Showing papers on "Mott transition published in 2017"
01 Apr 2017
TL;DR: In this article, a scaling theory of the Mott transition was introduced to study the quantum nature of the many-body instability in strongly correlated electronic materials, which can be generally associated with the setting of Fermi-liquid behavior with decreasing temperature in 3D strongly interacting electronic systems.
Abstract: The theory of quantum critical phenomena is introduced to study some current many-body problems in condensed matter physics. Renormalization group concepts are applied to strongly correlated electronic materials which are close to a zero-temperature instability. These systems have enhanced effective masses and susceptibility. Scaling arguments yield the exponents which govern the critical behavior of these quantities in terms of the usual critical exponents associated with a zero-temperature phase transition. We show the existence of a new energy scale, related to the quantum nature of the many-body instability, which can be generally associated with the setting of Fermi-liquid behavior with decreasing temperature in three-dimensional strongly interacting electronic systems. The theory of quantum critical phenomena is used to investigate the Kondo lattice problem, which provides a model to describe heavy-fermion systems and to introduce a scaling theory of the Mott transition with special emphasis on charge fluctuation effects. However, this report is not a review on heavy fermions and Mott insulators. The microscopic theories of these systems are still controversial and present some of the most challenging and instigating problems in condensed matter physics. This state of affairs stimulated the author to review and extend the scaling approach. The scaling theory we develop provides a powerful tool, based on the notion of universality, to understand the physical properties of correlated systems beyond the mean-field level. This is illustrated by our treatment of the one-dimensional Hubbard model, where, although the Fermi-liquid fixed point does not survive the fluctuations, the scaling approach is still useful. Finally, we discuss briefly how disorder affect our results.
193 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors calculate the initial thermalization rate of a perovskite from the scattering time in the Frohlich polaron model to be 78 meV ps-1 for CH3NH3PbI3.
Abstract: Halide perovskites show unusual thermalization kinetics for above-bandgap photoexcitation. We explain this as a consequence of excess energy being deposited into discrete large polaron states. The crossover between low-fluence and high-fluence “phonon bottleneck” cooling is due to a Mott transition where the polarons overlap (n ≥ 1018 cm–3) and the phonon subpopulations are shared. We calculate the initial rate of cooling (thermalization) from the scattering time in the Frohlich polaron model to be 78 meV ps–1 for CH3NH3PbI3. This rapid initial thermalization involves heat transfer into optical phonon modes coupled by a polar dielectric interaction. Further cooling to equilibrium over hundreds of picoseconds is limited by the ultralow thermal conductivity of the perovskite lattice.
128 citations
TL;DR: The origin of two types of negative differential resistance in NbO2 memristors are elucidated using thermoreflectance and spatially resolved X-ray microscopy and the latter is caused by the Mott metal-insulator transition, for which the thermal conductance counter-intuitively decreases in the metallic state relative to the insulating state.
Abstract: Negative differential resistance behavior in oxide memristors, especially those using NbO2, is gaining renewed interest because of its potential utility in neuromorphic computing. However, there has been a decade-long controversy over whether the negative differential resistance is caused by a relatively low-temperature non-linear transport mechanism or a high-temperature Mott transition. Resolving this issue will enable consistent and robust predictive modeling of this phenomenon for different applications. Here we examine NbO2 memristors that exhibit both a current-controlled and a temperature-controlled negative differential resistance. Through thermal and chemical spectromicroscopy and numerical simulations, we confirm that the former is caused by a ~400 K non-linear-transport-driven instability and the latter is caused by the ~1000 K Mott metal-insulator transition, for which the thermal conductance counter-intuitively decreases in the metallic state relative to the insulating state. The development of future computation devices will be aided by a better understanding of the physics underlying material behaviors. Using thermoreflectance and spatially resolved X-ray microscopy, Kumar et al. elucidate the origin of two types of negative differential resistance in NbO2 memristors.
114 citations
TL;DR: Using state-of-the-art many-body theory including dynamical screening, this paper showed that the exciton-to-plasma ratio can be efficiently tuned by dielectric substrate screening as well as charge carrier doping.
