Electronic Raman scattering in YBa2Cu4O8

We report on the electronic Raman scattering in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ and find that, In contrast to the other superconducting cuprates, the continuum in the normal state is strongly temperature ?pendent in all polarizations. This temperature dependence is found to follow a Bose-Einstein-like form. We conclude that the absence of the Bose-Einstein factor in the electronic continuum is not essential to high-T_c superconductivity, as is sometimes implied. Additionally, we report on the rearrangement of the continuum which occurs belowT_c.