Equivalence of pseudogap and pairing energy in a cuprate high-temperature superconductor.

Local shot-noise spectroscopy in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ shows the pseudogap energy coincides with the onset of electron pairing, reaching up to 70 milli-electron volts.

• Why it matters: The pseudogap’s origin in cuprates is unresolved, with competing ideas ranging from preformed pairs to local order like charge density waves.
• What they did: The study used local shot-noise spectroscopy to measure pseudogap energy and compare its spatial behavior with the onset of electron pairing in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ.
• The result: The pseudogap energy matches pairing onset and is spatially heterogeneous, excluding a purely local-order origin and linking it to Cooper pair formation.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.