Abstract: When electron-hole pairs are excited in a semiconductor, it is a priori not clear if they form a fermionic plasma of unbound particles or a bosonic exciton gas. Usually, the exciton phase is associated with low temperatures. In atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors, excitons are particularly important even at room temperature due to strong Coulomb interaction and a large exciton density of states. Using state-of-the-art many-body theory including dynamical screening, we show that the exciton-to-plasma ratio can be efficiently tuned by dielectric substrate screening as well as charge carrier doping. Moreover, we predict a Mott transition from the exciton-dominated regime to a fully ionized electron-hole plasma at excitation densities between $3\times10^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$ and $1\times10^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$ depending on temperature, carrier doping and dielectric environment. We propose the observation of these effects by studying excitonic satellites in photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy.
105 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of the orbital degrees of freedom on the reduction of dimensionality of the condensed matter is discussed. But the authors mainly concentrate on other phenomena, which are in the focus of the modern condensed matter physics.
Abstract: In the present review different effects related to the orbital degrees of freedom are discussed. Leaving aside such aspects as the superexchange mechanism of the cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions and different properties of "Kugel-Khomskii"-like models, we mostly concentrate on other phenomena, which are in the focus of the modern condensed matter physics. After a general introduction we start with the discussion of the concept of effective reduction of dimensionality due to orbital degrees of freedom and consider such phenomena as the orbitally-driven Peierls effect and the formation of small clusters of ions in the vicinity of a Mott transition, which behave like "molecules" embedded in a solid. The second large section is devoted to the orbital-selective effects such as the orbital-selective Mott transition and the suppression of magnetism due to the fact that part of the orbitals start to form singlet molecular orbitals. At the end the rapidly growing field of the so-called "spin-orbit-dominated" transition metal compounds is briefly reviewed including such topics as the interplay between the spin-orbit coupling and the Jahn-Teller effect, the formation of the spin-orbit driven Mott and Peierls states, the role of orbital degrees of freedom in generation of the Kitaev exchange coupling, and the singlet (excitonic) magnetism in $4d$ and $5d$ transition metal compounds.
94 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the evolution of the electronic states of (Sr_(1−x)La_x)_2IrO_4, which is an effective spin-1/2 Mott insulator like the cuprates, but is chemically radically different.
Abstract: It is widely believed that high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates emerges from doped Mott insulators. When extra carriers are inserted into the parent state, the electrons become mobile but the strong correlations from the Mott state are thought to survive—inhomogeneous electronic order, a mysterious pseudogap and, eventually, superconductivity appear. How the insertion of dopant atoms drives this evolution is not known, nor is whether these phenomena are mere distractions specific to hole-doped cuprates or represent genuine physics of doped Mott insulators. Here we visualize the evolution of the electronic states of (Sr_(1−x)La_x)_2IrO_4, which is an effective spin-1/2 Mott insulator like the cuprates, but is chemically radically different. Using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunnelling microscopy (SI-STM), we find that for a doping concentration of x ≈ 5%, an inhomogeneous, phase-separated state emerges, with the nucleation of pseudogap puddles around clusters of dopant atoms. Within these puddles, we observe the same iconic electronic order that is seen in underdoped cuprates. We investigate the genesis of this state and find evidence at low doping for deeply trapped carriers, leading to fully gapped spectra, which abruptly collapse at a threshold of x ≈ 4%. Our results clarify the melting of the Mott state, and establish phase separation and electronic order as generic features of doped Mott insulators.
93 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of the orbital degrees of freedom on the reduction of dimensionality of the condensed matter is discussed. But the authors mainly concentrate on other phenomena, which are in the focus of the modern condensed matter physics.
