Fermi Liquid State Research Articles

Trion sensing of a zero-field composite Fermi liquid.

The half-filled lowest Landau level is a fascinating platform for researching interacting topological phases. A celebrated example is the composite Fermi liquid, a non-Fermi liquid formed by composite fermions in strong magnetic fields1-10. Its zero-field counterpart is predicted in atwisted MoTe2 bilayer (tMoTe2)11,12-a recently discovered fractional Chern insulator exhibiting the fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect13-16. Although transport measurements at ν = -1/2 show signatures consistent with a zero-field composite Fermi liquid14, new probes are crucial to investigate the state and its elementary excitations. Here, by using the unique valley properties of tMoTe2, we report optical signatures of a zero-field composite Fermi liquid. We measured the degree of circular polarization (ρ) of trion photoluminescence versus hole doping and electric field. We found that, within the phase space showing robust ferromagnetism, ρ is near unity for Fermi liquid states. However, ρ is quenched at both integer andfractional Chern insulators, and in a holedoping range near ν = -1/2. Temperature, optical excitation power and electric-field-dependence measurements demonstrate that the quenching of ρ is a direct consequence of an energy gap (pseudogap) for electronic excitations of the Chern insulators (composite Fermi liquid): because the local spin-polarized excitations necessary to form trions are strongly suppressed, trion formation at the corresponding filling factors relies on optically generated unpolarized itinerant holes. Our work highlights a new excitonic probe of zero-field fractional Chern insulator physics, unique to tMoTe2.

Emergent two-band conduction at Ti delta-doped LaAlO3/KTaO3 (111) heterointerface

Recently, several intriguing interfacial phenomena have been discovered at the KTaO3 (111)-based heterointerfaces, such as the two-dimensional electron gas, superconductivity, anisotropic conductivity, etc. However, the available techniques to systematically manipulate such interfacial states are quite limited. Here, we devise a delta-doping strategy by inserting a sub-nanometer Ti layer with distinct reducibilities to the LaAlO3/KTaO3 (111) interface. In the delta-doped samples, we observe an unforeseen two-band conduction, evidenced by the emergence of a new type of electron carrier with an order-of-magnitude enhancement of mobility (∼1800 cm2V−1s−1) than the original carriers. Moreover, the appearance of the high-mobility carriers causes a sharp transition between the non-Fermi-liquid superconducting state and the Fermi-liquid state with reduced spin–orbit scattering. Further evidence shows that the new type of carriers stems from another in-gap state with a shallower energy level compared to the original carriers. Our study broadens the spectrum of interfacial carrier manipulation by introducing an extra band/channel for carrier conduction, which not only opens up new possibilities in device applications but also shines a light on the underlying physics of interfacial superconductivity.

Proposal to Observe Transverse Sound in Normal Liquid $$^3$$He in Aerogel

AbstractIn the Fermi liquid metallic state, a static local magnetic moment is induced on the application of a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave, via the inverse Faraday effect (IFE). The direction of this moment is along the direction of propagation of light, and the magnitude of the moment depends on the frequency of light, the temperature and various material parameters characteristic of the metal. I propose an analogous effect in the Fermi liquid state of $$^3$$ 3 He. A static circulating current is induced when liquid $$^3$$ 3 He is driven by a circularly polarized transverse acoustic wave. For liquid $$^3$$ 3 He filled into aerogel, the coupled system supports a low-attenuation transverse sound mode. I estimate the magnitude of induced circulating currents for this system and find that these are within the range of experimental measurement in the low-attenuation regime. The axis of circulation is along the direction of propagation of the acoustic wave. I propose this analogue of the inverse Faraday effect as a scheme to experimentally demonstrate the propagation of transverse sound in $$^3$$ 3 He-aerogel.

Fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect in multilayer graphene.

The fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect (FQAHE), the analogue of the fractional quantum Hall effect1 at zero magnetic field, is predicted to exist in topological flat bands under spontaneous time-reversal-symmetry breaking2-6. The demonstration of FQAHE could lead to non-Abelian anyons that form the basis of topological quantum computation7-9. So far, FQAHE has been observed only in twisted MoTe2 at a moiré filling factor v > 1/2 (refs. 10-13). Graphene-based moiré superlattices are believed to host FQAHE with the potential advantage of superior material quality and higher electron mobility. Here we report the observation of integer and fractional QAH effects in a rhombohedral pentalayer graphene-hBN moiré superlattice. At zero magnetic field, we observed plateaus of quantized Hall resistance [Formula: see text] at v = 1, 2/3, 3/5, 4/7, 4/9, 3/7 and 2/5 of the moiré superlattice, respectively, accompanied by clear dips in the longitudinal resistance Rxx. Rxy equals [Formula: see text] at v = 1/2 and varies linearly with v, similar to the composite Fermi liquid in the half-filled lowest Landau level at high magnetic fields14-16. By tuning the gate-displacement field D and v, we observed phase transitions from composite Fermi liquid and FQAH states to other correlated electron states. Our system provides an ideal platform for exploring charge fractionalization and (non-Abelian) anyonic braiding at zero magnetic field7-9,17-19, especially considering a lateral junction between FQAHE and superconducting regions in the same device20-22.

Zero-Field Composite Fermi Liquid in Twisted Semiconductor Bilayers.

Recent experiments have produced evidence for fractional quantum anomalous Hall (FQAH) states at zero magnetic field in the semiconductor moiré superlattice system tMoTe_{2}. Here, we argue that a composite fermion description, already a unifying framework for the phenomenology of 2D electron gases at high magnetic fields, provides a similarly powerful perspective in this new context. To this end, we present exact diagonalization evidence for composite Fermi liquid states at zero magnetic field in tMoTe_{2} at fillings n=1/2 and n=3/4. We dub these non-Fermi liquid metals anomalous composite Fermi liquids (ACFLs), and we argue that they play a central organizing role in the FQAH phase diagram. We proceed to develop a long wavelength theory for this ACFL state that offers concrete experimental predictions upon doping the composite Fermi sea, including a Jain sequence of FQAH states and a new type of commensurability oscillations originating from the superlattice potential intrinsic to the system.

Many versus one: The disorder operator and entanglement entropy in fermionic quantum matter

Motivated by recent development of the concept of the disorder operator and its relation with entanglement entropy in bosonic systems, here we show the disorder operator successfully probes many aspects of quantum entanglement in fermionic many-body systems. From both analytical and numerical computations in free and interacting fermion systems in 1D and 2D, we find the disorder operator and the entanglement entropy exhibit similar universal scaling behavior, as a function of the boundary length of the subsystem, but with subtle yet important differences. In 1D they both follow the \log{L}logL scaling behavior with the coefficient determined by the Luttinger parameter for disorder operator, and the conformal central charge for entanglement entropy. In 2D they both show the universal L\log LLlogL scaling behavior in free and interacting Fermi liquid states, with the coefficients depending on the geometry of the Fermi surfaces. However at a 2D quantum critical point with non-Fermi-liquid state, extra symmetry information is needed in the design of the disorder operator, so as to reveal the critical fluctuations as does the entanglement entropy. Our results demonstrate the fermion disorder operator can be used to probe quantum many-body entanglement related to global symmetry, and provide new tools to explore the still largely unknown territory of highly entangled fermion quantum matter in 2 or higher dimensions.

Coupled magnetic and structural transition in topological antiferromagnet EuAgAs under high pressure

Recently, EuAgAs and its derivatives have emerged as a promising platform for studying the interplay of transports, magnetism and topology. Herein, we report construction of a temperature-pressure phase diagram for antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetal EuAgAs, through electrical transport, synchrotron x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements in diamond anvil cells at high pressures up to 48.6 GPa. At Pc1∼3–5 GPa, we found a pressure-induced magnetic phase transition with accompanying a structural P63/mmc→Pnma transition. In the pristine antiferromagnetic phase, negative colossal magnetoresistance is observed mainly below the Néel temperature TN along with a field-induced metamagnetic transition; in the emergent magnetic phase, however, it is evident both above and below the magnetic critical temperature TC yet with no field-induced metamagnetic transition. These distinct features lead us to argue a ferromagnetic-like state for EuAgAs above Pc1, which is further supported by observation of a T5/3 temperature dependence of low-temperature resistance, a characteristic of marginal Fermi-liquid state expected to exist close to a ferromagnetic instability by spin fluctuations in metallic ferromagnets. At Pc2∼20 GPa, a possible phase transition of electronic origin may take place, which is revealed jointly by change of a T5/3→T5/2 temperature dependence of low-temperature resistance and change in slope of linear-in-T resistance at high temperatures.

Robust Fermi-Liquid Instabilities in Sign Problem-Free Models.

