Pairing, pseudogap and Fermi arcs in cuprates

Abstract

We use Angle Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy to study the relationship between the pseudogap, pairing and Fermi arcs in cuprates. High-quality data measured over a wide range of dopings reveal a consistent picture of Fermiology and pairing in these materials. The pseudogap is due to an ordered state that competes with superconductivity rather than preformed pairs. Pairing does occur below T K and significantly above Tc, but well below T* and the doping dependence of this temperature scale is distinct from that of the pseudogap. The d-wave gap is present below T, and its interplay with strong scattering creates “artificial” Fermi arcs for T T T. However, above T, the pseudogap exists only at the antipodal region. This leads to presence of real, gapless Fermi arcs close to the node. The length of these arcs remains constant up to T*, where the full Fermi surface is recovered. We demonstrate that these findings resolve a number of seemingly contradictory scenarios.

Keywords:

• cuprates
• high temperature superconductivity
• pairing
• Fermi arcs

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering Division. Ames Laboratory is operated for the U.S. DOE by Iowa State University [contract # DE-AC02-07CH11358].