We address the question of identifying degrees of freedom for quantum systems. Typically, quasi-particle descriptions of correlated matter are based upon the canonical algebras of bosons or fermions. Here we highlight that a special class of non-canonical algebras also offer useful quantum degrees of freedom, allowing for the development of quasi-particle descriptions which go beyond the weakly correlated paradigm. We give a broad overview of such algebras for spin, electron and local moment systems, and outline important test problems upon which to develop the framework.
In this thesis some new ideas to perform the analysis of Strongly Correlated Electronic Systems (SCES) are developed. In particular the use of non-linear canonical transformations is considered thoroughly. Using such transformations it is possible, in some circumstances, to simplify the quantum problem redefining the fermionic degrees of freedom used to describe the system. To understand and use effectively these non-linear transformations it is convenient to work in the Majorana fermion representation, i.e., to represent the quantum mechanical operators in terms of Majorana fermions. These objects can be imagined as algebraic constituents of the fermionic degrees of freedom. In a fermionic system, different equivalent sets of (emergent) Majorana fermions can be used to build the fermionic operators that characterize the system. The non-linear transformations can be seen as a way to mix these equivalent sets. Thanks to this insight, it becomes possible to determine the full structure of the group of canonical transformations and to identify an advantageous framework, which allows their use in the study of a generic SCES system. To test these statements the Hubbard and the Kondo lattice models were intensively studied making use of non-linear canonical transformations, obtaining interesting results in both cases. For example, in the Hubbard model a free fermion mean-field description of the paramagnetic Mott insulator was identified, while in the Kondo lattice it was possible to describe already at mean-field level the spin-selective Kondo insulating phase, consistently (from a quantitative and qualitative point of view) with the known numerical results. Moreover the method elaborated for the study of the Hubbard model is suitable for a systematic generalization to other situations and shows great room for improvement. These results prove that, thanks to the redefinition of the degrees of freedom used in the analysis of the system, it becomes possible to obtain quite non-trivial results already at mean-field level, or to consider very involved (but meaningful) correlated quantum states via simple variational trial states. This will potentially permit a more judicious and profitable choice of the fundamental degrees of freedom, allowing for an improvement of the efficiency of the analytical and numerical techniques used in the analysis of many SCES systems.
We analyze the structure of the group of (local) non-linear canonical transformations that exist in a system with n fermionic modes. To perform our study we develop an alternative framework to represent the generators of these canonical transformations; indeed we show how their definition, understanding and control is significantly improved using the Majorana fermion representation. These canonical transformations have the structure of a Lie group and we provide a representation for the elements of the Lie algebra that is very convenient both conceptually and practically (computationally): indeed our framework yields as side product an extremely effective tool to handle and work with SU(2n) Lie groups and algebras. Granting an enhanced control of the group of non-linear canonical transformation, our framework can be helpful in the study of strongly correlated electron systems, since it allows to easily identify fermionic degrees of freedom able to capture part of the correlations and thus may give a simpler representation of the Hamiltonian. Thanks to our analysis, also symmetry-based studies of the quantum Hamiltonians can be improved, since the simple representation of the generators of the canonical group permits to identify and understand otherwise hidden symmetries of difficult interpretation. The main aim of this work is to provide a comprehensive, general and scrupulous analysis of this framework, that we already applied in some circumstances. Therefore specific applications will not be presented in detail, since they can be found elsewhere, while only the formal and conceptual aspects will be developed thoroughly.
In recent years, quantum phase transitions have attracted the interest of both theorists and experimentalists in condensed matter physics. These transitions, which are accessed at zero temperature by variation of a non-thermal control parameter, can influence the behaviour of electronic systems over a wide range of the phase diagram. Quantum phase transitions occur as a result of competing ground state phases. The cuprate superconductors which can be tuned from a Mott insulating to a d -wave superconducting phase by carrier doping are a paradigmatic example. This review introduces important concepts of phase transitions and discusses the interplay of quantum and classical fluctuations near criticality. The main part of the article is devoted to bulk quantum phase transitions in condensed matter systems. Several classes of transitions will be briefly reviewed, pointing out, e.g., conceptual differences between ordering transitions in metallic and insulating systems. An interesting separate class of transitions is boundary phase transitions where only degrees of freedom of a subsystem become critical; this will be illustrated in a few examples. The article is aimed at bridging the gap between high-level theoretical presentations and research papers specialized in certain classes of materials. It will give an overview on a variety of different quantum transitions, critically discuss open theoretical questions, and frequently make contact with recent experiments in condensed matter physics.
