The Pseudogap Challenge: Understanding the ab-Plane AC Conductivity below Tc

Abstract

We establish that the cuprate pseudogap plays a crucial role in the $ab$-plane optical conductivity $\sigma (\omega ,T)$ for temperatures $T\le T_c$. The pseudogap signatures in $\sigma (\omega ,T)$ associated with competing proposals of a ``hidden order'' and ``superconducting'' origin for the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ pseudogap are found to differ in their qualitative $\omega ,T$ dependences. For the latter case, as $T$ increases from 0, excess low $\omega$ weight appears; moreover, a much wider range of $\omega$ contributes to form the condensate. We discuss these theories in light of current experiments.

Revised figures; 4 pages, 3 figures; submitted to PRL

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Cited by in corpus (7)

• Sum rules and energy scales in the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x
• The Cuprate Pseudogap: Competing Order Parameters or Precursor Superconductivity
• Applying BCS-BEC Crossover Theory To High Temperature Superconductors and Ultracold Atomic Fermi Gases
• A Two Energy Gap Preformed-Pair Scenario For the Cuprates: Implications for Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy
• Optical symmetries and anisotropic transport in high-Tc superconductors
• The pseudogap state in superconductors: Extended Hartree approach to time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau Theory
• Optical conductivity of unconventional charge density wave systems: Role of vertex corrections