Block entanglement and fluctuations in finite-size correlated electron systems

Abstract

The block entanglement entropy and fluctuations are investigated in one dimension in finite-size correlated electron systems using the Gutzwiller wave function as a prototype correlated electron state. Entanglement entropy shows logarithmic divergence for all values of the correlation projection parameter $g$, as predicted by conformal field theories for critical systems, but the central charge requires finite-size corrections. There is an infinite correlation length corresponding to correlation between the same kinds of spins, for all values of $g$. A scaling form for the block entropy, as a function of $g$ and the system size $N$, is proposed which predicts a metal-insulator crossover at ${N}^{1/3}g\ensuremath{\approx}0.24$ for $N<{10}^{5}$. Bipartite fluctuations in the number of particles in a block, and the spin fluctuations also obey an approximate scaling. A relation is found between the block entropy and the bipartite spin fluctuations. Our results show some correspondence with an experiment on Ni nanochains.