Quantum criticality of metal-insulator transitions in correlated electron systems is shown to belong to an unconventional universality class with violation of the Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson (GLW) scheme formulated for symmetry breaking transitions. This unconventionality arises from an emergent character of the quantum critical point, which appears at the marginal point between the Ising-type symmetry breaking at nonzero temperatures and the topological transition of the Fermi surface at zero temperature. We show that Hartree-Fock approximations of an extended Hubbard model on square lattices are capable of such metal-insulator transitions with unusual criticality under a preexisting symmetry breaking. The obtained universality is consistent with the scaling theory formulated for Mott transitions and with a number of numerical results beyond the mean-field level, implying that preexisting symmetry breaking is not necessarily required for the emergence of this unconventional universality. Examinations of fluctuation effects indicate that the obtained critical exponents remain essentially exact beyond the mean-field level. It further clarifies the whole structure of singularities by a unified treatment of the bandwidth-control and filling-control transitions. Detailed analyses of the criticality, containing diverging carrier density fluctuations around the marginal quantum critical point, are presented from microscopic calculations and reveal the nature as quantum critical ``opalescence.'' The mechanism of emerging marginal quantum critical point is ascribed to a positive feedback and interplay between the preexisting gap formation present even in metals and kinetic energy gain (loss) of the metallic carrier. Analyses of crossovers between GLW type at nonzero temperature and topological type at zero temperature show that the critical exponents observed in ${(\mathrm{V},\mathrm{Cr})}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ET}$-type organic conductors provide us with evidence for the existence of the present marginal quantum criticality.Quantum criticality of metal-insulator transitions in correlated electron systems is shown to belong to an unconventional universality class with violation of the Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson (GLW) scheme formulated for symmetry breaking transitions. This unconventionality arises from an emergent character of the quantum critical point, which appears at the marginal point between the Ising-type symmetry breaking at nonzero temperatures and the topological transition of the Fermi surface at zero temperature. We show that Hartree-Fock approximations of an extended Hubbard model on square lattices are capable of such metal-insulator transitions with unusual criticality under a preexisting symmetry breaking. The obtained universality is consistent with the scaling theory formulated for Mott transitions and with a number of numerical results beyond the mean-field level, implying that preexisting symmetry breaking is not necessarily required for the emergence of this unconventional universality. Examinations of fluctuation effects indicate that the obtained critical exponents remain essentially exact beyond the mean-field level. It further clarifies the whole structure of singularities by a unified treatment of the bandwidth-control and filling-control transitions. Detailed analyses of the criticality, containing diverging carrier density fluctuations around the marginal quantum critical point, are presented from microscopic calculations and reveal the nature as quantum critical ``opalescence.'' The mechanism of emerging marginal quantum critical point is ascribed to a positive feedback and interplay between the preexisting gap formation present even in metals and kinetic energy gain (loss) of the metallic carrier. Analyses of crossovers between GLW type at nonzero temperature and topological type at zero temperature show that the critical exponents observed in ${(\mathrm{V},\mathrm{Cr})}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ET}$-type organic conductors provide us with evidence for the existence of the present marginal quantum criticality.

