We study the t-J and the Hubbard models at zero temperature using exact-diagonalization techniques on \ensuremath{\surd}10 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} \ensuremath{\surd}10 and 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 sites clusters. Quantum Monte Carlo simulation results on larger lattices are also presented. All electronic fillings have been analyzed for the three models. We have measured equal-time correlation functions corresponding to various types of order (ranging from ``standard'' staggered spin order to more ``exotic'' possibilities like chiral order), as well as various dynamical properties of these models. Upper bounds for the critical hole doping (
xc), where long-range antiferromagnetic order disappears, are presented. It was found that
xc is very small in agreement with experiments for the high-
Tc superconductors. For example, in the t-J model, ${\mathit{x}}_{\mathit{c}}$0.08 at J/t=0.4. However, short-distance spin correlations are important up to much higher dopings producing a sharp well-defined spin-wave-like peak in S(q=(\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi}),\ensuremath{\omega}). Regarding the possibility of phase separation in the Hubbard model, we have studied the behavior of the density of particles, 〈n〉, as a function of the chemical potential, using the Lanczos method on a 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 Hubbard cluster, finding no indications of phase separation for any value of U/t. Then, we conclude that the t-J model at small J/t should not phase separate.In order to compare theoretical predictions with photoemission experiments, we evaluated the electronic density of states N(\ensuremath{\omega}), of the Hubbard and t-J models at several doping fractions. We found that upon doping the antiferromagnetic gap is filled for U\ensuremath{\sim}8t or smaller. The chemical potential moves across the insulating gap as one goes from electron to hole doping of the half-filled cluster, in agreement with x-ray absorption experiments but at variance with photoemission experiments. We have also calculated the optical conductivity, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}_{1}$(\ensuremath{\omega}), of the Hubbard and t-J models at all dopings on 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 clusters. Results are compared with experiments and the weight of the Drude peak is presented as a function of couplings and dopings. Spectral weight found at small frequencies is associated with the mid-infrared band observed experimentally in ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$
SrxCuO4, and with the states filling the insulating gap in photoemission experiments. An overall good agreement with experiments in the normal state was found. Regarding the possibility of superconductivity n these models, we have studied s-, d-, and p-wave pairing correlations. Naively, the d-wave channel seems enhanced near half filling while the extended s-wave channel seems enhanced from half filling up to 40% doping.However, we found that the enhancement comes from short-distance effects and, thus, no numerical indications of superconductivity were found in these models. We emphasize the importance of analyzing the pairing correlations as a function of distance to distinguish between short- and long-distance effects in the susceptibilities. We also observed that spiral order is enhanced at small J/t and low doping. Uniform chiral rder is suppressed by dynamical holes while staggered chiral order may be enhanced, although with a small plaquette order parameter. We conclude with the observation that the simple one-band Hubbard model with intermediate values of U\ensuremath{\sim}8t may account for many of the ``anomalous'' properties of the normal state of the high-
Tc superconductors.
We calculate the properties of the two-band Hubbard model using the dynamical cluster approximation. The phase diagram resembles the generic phase diagram of the cuprates, showing a strong asymmetry with respect to electron- and hole-doped regimes, in agreement with experiment. Asymmetric features are also seen in one-particle spectral functions and in the charge, spin, and
d-wave pairing-susceptibility functions. We address the possible reduction of the two-band model to a low-energy single-band one, as it was suggested by Zhang and Rice. Comparing the two-band Hubbard model properties with the single-band Hubbard model ones, we have found similar low-energy physics provided that the next-nearest-neighbor hopping term ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ has a significant value $({t}^{\ensuremath{'}}∕t\ensuremath{\approx}0.3)$. The parameter ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is the main culprit for the electron-hole asymmetry. However, a significant value of ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ cannot be provided in a strict Zhang and Rice [Phys. Rev. B 37, R3759 (1988); 41, 7243 (1990)] picture where the extra holes added into the system bind to the existing Cu holes forming local singlets. We note that by considering approximate singlet states, such as plaquette states, reasonable values of ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, which capture qualitatively the physics of the two-band model, can be obtained. We conclude that a single-band $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}{t}^{\ensuremath{'}}\text{\ensuremath{-}}U$ Hubbard model captures the basic physics of the cuprates concerning superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, pseudogap, and electron-hole asymmetry, but is not suitable for a quantitative analysis or to describe physical properties involving energy scales larger than about 0.5 eV.
We present an exact diagonalization study of the doping dependence of the single-particle Green's function in 16-, 18-, and 20-site clusters of the t-J model. We find evidence for the validity of the rigid-band picture starting from the half-filled case: upon doping, the topmost states of the quasiparticle band observed in the photoemission spectrum at half-filling cross the chemical potential and reappear as the lowermost states of the inverse photoemission spectrum. Features in the inverse photoemission spectra, which are inconsistent with the rigid-band picture, are shown to originate from the nontrivial point-group symmetry of the ground state with two holes, which enforces different selection rules than at half-filling. Deviations from rigid-band behavior which lead to the formation of a large Fermi surface in the momentum distribution are found to occur at energies far from the chemical potential. A Luttinger Fermi surface and a nearest-neighbor hopping band do not exist.
There is growing evidence that the hole-doped single-band Hubbard and t - J models do not have a superconducting ground state reflective of the high-temperature cuprate superconductors but instead have striped spin- and charge-ordered ground states. Nevertheless, it is proposed that these models may still provide an effective low-energy model for electron-doped materials. Here we study the finite temperature spin and charge correlations in the electron-doped Hubbard model using quantum Monte Carlo dynamical cluster approximation calculations and contrast their behavior with those found on the hole-doped side of the phase diagram. We find evidence for a charge modulation with both checkerboard and unidirectional components decoupled from any spin-density modulations. These correlations are inconsistent with a weak-coupling description based on Fermi surface nesting, and their doping dependence agrees qualitatively with resonant inelastic x-ray scattering measurements. Our results provide evidence that the single-band Hubbard model describes the electron-doped cuprates.
The three-band model relevant to high-temperature copper-oxide superconductors is solved using single-site dynamical mean field theory and a tight-binding parametrization of the copper and oxygen bands. For a band filling of one hole per unit cell the metal/charge-transfer-insulator phase diagram is determined. The electron spectral function, optical conductivity, and quasiparticle mass enhancement are computed as functions of electron and hole doping for parameters such that at one hole per cell the paramagnetic phase is insulating and for parameters such that at one hole per unit cell the paramagnetic phase is metallic. The optical conductivity is computed using the Peierls phase approximation for the optical matrix elements. The calculation includes the physics of ``Zhang-Rice singlets.'' The effects of antiferromagnetism on the magnitude of the gap and the relation between correlation strength and doping-induced changes in state density are determined. Three-band and one-band models are compared. The two models are found to yield quantitatively consistent results for all energies less than about 4 eV including energies in the vicinity of the charge-transfer gap. Parameters on the insulating side of the metal/charge-transfer insulator phase boundary lead to gaps which are too large and near-gap conductivities which are too small relative to data. The results place the cuprates clearly in the intermediate correlation regime, on the paramagnetic metal side of the metal/charge-transfer insulator phase boundary.
The momentum distribution function and electron spectral function for mobile holes in an antiferromagnet as described by the t-J model are discussed. The calculations are done using a trial wave function for the coherent motion of an individual hole based on a string picture. To discuss finite concentrations, the rigid-band approximation is assumed to be valid. Despite this both quantities considered are qualitatively similar to what one would expect for weakly interacting particles occupying the tight-binding band calculated from the hopping term in the Hamiltonian.