A survey of the Van Hove scenario for high-tc superconductivity with special emphasis on pseudogaps and striped phases

The Van Hove singularity (VHS) provides a paradigm for the study of the role of peaks in the density of states (dos) on electronic properties. More importantly, it appears to play a major role in the physics of the high-Tc superconductors, particularly since recent photoemission studies have found that the VHS is close to the Fermi level in most of the high-Tc cuprates near the composition of optimum Tc. This paper offers a comprehensive survey of the VHS model, describing both theoretical properties and experimental evidence for the picture. Special topics discussed include a survey of the Fermi surfaces of the cuprates and related compounds, and an analysis of the reliability of the slave boson approach to correlation effects. While…