Bad metallicity in the semi-quantum regime of the Hubbard model

Abstract

Bad metals exhibit approximately $T$-linear dc resistivity beyond the Ioffe--Regel limit. That this behavior occurs in systems with radically different ground states suggests it is a generic manifestation of strong local correlations. We test this hypothesis in the infinite-$U$ Hubbard model with small hole densities using exact diagonalization to compute thermodynamic and transport properties of finite clusters. Upon cooling, we find an intermediate temperature range, an electronic analogue of the ``semi-quantum regime'' of liquid helium, in which quantum effects produce a roughly $T$-independent compressibility, yet the resistivity is $T$-linear and exceeds the Ioffe--Regel limit. Entry into this regime is accompanied by the formation of quasi-local ferromagnetic ``spin cages'' around doped holes, regions that facilitate local quantum motion embedded in a fluctuating spin background, analogous to the transient crystalline cages thought to control incoherent transport in semi-quantum liquid helium. Remarkably, despite the simplicity of the model, the bad metal behavior found here resembles that seen in various material platforms.