Charge critical fluctuations in cuprates: Isotope effect, pseudogap, conductivity and Raman spectroscopy

Within the stripe quantum critical point theory for high T-c superconductors, we point out that there is a direct contribution of charge collective fluctuations to the optical absorption and to the Raman spectra. In this latter case, we find that the critical charge collective modes can or cannot be excited depending on the direction of their wavevector and on the polarization of the incoming and outgoing photons. This indicates a marked distinction between quasiparticles which are strongly and weakly coupled to critical collective modes and provides a direct confirmation that the order associated to the quantum critical point near optimal doping of cuprates occurs at finite wavevectors. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.