Implication of the Mott-limit violation in high-Tc cuprates

TL;DR

This paper explores the nature of Fermi arcs in high-T_c cuprates, arguing that a large underlying Fermi surface better explains metallic transport and Mott-limit violations, using Boltzmann theory modeling.

Contribution

It provides a new interpretation of Fermi arcs as arising from a large Fermi surface, reconciling metallic transport with strong correlations in cuprates.

Findings

Fermi arcs are consistent with a large Fermi surface model.

Transport properties are governed by a small effective carrier density.

Boltzmann theory modeling explains the apparent small carrier density.

Abstract

The Fermi arc is a striking manifestation of the strong-correlation physics in high-T_c cuprates. In this paper, implications of the metallic transport in the lightly hole-doped regime of the cuprates, where the Fermi arcs are found, are examined in conjunction with competing interpretations of the Fermi arcs in terms of small hole pockets or a large underlying Fermi surface. It is discussed that the latter picture provides a more natural understanding of the metallic transport in view of the Mott-limit argument. Furthermore, it is shown that a suitable modeling of the Fermi arcs in the framework of the Boltzmann theory allows us to intuitively understand why the transport properties are apparently determined by a "small" carrier density even when the underlying Fermi surface, and hence k_F, is large.