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:cond-mat/0701636 · Physical Review B

Theory of non-Fermi liquid near a diagonal electronic nematic state on a square lattice

Ying-Jer Kao, Hae‐Young Kee

Published Jul 13, 2007• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study the effects of Fermi-surface fluctuations on the single-particle lifetime near the diagonal electronic nematic phase on a two-dimensional square lattice. It has been shown that there exists a quantum critical point between the diagonal nematic and isotropic phases [H. Doh et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 125117 (2006)]. We study the longitudinal fluctuations of the order parameter near the critical point, where the singular forward scattering leads to a non-Fermi-liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except along the ${k}_{x}$ and ${k}_{y}$ directions. We will also discuss the temperature and chemical potential dependences of the single-particle decay rate.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.76.045106

Related papers

Non-Fermi Liquid Behavior from Critical Fermi Surface Fluctuations

Walter Metzner, Luca Dell’Anna

Interactions in Fermi systems can generate a Pomeranchuk instability leading to orientational symmetry breaking, that is, nematic order. In a metallic system close to such an instability the Fermi surface is easily deformed by anisotropic perturbations and exhibits enhanced collective fluctuations. We analyze fluctuation effects in the quantum critical regime near a d-wave Pomeranchuk instability in two dimensions. Density correlations with a d-wave form factor and the dynamical forward scattering interaction diverge near the instability. The singular forward scattering leads to large self-energy contributions, which destroy Fermi liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except at “cold spots” on the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate of single-particle excitations, which is related to the width of the peaks in the spectral function, exceeds the excitation energy in the low-energy limit. The dispersion of the spectra flattens strongly near those portions of the Fermi surface which are remote from the zone diagonal. The decay rate for DC transport is linear in temperature except at the cold spots. We discuss the possible relevance of d-wave Fermi surface fluctuations for the “strange metal” behavior observed in the normal phase of cuprates.

Progress of Theoretical Physics Supplement•Jan 1, 2008•0 citations

Nematic order and non-Fermi liquid behavior from a Pomeranchuk instability in a two-dimensional electron system

Walter Metzner, Luca Dell’Anna, Hiroyuki Yamase

Interactions in Fermi systems can induce a "Pomeranchuk instability" leading to orientational symmetry breaking, that is, nematic order. In a metallic system close to such an instability the Fermi surface is easily deformed by anisotropic perturbations, and exhibits enhanced collective fluctuations. We discuss electrons on a square lattice near a Pomeranchuk instability with d-wave symmetry. The strong response of such a system to a small orthorhombic perturbation can explain naturally the large in-plane anisotropy of electronic and magnetic properties observed in detwinned YBCO crystals. Fluctuations in a quantum critical regime near the instability provide a mechanism for non-Fermi liquid behavior. They lead to a singular forward scattering interaction, which destroys fermionic quasi-particles on the whole Fermi surface except at "cold spots" on the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate for DC transport is linear in temperature except at the cold spots, where conventional Fermi liquid behavior survives. In clean systems this gives rise to a T 3/2 temperature dependence of the DC resistivity, as observed in some overdoped cuprates. In the presence of disorder, the resistivity is linear in T at low temperatures.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•Feb 1, 2009•0 citations

Interplay between parallel and diagonal electronic nematic phases in interacting systems

Hyeonjin Doh, Nir Friedman, Hae‐Young Kee

An electronic nematic phase can be classified by a spontaneously broken discrete rotational symmetry of a host lattice. In a square lattice, there are two distinct nematic phases. The parallel nematic phase breaks $x$ and $y$ symmetry, while the diagonal nematic phase breaks the diagonal $(x+y)$ and anti-diagonal $(x\ensuremath{-}y)$ symmetry. We investigate the interplay between the parallel and diagonal nematic orders using mean field theory. We found that the nematic phases compete with each other, while they coexist in a finite window of parameter space. The quantum critical point between the diagonal nematic and isotropic phases exists, and its location in a phase diagram depends on the topology of the Fermi surface. We discuss the implication of our results in the context of neutron scattering and Raman spectroscopy measurements on ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$.

arXiv:cond-mat/0601300•Physical Review B•Mar 24, 2006•9 citations

Quantum theory of a nematic Fermi fluid

Vadim Oganesyan, Steven Allan Kivelson, Eduardo Fradkin

We develop a microscopic theory of the electronic nematic phase proximate to an isotropic Fermi liquid in both two and three dimensions. Explicit expressions are obtained for the small amplitude collective excitations in the ordered state; remarkably, the nematic Goldstone mode (the director wave) is overdamped except along special directions dictated by symmetry. At the quantum critical point we find a dynamical exponent of $z=3,$ implying stability of the Gaussian fixed point. The leading perturbative effect of the overdamped Goldstone modes leads to a breakdown of Fermi-liquid theory in the nematic phase and to strongly angle-dependent electronic self energies around the Fermi surface. Other metallic liquid-crystal phases, e.g., a quantum hexatic, behave analogously.

