Optical properties of the pseudogap state in underdoped cuprates

Abstract

Recent optical measurements of deeply underdoped cuprates have revealed that a coherent Drude response persists well below the end of the superconducting dome. In addition, no large increase in optical effective mass has been observed, even at dopings as low as 1%. We show that this behavior is consistent with the resonating valence bond spin-liquid model proposed by Yang, Rice, and Zhang. In this model, the overall reduction in optical conductivity in the approach to the Mott insulating state is caused not by an increase in effective mass, but by a Gutzwiller factor, which describes decreased coherence due to correlations, and by a shrinking of the Fermi surface, which decreases the number of available charge carriers. We also show that in this model, the pseudogap does not modify the low-temperature, low-frequency behavior, though the magnitude of the conductivity is greatly reduced by the Gutzwiller factor. Similarly, the profile of the temperature dependence of the microwave conductivity is largely unchanged in shape, but the Gutzwiller factor is essential in understanding the observed difference in magnitude between ortho-I and -II YBa${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_y$.

9 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys. J. B

References in corpus (8)

• A Phenomenological Theory of The Pseudogap State
• Phenomenological description of the two energy scales in underdoped superconducting cuprates
• Signatures of Fermi surface reconstruction in Raman spectra of underdoped cuprates
• Effect of pseudogap formation on the penetration depth of underdoped high $T_c$ cuprates
• Phenomenology of a-axis and b-axis charge dynamics from microwave spectroscopy of highly ordered YBa2Cu3O6.50 and YBa2Cu3O6.993
• Signature of pseudogap formation in the density of states of underdoped cuprates
• Andreev and Single Particle Tunneling Spectroscopies in Underdoped Cuprates
• Specific heat across the superconducting dome in the cuprates

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Intermediate Coupling Model of the Cuprates
• Unified treatment of Fermi pockets and arcs scenarios for the cuprates: Sum rule consistent response functions of the pseudogap
• Electron pockets and pseudogap Dirac point in underdoped cuprate superconductors
• Isotope Effect of Underdoped Cuprates in the Yang-Rice-Zhang Model
• The Frenkel line and the pseudogap: an analogy between classical and electronic fluids