Nodal Quasiparticle Lifetime in BSCCO

Preprint
Abstract
We have measured the complex conductivity of a BSCCO(2212) thin film between 0.18 and 1.0 THz. We find the conductivity in the superconducting state to be well described as the sum of contributions from quasiparticles, the condensate, and order parameter fluctuations which draw 30% of the spectral weight from the condensate. The quasiparticle scattering rate is approximately equal to k_(B)*T/(hbar) above 20K.