Stripe-Like Inhomogeneities, Carriers, and BCS-BEC Crossover in the High-Tc Cuprates

Considering both "large-U" and "small-U" orbitals, it is found that the carriers of the high-Tc cuprates are polaron-like "stripons" carrying charge and located on stripe-like inhomogeneities, "quasi-electrons" carrying charge and spin, and "svivons" carrying spin and lattice distortion. This is shown to result in the observed anomalous spectroscopic and transport properties of the cuprates. Pairing results from transitions between pair states of stripons and quasi-electrons through the exchange of svivons, and a crossover occurs between BCS and Bose-Einstein condensation behaviors.