Strange-metal behavior of cuprates driven by dissipative charge collective modes

This work focuses on the study of high-temperature superconducting copper oxides, commonly known in the literature as cuprates. Beyond high-temperature supercon- ductivity, these systems are characterized by a complex phenomenology which shows considerable deviations from the standard theory of metals and whose comprehen- sive understanding is still an open problem in condensed matter theory. Within our discussion, we will analyze some of the most remarkable physical phenomena observed in the so-called strange-metal phase of cuprates, for which there is still no unanimously shared theory that can explain them exhaustively. In the description that we will propose, a central role is played by appropriate short-ranged charge collective modes, recently observed throughout the strange-metal phase thanks to the RIXS experiments. Under suitable hypotheses regarding the Landau damping to which these collective modes are subject, we will show that they are capable of inducing a strange-metal behavior in the systems in which they are present. A discussion on the strongly anisotropic properties observed in the metallic phase of some cuprate thin films is also included.