We establish that the cuprate pseudogap plays a crucial role in the ab-plane optical conductivity σ(ω,T) for temperatures T≤Tc. The pseudogap signatures in σ(ω,T) associated with competing proposals of a ``hidden order'' and ``superconducting'' origin for the dx2−y2 pseudogap are found to differ in their qualitative ω,T dependences. For the latter case, as T increases from 0, excess low ω weight appears; moreover, a much wider range of ω contributes to form the condensate. We discuss these theories in light of current experiments.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0208203,
title = {The Pseudogap Challenge: Understanding the ab-Plane AC Conductivity below Tc},
author = {Andrew Iyengar and Jelena Stajic and Ying-Jer Kao and K. Levin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0208203},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Revised figures; 4 pages, 3 figures; submitted to PRL