Determinant quantum MonteCarlo (DQMC) is a powerful numerical technique to study many-body fermionic systems. In recent years, several classes of sign-free (SF) models have been discovered, where the notorious sign problem can be circumvented. However, it is not clear what the inherent physical characteristics and limitations of SF models are. In particular, which zero-temperature quantum phases of matter are accessible within such models, and which are fundamentally inaccessible? Here, we show that a model belonging to any of the known SF classes within DQMC cannot have a stable Fermi-liquid ground state in spatial dimension d≥2, unless the antiunitary symmetry that prevents the sign problem is spontaneously broken (for which there are currently no known examples in SF models). For SF models belonging to one of the symmetry classes (where the absence of the sign problem follows from a combination of nonunitary symmetries of the fermionic action), any putative Fermi liquid fixed point generically includes an attractive Cooper-like interaction that destabilizes it. In the recently discovered lower-symmetry classes of SF models, the Fermi surface (FS) is generically unstable even at the level of the quadratic action. Our results suggest a fundamental link between Fermi liquids and the fermion sign problem. Interestingly, our results do not rule out a non-Fermi-liquid ground state with a FS in a sign-free model.

Magnetism, Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior, and Deconfinement in Kondo Lattices

A formulation of the effective hybridization model is developed which describes Fermi-liquid Kondo and fractionalized Fermi-liquid (deconfinement spin-liquid-like) states with account of possible magnetic ordering. A unified consideration of charge and magnetic fluctuation is performed within perturbation theory in hybridization and within gauge field treatment. The corresponding contributions to specific heat and resistivity are compared.

Field-induced local Fermi-liquid states in the underscreened Kondo model for Eu compounds

We have studied an underscreened Kondo model for the impurity spin S=7/2S=7/2 capturing the 4f4f characteristics of a nearly divalent Eu ion. By using the numerical renormalization group method, it is shown that an unusual heavy-fermion state is induced from the underscreened spin state when a weak crystal field is introduced. It is also found that the application of the magnetic field enhances the effective mass of the heavy fermions, reflecting the field-induced level crossing of the spin states. We will discuss the mechanism of these mass enhancements in terms of a realization of the two-stage Kondo effect.

The breakdown of both strange metal and superconducting states at a pressure-induced quantum critical point in iron-pnictide superconductors

Here we report the first observation of the concurrent breakdown of the strange metal (SM) normal state and superconductivity at a pressure-induced quantum critical point in Ca10(Pt4As8)((Fe0.97Pt0.03)2As2)5 superconductor. We find that, upon suppressing the superconducting state, the power exponent (α) changes from 1 to 2, and the slope of the temperature-linear resistivity per FeAs layer (A□) gradually diminishes. At a critical pressure, A□ and superconducting transition temperature (Tc) go to zero concurrently, where a quantum phase transition from a superconducting state with a SM normal state to a non-superconducting Fermi liquid state occurs. Scaling analysis reveals that the change of A□ with Tc obeys the relation of Tc ~ (A□)0.5, similar to what is seen in other chemically doped unconventional superconductors. These results suggest that there is a simple but powerful organizational principle of connecting the SM normal state with the high-Tc superconductivity.

Triangular Kondo lattice in YbV6Sn6 and its quantum critical behavior in a magnetic field

We report on the magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity for a newly discovered heavy-fermion (HF) compound, ${\mathrm{YbV}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{6}$, which is crystallized in a hexagonal ${\mathrm{HfFe}}_{6}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{6}$-type structure, highlighted by the stacking of the triangular ytterbium sublattice and kagome vanadium sublattice. Above 2 K, ${\mathrm{YbV}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{6}$ shows typical HF properties due to the Kondo effect on the Kramers doublet of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ ions in the crystalline electric field. A remarkable magnetic ordering occurs at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=0.40$ K in zero field, while a weak external field suppresses the ordering and induces non-Fermi-liquid behavior. In strong magnetic field, the compound shows a heavy Fermi-liquid state. ${\mathrm{YbV}}_{6}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{6}$ is represented as one of the few examples of Yb-based HF compounds hosting a triangular Kondo lattice on which a magnetic field induces quantum criticality near zero temperature.

