Superuniversal transport near a $(2 + 1)$-dimensional quantum critical point

Abstract

We compute the zero-temperature conductivity in the two-dimensional quantum $\mathrm{O}(N)$ model using a nonperturbative functional renormalization-group approach. At the quantum critical point we find a universal conductivity $σ^*/σ_Q$ (with $σ_Q=q^2/h$ the quantum of conductance and $q$ the charge) in reasonable quantitative agreement with quantum Monte Carlo simulations and conformal bootstrap results. In the ordered phase the conductivity tensor is defined, when $N\geq 3$, by two independent elements, $σ_{\mathrm{A}}(ω)$ and $σ_{\mathrm{B}}(ω)$, respectively associated to $\mathrm{O}(N)$ rotations which do and do not change the direction of the order parameter. Whereas $σ_{\mathrm{A}}(ω\to 0)$ corresponds to the response of a superfluid (or perfect inductance), the numerical solution of the flow equations shows that $\lim_{ω\to 0}σ_{\mathrm{B}}(ω)/σ_Q=σ_{\mathrm{B}}^*/σ_Q$ is a superuniversal (i.e. $N$-independent) constant. These numerical results, as well as the known exact value $σ_{\mathrm{B}}^*/σ_Q=π/8$ in the large-$N$ limit, allow us to conjecture that $σ_{\mathrm{B}}^*/σ_Q=π/8$ holds for all values of $N$, a result that can be understood as a consequence of gauge invariance and asymptotic freedom of the Goldstone bosons in the low-energy limit.