The renormalization-group (RG) approach proposed earlier by Shankar for interacting spinless fermions at T=0 is extended to the case of nonzero temperature and spin. We study a model with SU(N)-invariant short-range effective interaction and rotationally invariant Fermi surface in two and three dimensions. We show that the Landau interaction function of the Fermi liquid, constructed from the bare parameters of the low-energy effective action, is RG invariant. On the other hand, the physical forward-scattering vertex is found as a stable fixed point of the RG flow. We demonstrate that in d=2 and 3, the RG approach to this model is equivalent to Landau's mean-field treatment of the Fermi liquid. We discuss subtleties associated with the symmetry properties of the scattering amplitude, the Landau function, and the low-energy effective action. Applying the RG to response functions, we find the compressibility and the spin susceptibility as fixed points.
We present the formalism for a two-loop renormalization group (RG) calculation of some order-parameter susceptibilities associated with a two-dimensional (2D) flat Fermi-surface model. In this order of perturbation theory, one must take into account the self-energy effects directly in all RG flow equations. In one-loop order, our calculation reproduces the well-known results obtained previously by other RG schemes. That is, for repulsive interactions all susceptibilities diverge in the low-energy limit and the antiferromagnetic (AF) spin-density-wave correlations produce indeed the leading instability in the system. In contrast, in two-loop order, only the AF susceptibility diverges for this model. However, even this divergence takes place at a much slower rate than in the one-loop RG approach. The purpose of this paper is to show in a very simple setting how to assess the importance of two-loop quantum fluctuations in 2D interacting fermionic models. With some modifications, the present formalism can also be extended to discuss more realistic models such as the paradigmatic 2D Hubbard model.
We formulate the exact Wilsonian renormalization group for a system of interacting fermions on a lattice. The flow equations for all vertices of the Wilson effective action are expressed in form of the Polchinski equation. We apply this method to the Hubbard model on a square lattice using both zero- and finite- temperature methods. Truncating the effective action at the sixth term in fermionic variables we obtain the one-loop functional renormalization equations for the effective interaction. We find the temperature of the instability Tc^{RG} as function of doping. We calculate furthermore the renormalization of the angle-resolved correlation functions for the superconductivity (SC) and for the antiferromagnetism (AF). The dominant component of the SC correlations is of the type d while the AF fluctuations are of the type s Following the strength of both SC and AF fluctuation along the instability line we obtain the phase diagram. The temperature Tc^{RG} can be identified with the crossover temperature T{co} found in the underdoped regime of the high-temperature superconductors, while in the overdoped regime Tc^{RG} corresponds to the superconducting critical temperature.
We formulate the exact Wilsonian renormalization group for a system of interacting fermions on a lattice. The flow equations for all vertices of the Wilson effective action are expressed in the form of the Polchinski equation. The advantage of this renormalization scheme is that the flow itself has a physical interpretation, i.e., the cutoff has the meaning of the temperature. We apply this method to the Hubbard model on a square lattice using both zero- and finite-temperature methods. Truncating the effective action at the sixth term in fermionic variables and neglecting self-energy renormalization, we obtain the one-loop functional renormalization equations for the effective interaction. We find the temperature of the instability
TcRG as a function of doping. Furthermore we calculate the renormalization of the angle-resolved correlation functions for the superconductivity (SC) and for the antiferromagnetism (AF). The dominant component of the SC correlations is of the type ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}},$ while the AF fluctuations are of the type s. Following the strength of both SC and AF fluctuations along the instability line, we obtain the phase diagram. The temperature
TcRG can be identified with the crossover temperature
Tco found in the underdoped regime of the high-temperature superconductors, while in the overdoped regime
TcRG corresponds to the superconducting critical temperature.
The stability or lack thereof of nonrelativistic fermionic systems to interactions is studied within the renormalization-group (RG) framework, in close analogy with the study of critical phenomena using ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ scalar field theory. A brief introduction to ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory in four dimensions and the path-integral formulation for fermions is given before turning to the problem at hand. As for the latter, the following procedure is used. First, the modes on either side of the Fermi surface within a cutoff $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ are chosen for study, in analogy with the modes near the origin in ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory, and a path integral is written to describe them. Next, an RG transformation that eliminates a part of these modes, but preserves the action of the noninteracting system, is identified. Finally the possible perturbations of this free-field fixed point are classified as relevant, irrelevant or marginal. A
d=1 warmup calculation involving a system of fermions shows how, in contrast to mean-field theory, which predicts a charge-density wave for arbitrarily weak repulsion, and superconductivity for arbitrarily weak attraction, the renormalization-group approach correctly yields a scale-invariant system (Luttinger liquid) by taking into account both instabilities. Application of the renormalization group in
d=2and3, for rotationally invariant Fermi surfaces, automatically leads to Landau's Fermi-liquid theory, which appears as a fixed point characterized by an effective mass and a Landau function
F, with the only relevant perturbations being of the superconducting (BCS) type. The functional flow equations for the BCS couplings are derived and separated into an infinite number of flows, one for each angular momentum. It is shown that similar results hold for rotationally noninvariant (but time-reversal-invariant) Fermi surfaces also, with obvious loss of rotational invariance in the parametrization of the fixed-point interactions. A study of a nested Fermi surface shows an additional relevant flow leading to charge-density-wave formation. It is pointed out that, for small $\frac{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}{{K}_{F}}$, a
N1 expansion emerges, with $N=\frac{{K}_{F}}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$, which explains why one is able to solve the narrow-cutoff theory. The search for non-Fermi liquids in
d=2 using the RG is discussed. Bringing a variety of phenomena (Landau theory, charge-density waves, BCS instability, nesting, etc.) under the one unifying principle of the RG not only allows us to better understand and unify them, but also paves the way for generalizations and extensions. The article is pedagogical in nature and is expected to be accessible to any serious graduate student. On the other hand, its survey of the vast literature is mostly limited to the RG approach.
We describe a Wick ordered functional renormalization group method for interacting Fermi systems, where the complete flow from the bare action of the microscopic model to the effective low-energy action is obtained from a differential flow equation. We apply this renormalization group approach to a prototypical two-dimensional lattice electron system, the Hubbard model on a square lattice. The flow equation for the effective interactions is evaluated numerically on 1-loop level. The effective interactions diverge at a finite energy scale which is exponentially small for small bare interactions. To analyze the nature of the instabilities signalled by the diverging interactions we compute the flow of the singlet superconducting susceptibilities for various pairing symmetries and also charge and spin density susceptibilities. Depending on the choice of the model parameters (hopping amplitudes, interaction strength and band-filling) we find antiferromagnetic order or d-wave superconductivity as leading symmetry breaking instability.