Pseudogap, van Hove Singularity, Maximum in Entropy and Specific Heat for Hole-Doped Mott Insulators

Abstract: The first indication of a pseudogap in cuprates came from a sudden decrease of NMR Knight shift at a doping-dependent temperature $T^*(\delta)$. Since then, experiments have found phase transitions at a lower $T^*_\text{phase}(\delta)$. Using plaquette cellular dynamical mean-field for the square-lattice Hubbard model at high temperature, where the results are reliable, we show that $T^*(\delta)$ shares many features of $T^*_\text{phase}(\delta)$. The remarkable agreement with several experiments, including quantum critical behavior of the electronic specific heat, supports the view that the pseudogap is controlled by a finite-doping extension of the Mott transition. We propose further experimental tests.