Modeling of the out-of-plane resistivity of cuprate superconductors

The out-of-plane (c-axis) resistivity, ρ_c(T), of high-T_c cuprates have been modeled in this study. The non-Fermi liquid like temperature dependence of ρ_c(T) has been described by considering (i) the full impact of the pseudogap (PG) in the electronic density of states (EDOS) and (ii) the presence of a quantum critical point (QCP) beneath the superconducting dome at slightly overdoped region. This simple phenomenological model describes the experimental ρ_c(T) data over a wide range of hole content (from the underdoped to slightly overdoped regions) remarkably well. The PG energy scale, ε_g (dominated by the anti-nodal parts of the Brillouin zone) extracted from the analysis of ρ_c(T) data was found to decrease almost linearly with increasing hole concentration, p, in the CuO₂ planes. We have also discussed about the possible origin of more conventional behavior of ρ_c(T) observed in the deeply overdoped side of the T–p phase diagram in this paper.