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arXiv · 0811.4579

Emergent Lorentz symmetry with vanishing velocity in a critical two-subband quantum wire

M. Sitte·A. Rosch·J. S. Meyer·K. A. Matveev·M. Garst
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Abstract

We consider a quantum wire with two subbands of spin-polarized electrons in the presence of strong interactions. We focus on the quantum phase transition when the second subband starts to get filled as a function of gate voltage. Performing a one-loop renormalization group (RG) analysis of the effective Hamiltonian, we identify the critical fixed-point theory as a conformal field theory having an enhanced SU(2) symmetry and central charge 3/2. While the fixed point is Lorentz invariant, the effective 'speed of light' nevertheless vanishes at low energies due to marginally irrelevant operators leading to a diverging critical specific heat coefficient.

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M. Sitte, A. Rosch, J. S. Meyer, K. A. Matveev, M. Garst. 2008-11-27. Emergent Lorentz symmetry with vanishing velocity in a critical two-subband quantum wire. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.102.176404

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