Abstract: In the present review different effects related to the orbital degrees of freedom are discussed. Leaving aside such aspects as the superexchange mechanism of the cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions and different properties of "Kugel-Khomskii"-like models, we mostly concentrate on other phenomena, which are in the focus of the modern condensed matter physics. After a general introduction we start with the discussion of the concept of effective reduction of dimensionality due to orbital degrees of freedom and consider such phenomena as the orbitally-driven Peierls effect and the formation of small clusters of ions in the vicinity of a Mott transition, which behave like "molecules" embedded in a solid. The second large section is devoted to the orbital-selective effects such as the orbital-selective Mott transition and the suppression of magnetism due to the fact that part of the orbitals start to form singlet molecular orbitals. At the end the rapidly growing field of the so-called "spin-orbit-dominated" transition metal compounds is briefly reviewed including such topics as the interplay between the spin-orbit coupling and the Jahn-Teller effect, the formation of the spin-orbit driven Mott and Peierls states, the role of orbital degrees of freedom in generation of the Kitaev exchange coupling, and the singlet (excitonic) magnetism in $4d$ and $5d$ transition metal compounds.
79 citations
TL;DR: The crystal field stabilization of the dxy orbital due to c-axis contraction is shown to be essential to explain the insulating phase and underscores the importance of multi-band physics, Coulomb interaction and Hund's coupling that together generate the Mott insulating state of Ca2RuO4.
Abstract: A paradigmatic case of multi-band Mott physics including spin-orbit and Hund's coupling is realized in Ca2RuO4. Progress in understanding the nature of this Mott insulating phase has been impeded by the lack of knowledge about the low-energy electronic structure. Here we provide-using angle-resolved photoemission electron spectroscopy-the band structure of the paramagnetic insulating phase of Ca2RuO4 and show how it features several distinct energy scales. Comparison to a simple analysis of atomic multiplets provides a quantitative estimate of the Hund's coupling J = 0.4 eV. Furthermore, the experimental spectra are in good agreement with electronic structure calculations performed with Dynamical Mean-Field Theory. The crystal field stabilization of the d(xy) orbital due to c-axis contraction is shown to be essential to explain the insulating phase. These results underscore the importance of multi-band physics, Coulomb interaction and Hund's coupling that together generate the Mott insulating state of Ca2RuO4.
78 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of spin-orbital degeneracy on the Coulomb correlations of iridate and rhodate was investigated in terms of effective spin-orbit degeneracy.
Abstract: The interplay of spin-orbit coupling and Coulomb correlations has become a hot topic in condensed matter theory and is especially important in 4d and 5d transition metal oxides, like iridates or rhodates. Here, we review recent advances in dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT)-based electronic structure calculations for treating such compounds, introducing all necessary implementation details. We also discuss the evaluation of Hubbard interactions in spin-orbit materials. As an example, we perform DMFT calculations on insulating strontium iridate (Sr2IrO4) and its 4d metallic counterpart, strontium rhodate (Sr2RhO4). While a Mott-insulating state is obtained for Sr2IrO4 in its paramagnetic phase, the spectral properties and Fermi surfaces obtained for Sr2RhO4 show excellent agreement with available experimental data. Finally, we discuss the electronic structure of these two compounds by introducing the notion of effective spin-orbital degeneracy as the key quantity that determines the correlation strength. We stress that effective spin-orbital degeneracy introduces an additional axis into the conventional picture of a phase diagram based on filling and on the ratio of interactions to bandwidth, analogous to the degeneracy-controlled Mott transition in d1 perovskites.
69 citations
TL;DR: Strong terahertz-pulse irradiation is an effective approach to achieve a purely electronic Mott transition, enhancing the understanding of its quantum nature.
Abstract: Irradiation with a strong terahertz electric-field pulse is found to induce a Mott transition in an organic molecular compound. The metallization is attributed to an impulsive dielectric breakdown.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an electrodynamic response of three organic quantum spin liquids with different degrees of effective correlation is explored, where the absence of magnetic order enables unique insight into the nature of the genuine Mott state down to the most relevant low-temperature region.