arXiv:cond-mat/0102093•Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Oct 17, 2001•472 citations

Nonperturbative behavior of the quantum phase transition to a nematic Fermi fluid

Michael J. Lawler, Daniel Gustavo Barci, Victoria Fernández +2 more

We discuss shape (Pomeranchuk) instabilities of the Fermi surface of a two-dimensional Fermi system using bosonization. We consider in detail the quantum critical behavior of the transition of a two-dimensional Fermi fluid to a nematic state which breaks spontaneously the rotational invariance of the Fermi liquid. We show that higher dimensional bosonization reproduces the quantum critical behavior expected from the Hertz-Millis analysis, and verify that this theory has dynamic critical exponent $z=3$. Going beyond this framework, we study the behavior of the fermion degrees of freedom directly, and show that at quantum criticality as well as in the quantum nematic phase (except along a set of measure zero of symmetry-dictated directions) the quasiparticles of the normal Fermi liquid are generally wiped out. Instead, they exhibit short-ranged spatial correlations that decay faster than any power law, with the law $\ensuremath{\mid}x{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{const}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mid}x{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{1∕3})$ and we verify explicitly the vanishing of the fermion residue utilizing this expression. In contrast, the fermion autocorrelation function has the behavior $\ensuremath{\mid}t{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{const}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mid}t{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}2∕3})$. In this regime we also find that, at low frequency, the single-particle fermion density of states behaves as ${N}^{*}(\ensuremath{\omega})={N}^{*}(0)+B{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2∕3}\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\omega}+\ensuremath{\cdots}$, where ${N}^{*}(0)$ is larger than the free Fermi value, $N(0)$, and $B$ is a constant. These results confirm the non-Fermi liquid nature of both the quantum critical theory and of the nematic phase.

arXiv:cond-mat/0508747•Physical Review B•Feb 1, 2006•115 citations

Fermi surface fluctuations and single electron excitations near Pomeranchuk instability in two dimensions

Luca Dell’Anna, Walter Metzner

A metallic electron system near an orientational symmetry breaking Pomeranchuk instability is characterized by a ``soft'' Fermi surface with enhanced collective fluctuations. We analyze fluctuation effects in a two-dimensional electron system on a square lattice in the vicinity of a Pomeranchuk instability with $d$-wave symmetry, using a phenomenological model which includes interactions with a small momentum transfer only. We compute the dynamical density correlations with a $d$-wave form factor for small momenta and frequencies, the dynamical effective interaction due to a fluctuation exchange, and the electron self-energy. At the quantum critical point the density correlations and the dynamical forward scattering interaction diverge with a dynamical exponent $z=3$. The singular forward scattering leads to large self-energy corrections, which destroy Fermi liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except near the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate of single-particle excitations, which is related to the width of the peaks in the spectral function, exceeds the excitation energy in the low-energy limit. The dispersion of maxima in the spectra flattens strongly near those portions of the Fermi surface which are remote from the zone diagonal. The contribution from classical fluctuations to the self-energy spoils $(\ensuremath{\omega}∕T)$ scaling in the quantum critical regime.

