconductivity to include d-wave pairs and antiferromagnetism leads to the origin and doping dependence of the T* scale, and a quantitative description of Fermi arcs. These results place strong constraints on viable theories of high-tempe…
Ultrafast broadband transient reflectivity experiments are performed to study the interplay between the non-equilibrium dynamics of the pseudogap and the superconducting phases in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$Ca$_{0.92}$Y$_{0.08}$Cu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$. Once superconductivity is established the relaxation of the pseudogap proceeds $\sim$ 2 times faster than in the normal state, and the corresponding transient reflectivity variation changes sign after $\sim$ 0.5 ps. The results can be described by a set of coupled differential equations for the pseudogap and for the superconducting order parameter. The sign and …
Earlier we have proposed a new approach to the analysis of superconducting phase diagrams for cuprates and pnictides and have shown that the positions of superconducting domes on the diagrams can be predicted with high accuracy proceeding from only the crystal structure of a particular compound. The proposed approach uses the concept of the self-localization of doped carriers due to their formation of trion complexes that represent a bound state of the doped carrier and charge transfer excitons emerging under its influence. Here, as exemplified by cuprates, we show that the use of the proposed…
It has been recently shown that the competition between unscreened Coulomb and Fröhlich electron-phonon interactions can be described in terms of a short-range spin exchange $J_p$ and an effective on-site interaction $\tilde{U}$ in the framework of the polaronic $t$-$J_p$-$\tilde{U}$ model. This model, that provides an explanation for high temperature superconductivity in terms of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of small and light bipolarons, is now studied as a charged Bose-Fermi mixture. Within this approximation, we show that a gap between bipolaron and unpaired polaron bands results in a …
Interrelation between the two-particle and mean-field problems is used to describe the strong pseudogap and superconducting states in cuprates. We present strong pseudogap state as off-diagonal short-range order (ODSRO) originating from quasi-stationary states of the pair of repulsing particles with large total momentum (K - pair). Phase transition from the ODSRO state into the off-diagonal long-range ordered (ODLRO) superconducting state is associated with Bose-Einstein condensation of the K - pairs. A checkerboard spatial order observable in the superconducting state in the cuprates is expla…
The pseudogap phenomena in High-$T_{\rm c}$ cuprates are investigated on the basis of the Hubbard model which includes only the on-site repulsive interaction $U$. We consider the pairing scenario for the pseudogap. The pseudogap arises from the resonance scattering due to the strong superconducting fluctuations. First, the electronic state and the anti-ferromagnetic spin fluctuations are calculated by using the FLEX approximation. The T-matrix (the propagator of the superconducting fluctuations) is calculated by extending the $\acute{\rm E}$liashberg equation. The self-energy due to the superc…
We present femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopic studies of a pseudogap (PG) along with the superconducting (SC) gap in an overdoped iron pnictide Ca(Fe0.927Co0.073)2As2. It is seen that the temperature evolution of the photoexcited quasiparticle (QP) relaxation dynamics, coherently excited A1g-symmetric optical phonon and two acoustic phonon dynamics behave anomalously in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature Tc. A continuous change in the sign of the experimentally measured transient differential reflectivity Delta_R/R signal at the zero time-delay between t…
The low-energy electronic excitation spectrum and gap structure in optimally doped and overdoped Y_{1-x}Ca_{x}Ba_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-δ} single crystals are investigated by real-time measurements of the quasiparticle relaxation dynamics with femtosecond optical spectroscopy. From the amplitude of the photoinduced reflectivity as a function of time, temperature and doping x we find clear evidence for the coexistence of two distinct gaps in the entire overdoped phase. One is a temperature-independent pseudogap $Δ_{p}$ and the other is a T-dependent collective gap $Δ_{c}(T)$ which has a BCS-like T-depen…
To gain insight into the out-of-plane electrodynamics of high-$T_c$ superconduct ors we have measured the absolute values and temperature dependence of the c-a xis magnetic penetration depth $λ_c(T)$ for two typical single layer high -$T_c$ cuprates, La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ and HgBa$_2$CuO$_{4+x}$ as a function o f doping. A distinct change in the behaviour of $λ_c$ is observed near 0. 20 holes/Cu, which is related to the opening of the normal state pseudogap. The variation of $λ_c$ with doping is qualitatively similar to that of the in -plane component, $λ_{ab}$, which suggests that the c-axi…
We report optical spectroscopic measurements on electron- and hole-doped BaFe2As2. We show that the compounds in the normal state are not simple metals. The optical conductivity spectra contain, in addition to the free carrier response at low frequency, a temperature-dependent gap-like suppression at rather high energy scale near 0.6 eV. This suppression evolves with the As-Fe-As bond angle induced by electron- or hole-doping. Furthermore, the feature becomes much weaker in the Fe-chalcogenide compounds. We elaborate that the feature is caused by the strong Hund's rule coupling effect between …
We propose a novel chiral order parameter to explain the unusual polar Kerr effect in underdoped cuprates. It is based on the loop-current model by Varma, which is characterized by the in-plane anapole moment N and exhibits the magnetoelectric effect. We propose a helical structure where the vector N^(n) in the layer n is twisted by the angle pi/2 relative to N^(n-1), thus breaking inversion symmetry. We show that coupling between magnetoelectric terms in the neighboring layers for this structure produces optical gyrotropy, which results in circular dichroism and the polar Kerr effect.
