The Origin of Fermi Arcs in Cuprate Pseudogap States and Strong Constraints on Viable Theories of High-Temperature Superconductivity

TL;DR

This paper investigates the origin of Fermi arcs in cuprate pseudogap states, proposing a generalized BCS theory that explains their doping dependence and constrains possible theories of high-temperature superconductivity.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized BCS framework incorporating d-wave pairing and antiferromagnetism to explain Fermi arcs and the pseudogap temperature T*, providing new insights into high-Tc superconductivity.

Findings

Fermi arcs scale with T/T* as T approaches zero.

Generalized BCS theory explains the doping dependence of T*.

Strong constraints on theories of high-temperature superconductivity.

Abstract

A full Fermi surface exists in underdoped high-temperature superconductors if the temperature T lies above the pseudogap temperature T*. Below T* only arcs of Fermi surface survive, scaling with T/T* as T -> 0, with T* displaying strong doping dependence. There is no accepted explanation for this behavior. We show that generalizing the BCS theory of normal superconductivity to include d-wave pairs and antiferromagnetism leads to the origin and doping dependence of the T* scale, and a quantitative description of Fermi arcs. These results place strong constraints on viable theories of high-temperature superconductivity.