What is really extraordinary in cuprate superconductors?

Highlights • In the cuprates an unusual superconducting state is discovered. • The critical temperature is determined by the superfluid density. • These finding defy the standard Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory. • The metallic state above T c is also anomalous ('nematic'). Abstract Over the course of three decades of intense study, apart from the exceptionally high critical temperature, many unusual properties of cuprates have been discovered, notably including resistivity linear in temperature, electronic Raman continuum and optical absorption extending throughout the infrared region, pseudogap, hour-glass spin excitation spectrum, etc. However, each of these features have been also observed in other materials, including some that are not even superconducting at all. Here, we describe an extensive experiment in which over 2000 films of the La 2 − x Sr x CuO 4 have been synthesized and studied in detail over the course of the last twelve years. We argue that, uniquely, in the cuprates an unusual superconducting state, that defies the standard BCS description, develops from an unusual metallic state, in which the rotational symmetry of the electron fluid is spontaneously broken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]