Emergence of Fermi-liquid and BCS physics in overdoped cuprates

Abstract

Cuprates are the paradigmatic `unconventional' superconductors: their critical temperature is much higher than can be expected from phonon-mediated pairing; the superconducting gap has $d$-wave symmetry; and the normal-metallic state appears to be far from a conventional Fermi liquid. These and numerous other experimental facts have led to a consensus that the conventional theory --- the Fermi-liquid-based Bardeen--Cooper--Schrieffer (BCS) theory --- is the wrong starting point for understanding superconductivity in the cuprates. In this Perspective, we propose that, although underdoped cuprates do indeed require a different theoretical framework, there is a crossover with increasing doping to an overdoped regime in which a BCS-like approach is warranted (at energy scales of the order of the superconducting gap and below), provided that the various forms of disorder are accounted for. We summarize key experimental studies of the low-energy properties of overdoped cuprates, identify properties that are and are not compatible with this proposal --- and argue that features that are inconsistent with this approach can in fact be attributed to the expected effects of material disorder. Finally, we provide falsifiable predictions for the behaviour of an `ideal' (disorder-free) overdoped cuprate through which our approach can be tested.

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