arXiv:cond-mat/0507532•Physical Review B•Jan 27, 2006•125 citations
We study the effects of Fermi-surface fluctuations on the single-particle lifetime near the diagonal electronic nematic phase on a two-dimensional square lattice. It has been shown that there exists a quantum critical point between the diagonal nematic and isotropic phases [H. Doh et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, 125117 (2006)]. We study the longitudinal fluctuations of the order parameter near the critical point, where the singular forward scattering leads to a non-Fermi-liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except along the kx{k}_{x}kx​ and ky{k}_{y}ky​ directions. We will also discuss the temperature and chemical potential dependences of the single-particle decay rate.
Interactions in Fermi systems can generate a Pomeranchuk instability leading to orientational symmetry breaking, that is, nematic order. In a metallic system close to such an instability the Fermi surface is easily deformed by anisotropic perturbations and exhibits enhanced collective fluctuations. We analyze fluctuation effects in the quantum critical regime near a d-wave Pomeranchuk instability in two dimensions. Density correlations with a d-wave form factor and the dynamical forward scattering interaction diverge near the instability. The singular forward scattering leads to large self-energy contributions, which destroy Fermi liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except at “cold spots” on the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate of single-particle excitations, which is related to the width of the peaks in the spectral function, exceeds the excitation energy in the low-energy limit. The dispersion of the spectra flattens strongly near those portions of the Fermi surface which are remote from the zone diagonal. The decay rate for DC transport is linear in temperature except at the cold spots. We discuss the possible relevance of d-wave Fermi surface fluctuations for the “strange metal” behavior observed in the normal phase of cuprates.
Interactions in Fermi systems can induce a "Pomeranchuk instability" leading to orientational symmetry breaking, that is, nematic order. In a metallic system close to such an instability the Fermi surface is easily deformed by anisotropic perturbations, and exhibits enhanced collective fluctuations. We discuss electrons on a square lattice near a Pomeranchuk instability with d-wave symmetry. The strong response of such a system to a small orthorhombic perturbation can explain naturally the large in-plane anisotropy of electronic and magnetic properties observed in detwinned YBCO crystals. Fluctuations in a quantum critical regime near the instability provide a mechanism for non-Fermi liquid behavior. They lead to a singular forward scattering interaction, which destroys fermionic quasi-particles on the whole Fermi surface except at "cold spots" on the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate for DC transport is linear in temperature except at the cold spots, where conventional Fermi liquid behavior survives. In clean systems this gives rise to a T 3/2 temperature dependence of the DC resistivity, as observed in some overdoped cuprates. In the presence of disorder, the resistivity is linear in T at low temperatures.
An electronic nematic phase can be classified by a spontaneously broken discrete rotational symmetry of a host lattice. In a square lattice, there are two distinct nematic phases. The parallel nematic phase breaks xxx and yyy symmetry, while the diagonal nematic phase breaks the diagonal (x+y)(x+y)(x+y) and anti-diagonal $(x\ensuremath{-}y)$ symmetry. We investigate the interplay between the parallel and diagonal nematic orders using mean field theory. We found that the nematic phases compete with each other, while they coexist in a finite window of parameter space. The quantum critical point between the diagonal nematic and isotropic phases exists, and its location in a phase diagram depends on the topology of the Fermi surface. We discuss the implication of our results in the context of neutron scattering and Raman spectroscopy measurements on ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$.
We develop a microscopic theory of the electronic nematic phase proximate to an isotropic Fermi liquid in both two and three dimensions. Explicit expressions are obtained for the small amplitude collective excitations in the ordered state; remarkably, the nematic Goldstone mode (the director wave) is overdamped except along special directions dictated by symmetry. At the quantum critical point we find a dynamical exponent of z=3,z=3,z=3, implying stability of the Gaussian fixed point. The leading perturbative effect of the overdamped Goldstone modes leads to a breakdown of Fermi-liquid theory in the nematic phase and to strongly angle-dependent electronic self energies around the Fermi surface. Other metallic liquid-crystal phases, e.g., a quantum hexatic, behave analogously.
We discuss shape (Pomeranchuk) instabilities of the Fermi surface of a two-dimensional Fermi system using bosonization. We consider in detail the quantum critical behavior of the transition of a two-dimensional Fermi fluid to a nematic state which breaks spontaneously the rotational invariance of the Fermi liquid. We show that higher dimensional bosonization reproduces the quantum critical behavior expected from the Hertz-Millis analysis, and verify that this theory has dynamic critical exponent z=3z=3z=3. Going beyond this framework, we study the behavior of the fermion degrees of freedom directly, and show that at quantum criticality as well as in the quantum nematic phase (except along a set of measure zero of symmetry-dictated directions) the quasiparticles of the normal Fermi liquid are generally wiped out. Instead, they exhibit short-ranged spatial correlations that decay faster than any power law, with the law $\ensuremath{\mid}x{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{const}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mid}x{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{1∕3})$ and we verify explicitly the vanishing of the fermion residue utilizing this expression. In contrast, the fermion autocorrelation function has the behavior $\ensuremath{\mid}t{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{const}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mid}t{\ensuremath{\mid}}^{\ensuremath{-}2∕3})$. In this regime we also find that, at low frequency, the single-particle fermion density of states behaves as ${N}^{*}(\ensuremath{\omega})={N}^{*}(0)+B{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2∕3}\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\omega}+\ensuremath{\cdots}$, where N∗(0){N}^{*}(0)N∗(0) is larger than the free Fermi value, N(0)N(0)N(0), and BBB is a constant. These results confirm the non-Fermi liquid nature of both the quantum critical theory and of the nematic phase.
A metallic electron system near an orientational symmetry breaking Pomeranchuk instability is characterized by a ``soft'' Fermi surface with enhanced collective fluctuations. We analyze fluctuation effects in a two-dimensional electron system on a square lattice in the vicinity of a Pomeranchuk instability with ddd-wave symmetry, using a phenomenological model which includes interactions with a small momentum transfer only. We compute the dynamical density correlations with a ddd-wave form factor for small momenta and frequencies, the dynamical effective interaction due to a fluctuation exchange, and the electron self-energy. At the quantum critical point the density correlations and the dynamical forward scattering interaction diverge with a dynamical exponent z=3z=3z=3. The singular forward scattering leads to large self-energy corrections, which destroy Fermi liquid behavior over the whole Fermi surface except near the Brillouin zone diagonal. The decay rate of single-particle excitations, which is related to the width of the peaks in the spectral function, exceeds the excitation energy in the low-energy limit. The dispersion of maxima in the spectra flattens strongly near those portions of the Fermi surface which are remote from the zone diagonal. The contribution from classical fluctuations to the self-energy spoils $(\ensuremath{\omega}∕T)$ scaling in the quantum critical regime.