Three studies in high-Tc cuprates

Abstract

We investigate three fundamental issues in the physics of high-Tc cuprates, from the perspective of a recently proposed comprehensive theory for these materials. (a) Orbital ordering × superconductivity. The first issue is the detailed microscopic mechanism that produces an attractive interaction between holes in high-Tc cuprates. (b) Dispersion relation × pseudogap order parameter. The second issue refers to the existence of a pseudogap order parameter, which would be different from zero all over the pseudogap phase and would vanish elsewhere. (c) Chemical potential × quantum critical point location. The third issue concerns the debate as to whether the quantum critical point, located where the pseudogap transition line T *( x ) meets the T = 0 axis is inside the superconducting dome or at its boundary. We obtain clearcut solutions for the three issues.

Keywords

• superconductivity mechanism
• orbital order
• spectral weight
• pseudogap
• chemical potential
• quantum critical point