Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 1906.04747

Cooper pairing of incoherent electrons: an electron-phonon version of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model

Abstract

We introduce and solve a model of interacting electrons and phonons that is a natural generalization of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev-model and that becomes superconducting at low temperatures. In the normal state two Non-Fermi liquid fixed points with distinct universal exponents emerge. At weak coupling superconductivity prevents the onset of low-temperature quantum criticality, reminiscent of the behavior in several heavy-electron and iron-based materials. At strong coupling, pairing of highly incoherent fermions sets in deep in the Non-Fermi liquid regime, a behavior qualitatively similar to that in underdoped cuprate superconductors. The pairing of incoherent time-reversal partners is protected by a mechanism similar to Anderson's theorem for disordered superconductors. The superconducting ground state is characterized by coherent quasiparticle excitations and higher-order bound states thereof, revealing that it is no longer an ideal gas of Cooper pairs, but a strongly coupled pair fluid. The normal-state incoherency primarily acts to suppress the weight of the superconducting coherence peak and reduce the condensation energy. Based on this we expect strong superconducting fluctuations, in particular at strong coupling.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Ilya Esterlis, Jörg Schmalian. 2019-06-11. Cooper pairing of incoherent electrons: an electron-phonon version of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.100.115132

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Strong Coupling Quantum Impurity Solver on the Real and Imaginary Axes

The diagrammatic Monte Carlo method has so far been used mainly for weak-coupling expansions. Here we show that the strong-coupling expansion offers a key advantage: it can be implemented efficiently on both the real and imaginary frequency axes at finite temperature. Using a quantum-impurity solver for dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) as an example, we find rapid convergence with expansion order. We derive closed-form real-axis Feynman rules for diagrams of arbitrary order, and implement them in a bold hybridization-expansion quantum Monte Carlo (BHQMC) impurity solver. Benchmarking against state-of-the-art numerical renormalization group (NRG) results for the DMFT Mott transition of the Hubbard model, we obtain a highly accurate frequency-dependent scattering rate at finite temperature. This enables reliable spectroscopy and provides benchmark transport results within DMFT and cluster-DMFT.

cond-mat.str-el

Skyrmions of Frustrated Quantum Dimer Systems

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected solitons observed in various classes of real magnets. In two-dimensional systems, where the target space of local magnetization values is the two-sphere $S^2$, skyrmion textures are classified by the homotopy classes of two-loops $S^2$ in $S^2$: $Π_2(S^2) \cong Z$. Here, we demonstrate that more general topological skyrmion textures emerge in the classical limit of quantum dimer systems, where the phase space of the relevant classical theory is $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$ (with $N=4$ for the case of interest), because the relevant second homotopy group, $Π_2(\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}) \cong Z$ for $N\geq 2$, remains unchanged. Building on the framework established by Zhang et al. (2023), we consider a classical limit based on SU(4) coherent states, which preserve intra-dimer entanglement. We show that the zero-temperature phase diagram of frustrated spin-dimer systems on a bilayer triangular lattice with weak inter-dimer coupling includes two magnetic-field-induced $\mathbb{CP}^{3}$ skyrmion crystal phases.

cond-mat.str-el

Collective excitations in chiral spin liquid: chiral roton and long-wavelength nematic mode

Chiral spin liquid (CSL) is a magnetic analogue of the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) liquid. Collective excitations play a vital role in shaping our understanding of these exotic quantum phases of matter and their quantum phase transitions. While the magneto-roton and long-wavelength chiral graviton modes in the FQH and fractional Chern insulator (FCI) liquids have been extensively explored, whether CSLs host analogous or qualitatively different modes remains elusive. Here we explore the collective excitations in the SU(2) symmetric CSL phase. Combining exact diagonalization and time-dependent variational principle calculations, we identify two spin-singlet collective modes: a chiral p-wave roton mode at finite momentum, and a elliptically polarized d-wave nematic mode at zero momentum, both of which are prominent across the CSL phase. The chiral p-wave singlet roton has no counterpart in FQH of FCI systems, and the q = 0 d-wave mode also exhibits fingerprint distinct from those of FQH/FCI liquids. We also elucidate that both singlet modes are general for CSLs on various lattice models. By tuning J2, we find the nematic mode to be pronouncedly soft, together with the spin-triplet two-spinon bound states, potentially promoting strong nematic and spin stripe instabilities. Our work paves the way for further understanding CSL from the dynamical perspective and provides new spectroscopic signatures for future experiments of CSL candidates.

cond-mat.str-el