Since the genesis of condensed matter physics, strongly correlated fermionic systems have shown a variety of fascinating properties and remain a vital topic in the field. Such systems arise through electronic interaction, and despite decades of intensive research, no holistic approach to solving this problem has been found. During that time, physicists have compiled a wealth of individual experimental and theoretical results, which together give an invaluable insight into these materials, and, in some instances, can explain correlated phenomena. However, there are several systems that stubbornly refuse to fall completely in line with current theoretical descriptions, among them the high-
Tc cuprates and heavy fermion compounds. Although the two material classes have been around for the better part of the last 50 years, large portions of their respective phase diagram are still under intensive debate. Recent experiments in several electron-doped cuprates compounds, e.g. neodymium cerium copper oxide (Nd
2xCe
xCuO
4), reveal a charge ordering about an antiferromagnetic ground state. So far, it has not been conclusively clarified how this intertwining of charge and spin polarization comes about and how it can be reconciled with a rigorous theoretical description. The heavy-fermion semimetals, on the other hand, have enjoyed renewed scientific interest with the discovery of topological Kondo insulators, a new material class offering a unique interface of topology, symmetry breaking, and correlated phenomena. In this context, samarium hexaboride (SmB
6) has emerged as a prototypical system, which may feature a topological ground state. In this thesis, we present a spin rotational invariant auxiliary particle approach to investigate the propensities of interacting electrons towards forming new states of order. In particular, we study the onset of spin and charge order in high-
Tc cuprate systems and Kondo lattices, as well as the interplay of magnetism and topology. To that end, we use a sophisticated mean-field approximation of bosonic auxiliary particles augmented by a stability analysis of the saddle point via Gaussian fluctuations. The latter enables the derivation of dynamic susceptibilities, which describe the response of the system under external fields and offer a direct comparison to experiments. Both the mean-field and fluctuation formalisms require a numerical tool that is capable of extremizing the saddle point equations, on the one hand, and reliably solving a loop integral of the susceptibility-type, on the other. A full, from scratch derivation of the formalism tailored towards a software implementation, is provided and pedagogically reviewed. The auxiliary particle method allows for a rigorous description of incommensurate magnetic order and compares well to other established numerical and analytical techniques. Within our analysis, we employ the two-dimensional one-band Hubbard as well as the periodic Anderson model as minimal Hamiltonians for the high-
Tc cuprates and Kondo systems, respectively. For the former, we observe a regime of intertwined charge- and spin-order in the electron-doped regime, which matches recent experimental observations in the cuprate material Nd
2xCe
xCuO
4. Furthermore, we localize the emergence of a Kondo regime in the periodic Anderson model and establish the magnetic phase diagram of the two-band model for topological Kondo insulators. The emerging antiferromagnetic ground state can be characterized by its topological properties and shows, for a non-trivial phase, topologically protected hinge modes.
The repulsive Hubbard model has been immensely useful in understanding strongly correlated electron systems and serves as the paradigmatic model of the field. Despite its simplicity, it exhibits a strikingly rich phenomenology reminiscent of that observed in quantum materials. Nevertheless, much of its phase diagram remains controversial. Here, we review a subset of what is known about the Hubbard model based on exact results or controlled approximate solutions in various limits, for which there is a suitable small parameter. Our primary focus is on the ground state properties of the system on various lattices in two spatial dimensions, although both lower and higher dimensions are discussed as well. Finally, we highlight some of the important outstanding open questions.