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 Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Tc = 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 τfast≈ 0.2 ps and τslow≈ 2 ps with abrupt changes in both amplitudes Afast and Aslow at the PG-opening temperature T∗. The former presents no obvious change at Tc and coexists with the SC QP. The latter's amplitude starts decreasing at the SC phase fluctuation Tp and vanishes at Tc followed by a negative amplitude signifying the emergence of the SC QP, therefore suggesting a competition with superconductivity.
@article{arxiv.1803.10506,
title = {Study of pseudogap and superconducting quasiparticle dynamics in $\rm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}}$ by time-resolved optical reflectivity},
author = {X. C. Nie and Hai-Ying Song and Xiu Zhang and Shi-Bing Liu and Yang Wang and Qiang Gao and Lin Zhao and X. J. Zhou and Jian-Qiao Meng and Yu-Xia Duan and H. Y. Liu},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1803.10506},
year = {2020}
}