The influence of magnetic Ni and non-magnetic Zn impurities on the normal state pseudogap (PG) in the c-axis optical conductivity of NdBa$_{2}$\{Cu$% _{1-y}$(Ni,Zn)$_{y}\}_{3}$O$_{7-δ}$ crystals was studied by spectral ellipsometry. We find that these impurities which strongly suppress superconductivity have a profoundly different impact on the PG. Zn gives rise to a gradual and inhomogeneous PG suppression while Ni strongly enhances the PG. Our results challenge theories that relate the PG either to precursor superconductivity or to other phases with exotic order parameters, such as flux phas…
Transport properties of high transition temperature (high-Tc) superconductors have been shown to have two distinct relaxation rates. We argue that this apparent inconsistence can be resolved with an effective carrier density n linear in temperature T. Experimental evidences both for and against this explanation are analyzed and we conclude that this offers a simple yet promising scenario. Above the pseudogap temperature T* the normal state of high-Tc cuprates is close to a Fermi liquid. It however assumes non-Fermi- liquid behaviors below T*.
The finite-frequency optical properties of the underdoped cuprates, in both the normal and superconducting state, display features which go beyond a Fermi liquid and a BCS description. We provide an understanding of these properties within a simplified analytical model, which has been evolved out of the Hubbard model and ideas based on a resonating valence bond spin liquid. We find that: 1) in underdoped samples, the missing area integrals reveal a second energy scale due to the pseudogap, not present at optimum or overdoping; 2) the real part of the optical self-energy shows a large sharp pea…
We theoretically investigate the electric transport in the pseudogap state of High-Tc cuprates. Starting from the repulsive Hubbard model, we perform the microscopic calculation to describe the pseudogap phenomena which are induced by the superconducting fluctuations. The single particle Green function, spin susceptibility and superconducting fluctuations are self-consistently determined by the SC-FLEX+T-matrix approximation. The longitudinal and transverse conductivities are calculated by using the Eliashberg and Kohno-Yamada formalism. The effects of the spin fluctuations and superconducting…
The ab-plane optical spectra of two single crystals of underdoped La_(2-x)Sr_xCuO_4 were investigated. The reflectivity of La_(1.87)Sr_(0.13)CuO_4 has been measured in the frequency range 30- 9,000 cm-1 (0.004 -- 1 eV) both parallel and perpendicular to the CuO_2 planes, whereas La_(1.86)Sr_(0.14)CuO_4 was studied only in the ab-plane. The extended Drude model shows that the frequency-dependent effective scattering rate 1/tau(omega)is strongly suppressed below the high-frequency straight-line extrapolation, a signature of the pseudogap state. This suppression can be seen from temperatures belo…
The optical properties of KCa$_{2}$Fe$_{4}$As$_{4}$F$_{2}$ (K12442, $T_c = 33.5$~K) and KCa$_{2}$(Fe$_{0.95}$Ni$_{0.05}$)$_{4}$As$_{4}$F$_{2}$ (Ni-K12442, $T_c = 29$~K) have been examined at a large number of temperatures. For both samples, a nodeless superconducting gap is clearly observed in the optical conductivity at 5~K. The superconducting gap $Δ\simeq 8.7$~meV ($2Δ/k_{\text{B}}T_{c} \simeq 6.03$) in K12442, pointing towards strong-coupling Cooper pairs, but in sharp contrast, $Δ\simeq 4.6$~meV ($2Δ/k_{\text{B}}T_{c} \simeq 3.68$) in Ni-K12442, which agrees with the BCS weak-coupling pai…
It is demonstrated qualitatively how a unified explanation of the wide variety of different regions in a typical phase diagram of HTSC can be given in terms of the model of negative-U centers superconductivity. Both the existence of four regions (pseudogap, superconducting, non Fermi-liquid and Fermi-liquid), in the phase diagram and all the transitions between these regions were explained by assuming that negative-U centers exist in HTSC and qualitatively taking into account their thermodynamic and direct quantum-mechanical interaction with ordinary electrons from the valence band. It is foun…
We propose a microscopic explanation of the pseudogap features discovered in the normal state specific heat and magnetic susceptibility of cuprates. In the framework of the bipolaron theory of high-Tc superconductors we explain the magnitude of the carrier specific heat and susceptibility as well as their universal scaling with temperature over a wide range of doping.
Despite often being dismissively described as exhibiting conventional Fermi-liquid-like behaviour, heavily overdoped high-Tc cuprates sport several unexpected features. Thermodynamic properties expected to be roughly constant with doping decrease towards zero, signalling that a growing fraction of carriers remain in the normal state below Tc. Near Tc, the superconducting energy gap fills in with temperature, contrary to the expectations of BCS theory. Most recently a transition in the Hall number of some cuprates was found to extend to a very high doping (x~0.27), far beyond the pseudogap crit…
In this study, the pairing mechanism for layered HTS materials based on attraction between electrons from adjacent layers is proposed. Initially, each layer has expanded Fermi sphere owing to ridged geometry. When the two layers are close enough for tunneling, it becomes energetically advantageous to form correlated quantum states (CQS), reducing the Fermi sphere volume. Cooper pairs, comprising inter-tunneling electrons, occupy the CQS. The image force is responsible for the electron-electron attraction. Pair-binding energy and the corresponding effective mass vary in a wide range. At T>0, so…
