Universal correlation between H-linear magnetoresistance and T-linear resistivity in high-temperature superconductors.

Ayres, J; Berben, M; Duffy, C; Hinlopen, R D H; Hsu, Y-T; Cuoghi, A; Leroux, M; Gilmutdinov, I et al. · Nat Commun · 2024

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The signature feature of the 'strange metal' state of high-T<sub>c</sub> cuprates-its linear-in-temperature resistivity-has a coefficient α<sub>1</sub> that correlates with T<sub>c</sub>, as expected were α<sub>1</sub> derived from scattering off the same bosonic fluctuations that mediate pairing. Recently, an anomalous linear-in-field magnetoresistance (=γ<sub>1</sub>H) has also been observed, but only over a narrow doping range, leaving its relation to the strange metal state and to the superconductivity unclear. Here, we report in-plane magnetoresistance measurements on three hole-doped cuprate families spanning a wide range of temperatures, magnetic field strengths and doping. In contrast to expectations from Boltzmann transport theory, γ<sub>1</sub> is found to correlate universally with α<sub>1</sub>. A phenomenological model incorporating real-space inhomogeneity is proposed to explain this correlation. Within this picture, superconductivity in hole-doped cuprates is governed not by the strength of quasiparticle interactions with a bosonic bath, but by the concentration of strange metallic carriers.