Model ofc-axis resistivity of high-Tccuprates

We propose a simple model which accounts for the major features and systematics of experiments on the c=axis resistivity, ${\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathit{c}}$ for ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{\mathit{x}}$ ${\mathrm{CuO}}_4$, ${\mathrm{YBa}}_2$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_3$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{6+\mathit{x}}$, and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_2$ ${\mathrm{Sr}}_2$ ${\mathrm{CaCu}}_2$ ${\mathrm{O}}_8$. We argue that the c-axis resistivity can be separated into contributions from in-plane dephasing and the c-axis ‘‘barrier’’ scattering processes, with the low-temperature semiconductorlike behavior of ${\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathit{c}}$ arising from the suppression of the in-plane density of states measured by in-plane magnetic Knight shift experiments. We report on predictions for ${\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathit{c}}$ in impurity-doped ${\mathrm{YBa}}_2$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_3$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{6+\mathit{x}}$ materials. © 1996 The American Physical Society.