Theory of the leading edge gap in underdoped cuprates

We present the theory of the leading edge gap in the normal state of underdoped high-$T_c$ materials. The consideration is based on a magnetic scenario for cuprates. We show that as doping decreases, the increasing interaction with paramagnons gives rise to a near destruction of the Fermi liquid and this in turn yields precursors to $d-$wave pairing. We argue that the leading edge gap at $\sim 30 meV$ and a broad maximum in the spectral function at $\sim150 meV$ are byproducts of the same physical phenomenon.Comment: 4 pages, revtex, two figure

Dispersion Anomalies in Cuprate Superconductors

We argue that the shape of the dispersion along the nodal and antinodal directions in the cuprates can be understood as a consequence of the interaction of the electrons with collective spin excitations. In the normal state, the dispersion displays a crossover at an energy where the decay into spin fluctuations becomes relevant. In the superconducting state, the antinodal dispersion is strongly affected by the spin resonance and displays an S-shape whose magnitude scales with the resonance intensity. For nodal fermions, relevant spin excitations do not have resonance behavior, rather they are better characterized as a gapped continuum. As a consequence, the S-shape becomes a kink, and superconductivity does not affect the dispersion as strongly. Finally, we note that optical phonons typically lead to a temperature independent S-shape, in disagreement with the observed dispersion.Comment: 12 pages, 7 eps figure