Abstract: The Widom line identifies the locus in the phase diagram where a supercritical gas crosses over from gas-like to a more liquid-like behavior. A similar transition exists in correlated electron liquids, where the interplay of Coulomb repulsion, bandwidth and temperature triggers between the Mott insulating state and an incoherent conduction regime. Here we explore the electrodynamic response of three organic quantum spin liquids with different degrees of effective correlation, where the absence of magnetic order enables unique insight into the nature of the genuine Mott state down to the most relevant low-temperature region. Combining optical spectroscopy with pressure-dependent dc transport and theoretical calculations, we succeeded to construct a phase diagram valid for all Mott insulators on a quantitative scale. In the vicinity of the low-temperature phase boundary, we discover metallic fluctuations within the Mott gap, exhibiting enhanced absorption upon cooling that is not present in antiferromagnetic Mott insulators. Our findings reveal the phase coexistence region and Pomeranchuk-like anomaly of the Mott transition, previously predicted but never observed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model using cellular dynamical mean field theory with continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo was studied and sharp crossovers in the mechanism that favors antiferromagnetic correlations and in the corresponding local density of states were observed.
Abstract: The properties of a phase with large correlation length can be strongly influenced by the underlying normal phase. We illustrate this by studying the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model using cellular dynamical mean-field theory with continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo. Sharp crossovers in the mechanism that favors antiferromagnetic correlations and in the corresponding local density of states are observed. These crossovers occur at values of the interaction strength $U$ and temperature $T$ that are controlled by the underlying normal-state Mott transition.
TL;DR: Strong diamagnetism in the Mott insulator calcium ruthenate (Ca2RuO4) induced by dc electric current is reported, suggesting that dc current may be a means to control the properties of materials in the vicinity of a Mottinsulator transition.
Abstract: Mott insulators can host a surprisingly diverse set of quantum phenomena when their frozen electrons are perturbed by various stimuli. Superconductivity, metal-insulator transition, and colossal magnetoresistance induced by element substitution, pressure, and magnetic field are prominent examples. Here we report strong diamagnetism in the Mott insulator calcium ruthenate (Ca2RuO4) induced by dc electric current. The application of a current density of merely 1 ampere per centimeter squared induces diamagnetism stronger than that in other nonsuperconducting materials. This change is coincident with changes in the transport properties as the system becomes semimetallic. These findings suggest that dc current may be a means to control the properties of materials in the vicinity of a Mott insulating transition.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of spin-orbit and Coulomb anisotropy on the electronic and magnetic properties of the Mott insulator were studied using the local-density approximation + dynamical mean-field approach and spin-wave theory.
Abstract: In this work, we study the effects of spin-orbit and Coulomb anisotropy on the electronic and magnetic properties of the Mott insulator ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$. We use the local-density approximation + dynamical mean-field approach and spin-wave theory. We show that, contrary to a recent proposal, the Mott metal-insulator transition is not induced by the spin-orbit interaction. We confirm that, instead, it is mainly driven by the change in structure from long to short $\mathbf{c}$-axis layered perovskite. We show that the magnetic ordering and the anisotropic Coulomb interactions play a small role in determining the the size of the gap. The spin-orbit interaction turns out to be essential for describing the magnetic properties. It not only results in a spin-wave gap, but it also enlarges significantly the magnon bandwidth.
TL;DR: Ab-initio theoretical method for correlated electron materials is developed, based on Dynamical Mean Field Theory, which can predict the change of the crystal structure across the MIT at finite temperature, and it is shown that the line-shape of the measured resonant elastic X-ray response can be explained with the “site-selective” Mott scenario without real charge order on Ni sites.
Abstract: The metal-insulator transition (MIT) remains among the most thoroughly studied phenomena in solid state physics, but the complexity of the phenomena, which usually involves cooperation of many degrees of freedom including orbitals, fluctuating local moments, magnetism, and the crystal structure, have resisted predictive ab-initio treatment. Here we develop ab-initio theoretical method for correlated electron materials, based on Dynamical Mean Field Theory, which can predict the change of the crystal structure across the MIT at finite temperature. This allows us to study the coupling between electronic, magnetic and orbital degrees of freedom with the crystal structure across the MIT in rare-earth nickelates. We predict the electronic free energy profile of the competing states, and the theoretical magnetic ground state configuration, which is in agreement with neutron scattering data, but is different from the magnetic models proposed before. The resonant elastic X-ray response at the K-edge, which was argued to be a probe of the charge order, is theoretically modelled within the Dynamical Mean Field Theory, including the core-hole interaction. We show that the line-shape of the measured resonant elastic X-ray response can be explained with the “site-selective” Mott scenario without real charge order on Ni sites.
