Anisotropic pseudogap in the normal state of a d-wave superconductor

We study the normal state of a simple two-dimensional model whose ground state is a d(x2-y2) superconductor using a self-consistent, conserving formulation. In a regime where precursor pairing correlations dominate the physics above T-c, we obtain a highly anisotropic pseudogap in the single-particle spectral function, which also lends to the destruction of the Fermi surface. We discuss the remarkable temperature-dependent anisotropy of the pseudogap and compare it with recent ARPES experiments on underdoped cuprates. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.