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arXiv · 1803.05622

Strong Coupling Nature of the Excitonic Insulator State in Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$

Abstract

We analyze the measured optical conductivity spectra using the density-functional-theory-based electronic structure calculation and density-matrix renormalization group calculation of an effective model. We show that, in contrast to a conventional description, the Bose-Einstein condensation of preformed excitons occurs in Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$, despite the fact that a noninteracting band structure is a band-overlap semimetal rather than a small band-gap semiconductor. The system above the transition temperature is therefore not a semimetal, but rather a state of preformed excitons with a finite band gap. A novel insulator state caused by the strong electron-hole attraction is thus established in a real material.

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K. Sugimoto, S. Nishimoto, T. Kaneko, Y. Ohta. 2018-03-15. Strong Coupling Nature of the Excitonic Insulator State in Ta$_2$NiSe$_5$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.120.247602

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