TL;DR: It is proposed that the recently discovered Jahn-Teller metal phase of Rb_{x}Cs_{3-x}C_{60} is an experimental realization of this novel state of matter.
Abstract: The alkali-doped fullerides A_{3}C_{60} are half-filled three-orbital Hubbard systems which exhibit an unconventional superconducting phase next to a Mott insulator. While the pairing is understood to arise from an effectively negative Hund coupling, the highly unusual Jahn-Teller metal near the Mott transition, featuring both localized and itinerant electrons, has not been understood. This property is consistently explained by a previously unrecognized phenomenon: the spontaneous transition of multiorbital systems with negative Hund coupling into an orbital-selective Mott state. This symmetry-broken state, which has no ordinary orbital moment, is characterized by an orbital-dependent two-body operator (the double occupancy) or an orbital-dependent kinetic energy and may be regarded as a diagonal-order version of odd-frequency superconductivity. We propose that the recently discovered Jahn-Teller metal phase of Rb_{x}Cs_{3-x}C_{60} is an experimental realization of this novel state of matter.
TL;DR: In this paper, a Landau free-energy functional was developed to study the orbital-selective Mott transition in the multiorbital Hubbard model. But the analysis was performed with nonzero orbital-level splittings, and it was shown that the intersite spin correlations are crucial to the renormalization of the bare hybridization amplitude towards zero and the concomitant realization of the orbital selective mott transition.
Abstract: There is increasing recognition that the multiorbital nature of the $3d$ electrons is important to the proper description of the electronic states in the normal state of the iron-based superconductors. Earlier studies of the pertinent multiorbital Hubbard models identified an orbital-selective Mott phase, which anchors the orbital-selective behavior seen in the overall phase diagram. An important characteristics of the models is that the orbitals are kinetically coupled, i.e., hybridized, to each other, which makes the orbital-selective Mott phase especially nontrivial. A $U(1)$ slave-spin method was used to analyze the model with nonzero orbital-level splittings. Here we develop a Landau free-energy functional to shed further light on this issue. We put the microscopic analysis from the $U(1)$ slave-spin approach in this perspective, and show that the intersite spin correlations are crucial to the renormalization of the bare hybridization amplitude towards zero and the concomitant realization of the orbital-selective Mott transition. Based on this insight, we discuss additional ways to study the orbital-selective Mott physics from a dynamical competition between the interorbital hybridization and collective spin correlations. Our results demonstrate the robustness of the orbital-selective Mott phase in the multiorbital models appropriate for the iron-based superconductors.
TL;DR: Halide perovskites show unusual thermalization kinetics for above-bandgap photoexcitation as a consequence of excess energy being deposited into discrete large polaron states, and this rapid initial thermalization involves heat transfer into optical phonon modes coupled by a polar dielectric interaction.
Abstract: Halide perovskites show unusual thermalisation kinetics for above bandgap photo-excitation. We explain this as a consequence of excess energy being deposited into discrete large polaron states. The cross-over between low-fluence and high-fluence `phonon bottleneck' cooling is due to a Mott transition where the polarons overlap ($n \ge 10^{18}/\mathrm{cm}^3$) and the phonon sub-populations are shared. We calculate the initial rate of cooling (thermalisation) from the scattering time in the Frohlich polaron model to be 78 meVps$^{-1}$ for $\mathrm{CH}_3\mathrm{NH}_3\mathrm{PbI}_3$. This rapid initial thermalisation involves heat transfer into optical phonon modes coupled by a polar dielectric interaction. Further cooling to equilibrium over hundreds of picoseconds is limited by the ultra-low thermal conductivity of the perovskite lattice.
