Absence of finite-temperature ballistic charge (and spin) transport in the 1D Hubbard model at half filling (and zero spin density)

Abstract

Finite-temperature T > 0 transport properties of integrable and nonintegrable one-dimensional (1D) many-particle quantum systems are rather different, showing ballistic and diffusive behavior, respectively. The repulsive 1D Hubbard model is a prominent example of an integrable correlated system. For electronic densities n ≠ 1 (and spin densities m ≠ 0) it is an ideal charge (and spin) conductor, with ballistic charge (and spin) transport for T ⩾ 0. In spite of the fact that it is solvable by the Bethe ansatz, at n = 1 (and m = 0) its T > 0 charge (and spin) transport properties are an issue that remains poorly understood. Here we combine this solution with symmetry and the explicit calculation of current-operator matrix elements between energy eigenstates to show that for on-site repulsion U > 0 and at n = 1 the charge stiffness Dη(T) vanishes for T > 0 in the thermodynamic limit. A similar behavior is found by such methods for the spin stiffness Ds(T) for U > 0 and T > 0, which vanishes at m = 0. This absence of finite temperature n = 1 ballistic charge transport and m = 0 ballistic spin transport are exact results that clarify long-standing open problems.