Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1007.2507 · Physical Review Letters

Confinement-Deconfinement Interplay in Quantum Phases of Doped Mott Insulators

Peng Ye, Chu-Shun Tian, Xiao-Liang Qi, Zheng-Yu Weng

Published Apr 7, 2011• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In the t-J model, the electron fractionalization is dictated by the phase string effect. We find that in the underdoped regime, the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases are dual: in the former, holons are confined while spinons are deconfined, and vice versa in the latter. These two phases are separated by a novel phase, the so-called Bose-insulating phase, where both holons and spinons are deconfined. A pair of Wilson loops was found to constitute a complete set of order parameters determining this zero-temperature phase diagram. The quantum phase transitions between these phases are suggested to be of non-Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson type.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.106.147002

Related papers

Electron fractionalization and unconventional order parameters of the t–J model

Peng Ye, Chu-Shun Tian, Xiao-Liang Qi +1 more

In the t–J model, the electron fractionalization is unique due to the non-perturbative phase string effect. We formulated a lattice field theory taking this effect into full account. Basing on this field theory, we introduced a pair of Wilson loops which constitute a complete set of order parameters determining the phase diagram in the underdoped regime. We also established a general composition rule for electric transport expressing the electric conductivity in terms of the spinon and the holon conductivities. The general theory is applied to studies of the quantum phase diagram. We found that the antiferromagnetic and the superconducting phases are dual: in the former, holons are confined while spinons are deconfined, and vice versa in the latter. These two phases are separated by a novel phase, the so-called Bose-insulating phase, where both holons and spinons are deconfined and the system is electrically insulating.

arXiv:1106.1223•Nuclear Physics B•Sep 30, 2011•22 citations

Non-Fermi liquid from confinement in doped Mott insulators

Ki‐Seok Kim, Hyun-Chul Kim

A phenomenological description for confinement of fractionalized excitations is proposed in the gauge theory approach for doped Mott insulators. Introducing the Polyakov-loop parameter into an SU(2) gauge theory for the t-J model, we show that electron excitations emerge below the so-called coherence temperature, resulting from confinement of spinons and holons via the formation of the Polyakov loop. Remarkably, such confined electrons turn out to exhibit non-Fermi liquid physics without quantum criticality, yielding the electric resistivity in quantitative agreement with experimental data. The Higgs phase is not allowed due to confinement, suggesting a possible novel mechanism of superconductivity in the strong coupling approach.

arXiv:0912.1684•Dec 9, 2009•0 citations

Topological Gauge Structure and Phase Diagram for Weakly Doped Antiferromagnets

Su-Peng Kou, Zheng-Yu Weng

We show that a topological gauge structure in an effective description of the t-J model gives rise to a global phase diagram of antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases in a weakly doped regime. Dual confinement and deconfinement of holons and spinons play essential roles here, with a quantum critical point at a doping concentration x(c) approximately equal to 0.043. The complex experimental phase diagram at low doping is well described within such a framework.

arXiv:cond-mat/0206560•Physical Review Letters•Apr 17, 2003•29 citations

Mean-field description of the phase string effect in the t−J model

Zheng-Yu Weng, D. N. Sheng, C. S. Ting

A mean-field treatment of the phase string effect in the $t\ensuremath{-}J$ model is presented. Such a theory is able to unite the antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at half-filling and the metallic phase at finite doping within a single theoretical framework. We find that the low-temperature occurrence of the AF long-range ordering (AFLRO) at half-filling and superconducting condensation in the metallic phase are all due to Bose condensations of spinons and holons, respectively, on the top of a spin background described by bosonic resonating-valence-bond pairing. The fact that both spinon and holon here are bosonic objects, as the result of the phase string effect, represents a crucial difference from the conventional slave-boson and slave-fermion approaches. This theory also allows an underdoped metallic regime where the Bose condensation of spinons can still exist. Even though the AFLRO is gone here, such a regime corresponds to a microscopic charge inhomogeneity with short-ranged spin ordering. We discuss some characteristic experimental consequences for those different metallic regimes. A perspective on broader issues based on the phase string theory is also discussed.

arXiv:cond-mat/9809362•Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Apr 1, 1999•43 citations

Frozen Deconfined Quantum Criticality

Vira Shyta, Jeroen van den Brink, Flavio S. Nogueira

There is a number of contradictory findings with regard to whether the theory describing easy-plane quantum antiferromagnets undergoes a second-order phase transition. The traditional Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson approach suggests a first-order phase transition, as there are two different competing order parameters. On the other hand, it is known that the theory has the property of self-duality which has been connected to the existence of a deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP). The latter regime suggests that order parameters are not the elementary building blocks of the theory, but rather consist of fractionalized particles that are confined in both phases of the transition and only appear-deconfine-at the critical point. Nevertheless, many numerical Monte Carlo simulations disagree with the claim of a DQCP in the system, indicating instead a first-order phase transition. Here we establish from exact lattice duality transformations and renormalization group analysis that the easy-plane CP^{1} antiferromagnet does feature a DQCP. We uncover the criticality starting from a regime analogous to the zero temperature limit of a certain classical statistical mechanics system which we therefore dub frozen. At criticality our bosonic theory is dual to a fermionic one with two massless Dirac fermions, which thus undergoes a second-order phase transition as well.