TL;DR: In this paper, the meson static properties were investigated in a Pauli-Villars regularized Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model in a strong magnetic field, where quark dimension reduction leads to a sudden jump of the mass of the Goldstone mode at the Mott transition temperature.
Abstract: The meson static properties are investigated in a Pauli-Villars regularized Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model in a strong magnetic field. The quark dimension reduction leads to a sudden jump of the mass of the Goldstone mode at the Mott transition temperature. A consequence of such a jump may be some interesting phenomena in relativistic heavy ion collisions, where the strong magnetic field can be created. For instance, when the formed fireball cools down, there might be a sudden enhancement of neutral pions at the Mott transition temperature.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the Mott dissociation of pions and kaons within a Beth-Uhlenbeck approach based on the Polyakov-loop improved Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, allowing for a unified description of bound, resonant and scattering states.
Abstract: We describe the Mott dissociation of pions and kaons within a Beth-Uhlenbeck approach based on the Polyakov-loop improved Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, which allows for a unified description of bound, resonant and scattering states. Within this model we evaluate the temperature and chemical potential dependent modification of the phase shifts both in the pseudoscalar and scalar isovector meson channels for ${N}_{f}=2+1$ quark flavors. We show that the character change of the pseudoscalar bound states to resonances in the continuum at the Mott transition temperature is signaled by a jump of the phase shift at the threshold from $\ensuremath{\pi}$ to zero, in accordance with the Levinson theorem. In particular, we demonstrate the importance of accounting for the scattering continuum states, which ensures that the total phase shift in each of the meson channels vanishes at high energies, thus eliminating mesonic correlations from the thermodynamics at high temperatures. In this way, we prove that the present approach provides a unified description of the transition from a meson gas to a quark-gluon plasma. We discuss the occurrence of an anomalous mode for mesons composed of quarks with unequal masses which is particularly pronounced for ${K}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{+}$ states at finite densities a a possible mechanism to explain the ``horn'' effect for the ${K}^{+}/{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ ratio in heavy-ion collisions.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate the case of a quasi-continuous Mott transition from a Fermi liquid to a spin liquid in an organic triangular-lattice system k-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3.
Abstract: The Mott metal-insulator transition-a drastic manifestations of Coulomb interactions among electrons-is the first-order transition of clear discontinuity, as shown by various experiments and the celebrated dynamical mean-field theory. Recent theoretical works, however, suggest that the transition is continuous if the Mott insulator carries an exotic spin liquid with a spinon Fermi surface. Here, we demonstrate the case of a quasi-continuous Mott transition from a Fermi liquid to a spin liquid in an organic triangular-lattice system k-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3. Transport experiments performed under fine pressure tuning find that, as the Mott transition is approached, the Fermi-liquid coherence temperature continuously falls to the scale of kelvins with divergent quasi-particle decay rate in the metal side and the charge gap gradually closes in the insulator side. The Clausius-Clapeyron analysis of the pressure-temperature phase diagram provides thermodynamic evidence for the extremely weak first-order nature of the Mott transition. These results suggest that the spin liquid hosts a spinon Fermi surface, which turns into an electron Fermi surface when charges are Mott delocalized.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the variational cluster approximation to study the isotropic triangular lattice Hubbard model at half filling, taking into account the nearest-neighbor $(t) and next-nearest-nighbor hopping parameters for magnetic frustrations.
Abstract: The variational cluster approximation is used to study the isotropic triangular-lattice Hubbard model at half filling, taking into account the nearest-neighbor $({t}_{1})$ and next-nearest-neighbor $({t}_{2})$ hopping parameters for magnetic frustrations. We determine the ground-state phase diagram of the model. In the strong-correlation regime, the ${120}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ N\'eel- and stripe-ordered phases appear, and a nonmagnetic insulating phase emerges in between. In the intermediate correlation regime, the nonmagnetic insulating phase expands to a wider parameter region, which goes into a paramagnetic metallic phase in the weak-correlation regime. The critical phase boundary of the Mott metal-insulator transition is discussed in terms of the van Hove singularity evident in the calculated density of states and single-particle spectral function.
