Charge dynamics in electron-underdoped high-Tc cuprates Original Research Article

We investigate charge dynamics in the antiferromagnetic (AF) phase of electron-doped cuprates by using numerically exact diagonalization technique for an electron-doped t–t′–J model. When AF correlation develops with decreasing temperature, a gap-like behavior emerges in the optical conductivity accompanied by the enhancement of the coherent motion of carriers due to the same sublattice hoppings. This is a remarkable contrast to the behavior of a hole-doped t–t′–J model.