arXiv:2105.00902•Physical Review Letters•Nov 23, 2022•6 citations

First order phase transition in a gauge theory of S = 1/2 quantum antiferromagnets

Steinar Kragset, E. Smørgrav, J. Hove +2 more

Quantum phase transitions in Mott insulators do not fit easily into the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm.A recently proposed alternative to it is the so-called deconfined quantum criticality scenario, providing a new paradigm for quantum phase transitions.In this context it has recently been proposed that a second-order phase transition would occur in a two-dimensional spin 1=2 quantum antiferromagnet in the deep easy-plane limit.A check of this conjecture is important for understanding the phase structure of Mott insulators.To this end we have performed large-scale Monte Carlo simulations on an effective gauge theory for this system, including a Berry-phase term that projects out the S 1=2 sector.The result is a first-order phase transition, thus contradicting the conjecture.

Physical Review Letters•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations
In the t-J model, the electron fractionalization is dictated by the phase string effect. We find that in the underdoped regime, the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases are dual: in the former, holons are confined while spinons are deconfined, and vice versa in the latter. These two phases are separated by a novel phase, the so-called Bose-insulating phase, where both holons and spinons are deconfined. A pair of Wilson loops was found to constitute a complete set of order parameters determining this zero-temperature phase diagram. The quantum phase transitions between these phases are suggested to be of non-Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson type.
In the t–J model, the electron fractionalization is unique due to the non-perturbative phase string effect. We formulated a lattice field theory taking this effect into full account. Basing on this field theory, we introduced a pair of Wilson loops which constitute a complete set of order parameters determining the phase diagram in the underdoped regime. We also established a general composition rule for electric transport expressing the electric conductivity in terms of the spinon and the holon conductivities. The general theory is applied to studies of the quantum phase diagram. We found that the antiferromagnetic and the superconducting phases are dual: in the former, holons are confined while spinons are deconfined, and vice versa in the latter. These two phases are separated by a novel phase, the so-called Bose-insulating phase, where both holons and spinons are deconfined and the system is electrically insulating.
A phenomenological description for confinement of fractionalized excitations is proposed in the gauge theory approach for doped Mott insulators. Introducing the Polyakov-loop parameter into an SU(2) gauge theory for the t-J model, we show that electron excitations emerge below the so-called coherence temperature, resulting from confinement of spinons and holons via the formation of the Polyakov loop. Remarkably, such confined electrons turn out to exhibit non-Fermi liquid physics without quantum criticality, yielding the electric resistivity in quantitative agreement with experimental data. The Higgs phase is not allowed due to confinement, suggesting a possible novel mechanism of superconductivity in the strong coupling approach.
A mean-field treatment of the phase string effect in the $t\ensuremath{-}J$ model is presented. Such a theory is able to unite the antiferromagnetic (AF) phase at half-filling and the metallic phase at finite doping within a single theoretical framework. We find that the low-temperature occurrence of the AF long-range ordering (AFLRO) at half-filling and superconducting condensation in the metallic phase are all due to Bose condensations of spinons and holons, respectively, on the top of a spin background described by bosonic resonating-valence-bond pairing. The fact that both spinon and holon here are bosonic objects, as the result of the phase string effect, represents a crucial difference from the conventional slave-boson and slave-fermion approaches. This theory also allows an underdoped metallic regime where the Bose condensation of spinons can still exist. Even though the AFLRO is gone here, such a regime corresponds to a microscopic charge inhomogeneity with short-ranged spin ordering. We discuss some characteristic experimental consequences for those different metallic regimes. A perspective on broader issues based on the phase string theory is also discussed.
There is a number of contradictory findings with regard to whether the theory describing easy-plane quantum antiferromagnets undergoes a second-order phase transition. The traditional Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson approach suggests a first-order phase transition, as there are two different competing order parameters. On the other hand, it is known that the theory has the property of self-duality which has been connected to the existence of a deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP). The latter regime suggests that order parameters are not the elementary building blocks of the theory, but rather consist of fractionalized particles that are confined in both phases of the transition and only appear-deconfine-at the critical point. Nevertheless, many numerical Monte Carlo simulations disagree with the claim of a DQCP in the system, indicating instead a first-order phase transition. Here we establish from exact lattice duality transformations and renormalization group analysis that the easy-plane CP^{1} antiferromagnet does feature a DQCP. We uncover the criticality starting from a regime analogous to the zero temperature limit of a certain classical statistical mechanics system which we therefore dub frozen. At criticality our bosonic theory is dual to a fermionic one with two massless Dirac fermions, which thus undergoes a second-order phase transition as well.
Quantum phase transitions in Mott insulators do not fit easily into the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm.A recently proposed alternative to it is the so-called deconfined quantum criticality scenario, providing a new paradigm for quantum phase transitions.In this context it has recently been proposed that a second-order phase transition would occur in a two-dimensional spin 1=2 quantum antiferromagnet in the deep easy-plane limit.A check of this conjecture is important for understanding the phase structure of Mott insulators.To this end we have performed large-scale Monte Carlo simulations on an effective gauge theory for this system, including a Berry-phase term that projects out the S 1=2 sector.The result is a first-order phase transition, thus contradicting the conjecture.