Optical response of high-$T_c$ cuprates: possible role of scattering rate saturation and in-plane anisotropy

N. E. Hussey, J. C. Alexander, R. A. Cooper

We present a generalized Drude analysis of the in-plane optical conductivity ${\sigma }_{ab}$($T$,$\omega$) in cuprates taking into account the effects of in-plane anisotropy. A simple ansatz f…