Specific heat of underdoped cuprate superconductors from a phenomenological layered Boson-Fermion model

Abstract

We adapt the Boson-Fermion superconductivity model to include layered systems such as underdoped cuprate superconductors. These systems are represented by an infinite layered structure containing a mixture of paired and unpaired fermions. The former, which stand for the superconducting carriers, are considered as noninteracting zero spin composite-bosons with a linear energy-momentum dispersion relation in the CuO$_2$ planes where superconduction is predominant, coexisting with the unpaired fermions in a pattern of stacked slabs. The inter-slab, penetrable, infinite planes are generated by a Dirac comb potential, while paired and unpaired electrons (or holes) are free to move parallel to the planes. Composite-bosons condense at a critical temperature at which they exhibit a jump in their specific heat. These two values are assumed to be equal to the superconducting critical temperature $T_c$ and the specific heat jump reported for YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6.80}$ to fix our model parameters namely, the plane impenetrability and the fraction of superconducting charge carriers. We then calculate the isochoric and isobaric electronic specific heats for temperatures lower than $T_c$ of both, the composite-bosons and the unpaired fermions, which matches recent experimental curves. From the latter, we extract the linear coefficient ($\gamma_n$) at $T_c$, as well as the quadratic ($\alpha T^2$) term for low temperatures. We also calculate the lattice specific heat from the ARPES phonon spectrum, and add it to the electronic part, reproducing the experimental total specific heat at and below $T_c$ within a $5 \%$ error range, from which the cubic ($\ss T^3$) term for low temperatures is obtained. In addition, we show that this model reproduces the cuprates mass anisotropies.