Anisotropic quasiparticle scattering rates in slightly underdoped to optimally doped high-temperature La2-xSrxCuO4 superconductors

An angle-resolved photoemission study of the scattering rate in the superconducting phase of the high-temperature superconductor La2-xSrxCuO4 with x=0.145 and x=0.17, as a function of binding energy and momentum, is presented. We observe that the scattering rate scales linearly with binding energy up to the high-energy scale E-1 similar to 0.4 eV. The scattering rate is found to be strongly anisotropic, with a minimum along the (0,0)-(pi,pi) direction. A possible connection to a quantum-critical point is discussed.