TL;DR: Around the Mott transition region of this material under pressure, nuclear magnetic resonance experiments capture the emergence of slow electronic fluctuations of the order of kilohertz or lower, which is not expected in the conventional Mott Transition that appears as a clear first-order transition at low temperatures.
Abstract: The Mott transition-a metal-insulator transition caused by repulsive Coulomb interactions between electrons-is a central issue in condensed matter physics because it is the mother earth of various attractive phenomena. Outstanding examples are high-Tc (critical temperature) cuprates and manganites exhibiting colossal magnetoresistance. Furthermore, spin liquid states, which are quantum-fluctuation-driven disordered ground states in antiferromagnets, have recently been found in magnetic systems very near the Mott transition. To date, intensive studies on the Mott transition have been conducted and appear to have established a nearly complete framework for understanding the Mott transition. We found an unknown type of Mott transition in an organic spin liquid material with a slightly disordered lattice. Around the Mott transition region of this material under pressure, nuclear magnetic resonance experiments capture the emergence of slow electronic fluctuations of the order of kilohertz or lower, which is not expected in the conventional Mott transition that appears as a clear first-order transition at low temperatures. We suggest that they are due to the unconventional metal-insulator fluctuations emerging around the disordered Mott transition in analogy to the slowly fluctuating spin phase, or Griffiths phase, realized in Ising spin systems with disordered lattices.
TL;DR: It is shown that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field Hc2 of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ∼90 T—the highest among cubic crystals, suggesting that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-Tc and high-Hc2.
Abstract: Controlled access to the border of the Mott insulating state by variation of control parameters offers exotic electronic states such as anomalous and possibly high-transition-temperature (Tc) superconductivity. The alkali-doped fullerides show a transition from a Mott insulator to a superconductor for the first time in three-dimensional materials, but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation on superconducting properties has remained unclear. Here we show that, near the Mott insulating phase, the upper critical field Hc2 of the fulleride superconductors reaches values as high as ∼90 T—the highest among cubic crystals. This is accompanied by a crossover from weak- to strong-coupling superconductivity and appears upon entering the metallic state with the dynamical Jahn–Teller effect as the Mott transition is approached. These results suggest that the cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations plays a key role in realizing robust superconductivity with high-Tc and high-Hc2. Alkali-doped fullerides are superconductors but the impact of dimensionality and electron correlation remains unclear. Here, Kasaharaet al. report an upper critical field about 90 T, suggesting cooperative interplay between molecular electronic structure and strong electron correlations.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used transport, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, resonant inelastic Xray scattering and neutron scattering to demonstrate that NaFe1-xCuxAs near x≈0.5 exhibits real space Fe and Cu ordering, and are antiferromagnetic insulators with the insulating behaviour persisting above the Neel temperature, indicative of a Mott insulator.
Abstract: Iron-based superconductivity develops near an antiferromagnetic order and out of a bad-metal normal state, which has been interpreted as originating from a proximate Mott transition. Whether an actual Mott insulator can be realized in the phase diagram of the iron pnictides remains an open question. Here we use transport, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and neutron scattering to demonstrate that NaFe1-xCuxAs near x≈0.5 exhibits real space Fe and Cu ordering, and are antiferromagnetic insulators with the insulating behaviour persisting above the Neel temperature, indicative of a Mott insulator. On decreasing x from 0.5, the antiferromagnetic-ordered moment continuously decreases, yielding to superconductivity ∼x=0.05. Our discovery of a Mott-insulating state in NaFe1-xCuxAs thus makes it the only known Fe-based material, in which superconductivity can be smoothly connected to the Mott-insulating state, highlighting the important role of electron correlations in the high-Tc superconductivity.
TL;DR: The reported increase (decrease) in the Tc value of VO2 by doping with metals having valency less (more) than four can be understood easily with the unified model, for the first time, considering finite size scaling of Heisenberg chains.