arXiv:cond-mat/0612632Physical Review BMar 21, 200754 citations

Three studies in quantum criticality

R. R. Ramazashvili

Jan 1, 19980 citations

Quantum Critical “Opalescence” around Metal–Insulator Transitions

Takahiro Misawa, Youhei Yamaji, Masatoshi Imada

Divergent carrier-density fluctuations equivalent to the critical opalescence of gas-liquid transitions emerge around a metal-insulator critical point at a finite temperature. In contrast to the gas-liquid transitions, however, the critical temperature can be lowered to zero, which offers a challenging quantum phase transition. We present a microscopic description of such quantum critical phenomena in two dimensions. The conventional scheme of phase transitions by Ginzburg, Landau and Wilson is violated and an unconventional universality appears. It offers a clear insight into the criticalities of metal-insulator transitions associated with Mott or charge-order transitions. Fermi degeneracy involving the diverging density fluctuations generates emergent phenomena near the endpoint of the first-order transition and must shed new light on remarkable phenomena found in correlated metals like unconventional cuprate superconductors. It indeed accounts for otherwise puzzling criticality of the Mott transition recently discovered in an organic conductor. We propose to measure enhanced dielectric fluctuations at small wavenumbers by accurate probes.Divergent carrier-density fluctuations equivalent to the critical opalescence of gas-liquid transitions emerge around a metal-insulator critical point at a finite temperature. In contrast to the gas-liquid transitions, however, the critical temperature can be lowered to zero, which offers a challenging quantum phase transition. We present a microscopic description of such quantum critical phenomena in two dimensions. The conventional scheme of phase transitions by Ginzburg, Landau and Wilson is violated and an unconventional universality appears. It offers a clear insight into the criticalities of metal-insulator transitions associated with Mott or charge-order transitions. Fermi degeneracy involving the diverging density fluctuations generates emergent phenomena near the endpoint of the first-order transition and must shed new light on remarkable phenomena found in correlated metals like unconventional cuprate superconductors. It indeed accounts for otherwise puzzling criticality of the Mott transition recently discovered in an organic conductor. We propose to measure enhanced dielectric fluctuations at small wavenumbers by accurate probes.

arXiv:cond-mat/0604387Journal of the Physical Society of JapanAug 10, 200625 citations

Vigorousness of effective hydrodynamics from Anderson localization in two dimensional nematic quantum criticality

Kyoung-Min Kim, Ki‐Seok Kim

The $1994$ first discovery of a metal-insulator transition in two dimensions and series of $1997-1998$ experiments on two dimensional metal-insulator transitions in various samples of MOSFETs changed the paradigm of Anderson localization that metals cannot exist in two dimensions. Unfortunately, this delocalization physics of the diffusive regime does not apply to the effective hydrodynamic regime of quantum criticality. In the present study, we investigate effects of mutual correlations between hydrodynamic fluctuations and weak-localization corrections on Anderson localization, based on the renormalization group analysis up to the two-loop order. As a result, we find that the absence of quantum coherence in two-particle composite excitations gives rise to a novel disordered non-Fermi liquid metallic state near two dimensional nematic quantum criticality with nonmagnetic disorders. This research would be the first step in understanding the $T-$ linear electrical resistivity as a characteristic feature of non-Fermi liquids and the origin of unconventional superconductivity from effective hydrodynamics of quantum criticality.The $1994$ first discovery of a metal-insulator transition in two dimensions and series of $1997-1998$ experiments on two dimensional metal-insulator transitions in various samples of MOSFETs changed the paradigm of Anderson localization that metals cannot exist in two dimensions. Unfortunately, this delocalization physics of the diffusive regime does not apply to the effective hydrodynamic regime of quantum criticality. In the present study, we investigate effects of mutual correlations between hydrodynamic fluctuations and weak-localization corrections on Anderson localization, based on the renormalization group analysis up to the two-loop order. As a result, we find that the absence of quantum coherence in two-particle composite excitations gives rise to a novel disordered non-Fermi liquid metallic state near two dimensional nematic quantum criticality with nonmagnetic disorders. This research would be the first step in understanding the $T-$linear electrical resistivity as a characteristic feature of non-Fermi liquids and the origin of unconventional superconductivity from effective hydrodynamics of quantum criticality.

May 21, 20190 citations

{(\mathrm{V},\mathrm{Cr})}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}

and $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{ET}$-type organic conductors provide us with evidence for the existence of the present marginal quantum criticality.

The

1994

first discovery of a metal-insulator transition in two dimensions and series of

1997-1998

experiments on two dimensional metal-insulator transitions in various samples of MOSFETs changed the paradigm of Anderson localization that metals cannot exist in two dimensions. Unfortunately, this delocalization physics of the diffusive regime does not apply to the effective hydrodynamic regime of quantum criticality. In the present study, we investigate effects of mutual correlations between hydrodynamic fluctuations and weak-localization corrections on Anderson localization, based on the renormalization group analysis up to the two-loop order. As a result, we find that the absence of quantum coherence in two-particle composite excitations gives rise to a novel disordered non-Fermi liquid metallic state near two dimensional nematic quantum criticality with nonmagnetic disorders. This research would be the first step in understanding the

T-

linear electrical resistivity as a characteristic feature of non-Fermi liquids and the origin of unconventional superconductivity from effective hydrodynamics of quantum criticality.