Essential Heterogeneities in Hole-Doped Cuprate Superconductors

Abstract

An expanded review of recent pertinent experiments in hole-doped cuprates is presented [1]. These include photoemission, inelastic neutron scattering, EXAFS, PDF, electron paramagnetic resonance and susceptibility data. For doping concentrations below optimum all are compatible with Jahn-Teller bipolaron formation at the pseudogap temperature T*, with a simultaneous presence of fermionic quasi-particles. The theoretically derived superconductivity onset and maximum T_c at optimal doping agree quantitatively with observation. Very large isotope effects at T* for lower doping support the vibronic character of the ground state.