Abstract: VO2 samples are grown with different oxygen concentrations leading to different monoclinic, M1, and triclinic, T, insulating phases which undergo a first order metal to insulator transition (MIT) followed by a structural phase transition (SPT) to the rutile tetragonal phase. The metal insulator transition temperature (Tc) was found to be increased with increasing native defects. Vanadium vacancy (VV) is envisaged to create local strains in the lattice which prevents twisting of the V-V dimers promoting metastable monoclinic, M2 and T phases at intermediate temperatures. It is argued that MIT is driven by strong electronic correlation. The low temperature insulating phase can be considered as a collection of one-dimensional (1-D) half-filled bands, which undergo a Mott transition to 1-D infinitely long Heisenberg spin ½ chains leading to structural distortion due to spin-phonon coupling. The presence of VV creates localized holes (d0) in the nearest neighbor, thereby fragmenting the spin ½ chains at the nanoscale, which in turn increases the Tc value more than that of an infinitely long one. The Tc value scales inversely with the average size of the fragmented Heisenberg spin ½ chains following a critical exponent of ⅔, which is exactly the same as predicted theoretically for the Heisenberg spin ½ chain at the nanoscale undergoing SPT (spin-Peierls transition). Thus, the observation of MIT and SPT at the same time in VO2 can be explained from our phenomenological model of reduced 1-D Heisenberg spin ½ chains. The reported increase (decrease) in the Tc value of VO2 by doping with metals having valency less (more) than four can also be understood easily with our unified model, for the first time, considering finite size scaling of Heisenberg chains.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Through in-depth scaling analysis of the conductivity, it is found that the above carrier transport properties in the vicinity of the MIT can be described by a high-temperature Mott quantum critical crossover, which is theoretically argued to be a ubiquitous feature of various types of Mott transitions.
Abstract: We present the carrier transport properties in the vicinity of a doping-driven Mott transition observed at a field-effect transistor (FET) channel using a single crystal of the typical two-dimensional organic Mott insulator κ-(BEDT-TTF)2CuN(CN)2Cl (κ-Cl). The FET shows a continuous metal–insulator transition (MIT) as electrostatic doping proceeds. The phase transition appears to involve two-step crossovers, one in Hall measurement and the other in conductivity measurement. The crossover in conductivity occurs around the conductance quantum e2/h, and hence is not associated with “bad metal” behavior, which is in stark contrast to the MIT in half-filled organic Mott insulators or that in doped inorganic Mott insulators. Through in-depth scaling analysis of the conductivity, it is found that the above carrier transport properties in the vicinity of the MIT can be described by a high-temperature Mott quantum critical crossover, which is theoretically argued to be a ubiquitous feature of various types of Mott ...
TL;DR: A way to capture high-energy virtual processes that generate the antiferromagnetic exchange J ~ t2/U by combining the Brinkman-Rice approach with a variational Schrieffer-Wolff transformation is proposed, and a description very close to the real one provided by dynamical mean-field theory is found.
Abstract: The main flaw of the well-known Brinkman-Rice description, obtained through the Gutzwiller approximation, of the paramagnetic Mott transition in the Hubbard model is in neglecting high-energy virtual processes that generate for instance the antiferromagnetic exchange J ~ t2/U. Here we propose a way to capture those processes by combining the Brinkman-Rice approach with a variational Schrieffer-Wolff transformation, and apply this method to study the single-band metal-to-insulator transition in a Bethe lattice with infinite coordination number, where the Gutzwiller approximation becomes exact. We indeed find for the Mott transition a description very close to the real one provided by dynamical mean-field theory; an encouraging result in view of possible applications to more involved models.
TL;DR: It is shown that an anomalous metallic phase emerges on the verge of the EMT as manifested by a peculiar enhancement of the quasiparticle mass and scattering rate.
Abstract: We investigate the exciton Mott transition (EMT) by using optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy on GaAs, with realizing the condition of Mott's gedanken experiment by the resonant excitation of 1s excitons. We show that an anomalous metallic phase emerges on the verge of the EMT as manifested by a peculiar enhancement of the quasiparticle mass and scattering rate. From the temperature and density dependence, the observed anomaly is shown to originate from the electron-hole (e-h) correlation which becomes prominent at low temperatures, possibly suggesting a precursor of e-h Cooper pairing.