Interrelationships between nematicity, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, and superconductivity: Role of hotspots in FeSe1−xSx revealed by high pressure Se77 NMR study

The sulfur-substituted FeSe, FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x} $, is one of the unique systems that provides an independent tunability of nematicity, antiferromagnetism and superconductivity under pressure ($p$). Recently Rana et al. [Phys. Rev. B 101, 180503(R) (2020)] reported, from $^{77}$Se nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on FeSe$_{0.91}$S$_{0.09}$ under pressure, that there exists a clear role of nematicity on the relationship between antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin fluctuations and superconducting transition temperature ($T_{\rm c}$) where the AFM spin fluctuations are more effective in enhancing $T_{\rm c}$ in the absence of nematicity than with nematicity. Motivated by the work, we carried out $^{77}$Se NMR measurements on FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ with $x$= 0.15 and 0.29 under pressure up to 2.10 GPa to investigate the relationship in a wide range of $x$ in the FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$ system. Based on the new results together with the previously reported data for $x$=0 [P. Wiecki et al., Phys. Rev. B 96, 180502(R) (2017)] and 0.09 [K. Rana et al. Phys. Rev. B 101, 180503(R) (2020)], we established a $p$ - $x$ - temperature ($T$) phase diagram exhibiting the evolution of AFM spin fluctuations. From the systematic analysis of the NMR data, we found that the superconducting (SC) state in nematic state arises from a non Fermi liquid state with strong stripe-type AFM spin fluctuations while the SC state without nematicity comes from a Fermi liquid state with mild stripe-type AFM spin fluctuations. Furthermore, we show that the previously reported impact of nematicity on the relationship between AFM fluctuations and superconductivity holds throughout the wide range of $x$ from $x$ = 0 to 0.29 in FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ under pressure. We discuss the origin of the role of nematicity in terms of the different numbers of hotspots on Fermi surfaces with and without nematicity.

Emergent spin-glass state in the doped Hund's metal CsFe2As2

Hund's metal is one kind of correlated metal, in which the electronic correlation is strongly influenced by the Hund's interaction. At high temperatures, while the charge and orbital degrees of freedom are quenched, the spin degrees of freedom can persist in terms of frozen moments. As temperature decreases, a coherent electronic state with characteristic orbital differentiation always emerges at low temperatures through an incoherent-to-coherent crossover, which has been widely observed in iron-based superconductors [e.g., iron selenides and $A{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ ($A=\mathrm{K}$, Rb, Cs)]. Consequently, the above frozen moments are ``screened'' by coupling to orbital degrees of freedom, leading to an emergent Fermi-liquid state. In contrast, the coupling among frozen moments should impede the formation of the Fermi-liquid state by competitive magnetic ordering, which is still unexplored in Hund's metal. Here, in the iron-based Hund's metal ${\mathrm{CsFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, we adopt a chemical substitution at iron sites by Cr/Co atoms to explore the competitive magnetic ordering. By a comprehensive study of resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and nuclear magnetic resonance, we demonstrate that the Fermi-liquid state is destroyed in Cr-doped ${\mathrm{CsFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ by a spin-freezing transition below ${T}_{g}\ensuremath{\sim}22$ K. Meanwhile, the evolution of charge degrees of freedom measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy also supports the competition between the Fermi-liquid state and spin-glass state.

Pseudogap formation due to charge-transfer transition and Kondo effect

We investigate the doping evolution of the electronic state of the three-band t-J-U model considering the normal state of the hole-doped high- superconducting cuprate. In our model, when some number of holes are doped into the undoped state, the d electron exhibits the charge-transfer (CT)-type Mott-Hubbard transition along with a chemical potential jump. A reduced CT gap is formed from the p band and the coherent component of the d band, and it shrinks due to charge fluctuations as more holes are doped as in the pseudogap (PG) phenomenon. This trend is reinforced as the d-p band hybridization is increased, and a Fermi liquid state is retrieved as in the Kondo effect. These suggest that the PG in the hole-doped cuprate emerges due to the CT transition and the Kondo effect.

Asymptotic Pomeranchuk instability of Fermi liquids in half-filled Landau levels

We present a theory of spontaneous Fermi surface deformations for half-filled Landau levels (filling factors of the form nu =2 , n+1/2). We assume the half-filled level to be in a compressible, Fermi liquid state with a circular Fermi surface. The Landau level projection is incorporated via a modified effective electron-electron interaction and the resulting band structure is described within the Hartree-Fock approximation. We regulate the infrared divergences in the theory and probe the intrinsic tendency of the Fermi surface to deform through Pomeranchuk instabilities. We find that the corresponding susceptibility never diverges, though the system is asymptotically unstable in the n rightarrow infty limit.

