Quantum electron-doped cuprates link heat to 10% resistance

Researchers have discovered a direct link between resistance and the critical temperature in electron-doped cuprates, a connection absent in conventional superconductors. The work details a “highly anisotropic inelastic component” to electron scattering within La 2− x Ce x CuO 4 that diminishes as doping increases, pointing to a specific mechanism driving superconductivity in these materials. This behavior contrasts sharply with hole-doped cuprates, suggesting that simply increasing coupling strength does not fully explain higher critical temperatures in those systems. The findings reinforce the idea that extending the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory may not be enough to fully understand high-temperature superconductivity. The observed link between resistivity and superconductivity in these materials diverges significantly from behavior in conventional superconductors. Researchers found that the normal-state resistivity, measured at low temperatures, does not follow the expected linear relationship with temperature. The team’s analysis indicates that the dominant…