Superconductivity of non-Fermi liquids described by Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models

We investigate models of electrons in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev class with random and all-to-all electron hopping, electron spin exchange, and Cooper-pair hopping. An attractive on-site interaction between electrons leads to superconductivity at low temperatures. Depending on the relative strengths of the hopping and spin exchange, the normal state at the critical temperature is either a Fermi-liquid or a non-Fermi liquid. We present a large-$M$ (where spin symmetry is enlarged to SU$(M)$) study of the normal state to superconductor phase transition. We describe the transition temperature, the superconducting order parameter, and the electron spectral functions. We contrast between Fermi liquid and non-Fermi liquid normal states: we find that for weaker attractive on-site interaction there is a relative enhancement of $T_c$ when the normal state is a non-Fermi liquid, and correspondingly a strong deviation from BCS limit. Also, the phase transition in this case becomes a first-order transition for strong non-Fermi liquids. On the other hand, for stronger on-site interaction, there is no appreciable difference in $T_c$ between whether the superconductivity emerges from a Fermi liquid or a non-Fermi liquid. Notable features of superconductivity emerging from a non-Fermi liquid are that the superconducting electron spectral function is different from the Fermi-liquid case, with additional peaks at higher energies, and there is no Hebel-Slichter peak in the NMR relaxation rate in the non-Fermi liquid case.

Anomalous enhancement of the Nernst effect at the crossover between a Fermi liquid and a strange metal

A strange-metal state appears in many strongly correlated materials, so understanding its nature is a crucial problem in condensed matter physics. This knowledge could provide important insight into high-temperature superconductivity and quantum criticality, but standard Fermi-liquid theory fails in strange metals. Establishing an alternative theory has been a long-standing challenge and fundamental aspects of strange metals—including the nature of their charge carriers—remain elusive. Here we report the observation of a large Nernst response in the strange-metal state in a two-dimensional superconductor 2M-WS2. Specifically, when the system enters the strange-metal state from the Fermi-liquid state, the Nernst coefficient increases to be comparable to the vortex Nernst signal in superconducting cuprates, and it is highly sensitive to carrier mobility. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the Nernst peak rule out the relevance of both Landau quasiparticles and superconductivity. Instead, the Nernst peak at the crossover indicates a change in carrier entropy when entering the strange-metal state. The presence of such an anomalous Nernst response is further confirmed in other iconic strange metals, suggesting its universality and places experimental constraints on the mechanism of strange metals. The transport behaviour of strange metals is distinct from weakly interacting Fermi liquids. Now, a large thermoelectric response has been shown at the transition between those two states.

Disorder stabilized breached-pair phase in an s -wave superconductor

The breached-pair state wherein superconductivity coexists with magnetic polarization is known to exist as a ground state of an imbalanced Fermi system only under very fine-tuned conditions. Here, we show that an s-wave superconductor that is well described by a spin-selectively disordered attractive Hubbard model away from half filling has the breached-pair state as a ground-state without the need for such fine-tuning. The existence of this breached-pair phase is established by laying recourse to a Monte Carlo technique called static path approximation (SPA). Further, by using the SPA, we map out the entire phase diagram of the spin-selectively disordered attractive Hubbard model and show that apart from the breached-pair phase, the many-body system hosts the putative s-wave superconducting state and a polarized Fermi-liquid state.

From an antiferromagnetic insulator to a strongly correlated metal in square-lattice MCl2(pyrazine)2 coordination solids

Electronic synergy between metal ions and organic linkers is a key to engineering molecule-based materials with a high electrical conductivity and, ultimately, metallicity. To enhance conductivity in metal-organic solids, chemists aim to bring the electrochemical potentials of the constituent metal ions and bridging organic ligands closer in a quest to obtain metal-d and ligand-π admixed frontier bands. Herein, we demonstrate the critical role of the metal ion in tuning the electronic ground state of such materials. While VCl2(pyrazine)2 is an electrical insulator, TiCl2(pyrazine)2 displays the highest room-temperature electronic conductivity (5.3 S cm–1) for any metal-organic solid involving octahedrally coordinated metal ions. Notably, TiCl2(pyrazine)2 exhibits Pauli paramagnetism consistent with the specific heat, supporting the existence of a Fermi liquid state (i.e., a correlated metal). This result widens perspectives for designing molecule-based systems with strong metal-ligand covalency and electronic correlations.