arXiv subjects

Cenke Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Cenke Xu.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Conventional description of Unconventional Coulomb-Crystal phase transitions in three-dimensional classical O(N) spin-ice

We study the phase transition between the high temperature Coulomb phase and the low temperature staggered crystal phase in three dimensional classical O(N) spin-ice model. Compared with the previously proposed CP(1) formalism on the Coulomb-crystal transition of the classical dimer model, our description based on constrained order parameter is more conventional, due to a fundamental difference between the O(N) and the dimer model. A systematic epsilon and 1/N expansion are used to study the universality class of the phase transition, and a stable fixed point is found based on our calculations for large enough N.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2009

Low Energy Effective Field Theories of Sp(4) Spin systems

We study the classical and quantum phase transitions of Sp(4) spin systems on three dimensional stacked square and triangular lattices. We present general Ginzburg-Landau field theories for various types of Sp(4) spin orders with different ground state manifolds such as CP(3), S^7/Z_2, Grassmann manifold G_{2,5}, G_{2,6} and so on, based on which the nature of the classical phase transitions are studied, and a global phase diagram is presented. The classical phase transitions close to quantum phase transitions toward spin liquid states are also discussed based on renormalization group (RG) flow. Our results can be directly applied to the simplest Sp(4) and SU(4) Heisenberg models which can be realized using spin-3/2 atoms and Alkaline earth atoms trapped in optical lattice.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Fluctuating spin density waves in metals

Recent work has used a U(1) gauge theory to describe the physics of Fermi pockets in the presence of fluctuating spin density wave order. We generalize this theory to an arbitrary band structure and ordering wavevector. The transition to the large Fermi surface state, without pockets induced by local spin density wave order, is described by embedding the U(1) gauge theory in a SU(2) gauge theory. The phase diagram of the SU(2) gauge theory shows that the onset of spin density wave order in the Fermi liquid occurs either directly, in the framework discussed by Hertz, or via intermediate non-Fermi liquid phases with Fermi surfaces of fractionalized excitations. We discuss application of our results to the phase diagram of the cuprates.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

The Renormalization Group Studies on Four Fermion Interaction Instabilities on Algebraic Spin Liquids

We study the instabilities caused by four fermion interactions on algebraic spin liquids. Renormalization group (RG) is used for three types of previously proposed spin liquids on the square lattice: the staggered flux state of SU(2) spin system, the $π-$flux state of SU(4) spin system, and the $π-$flux state of SU(2) spin system. The low energy field theories of the first two types of spin liquids are QED3 with emerged SU(4) and SU(8) flavor symmetries, the low energy theory of the $π-$flux SU(2) spin liquid is the QCD3 with SU(2) gauge field and emergent Sp(4) (SO(5)) flavor symmetry. Suitable large-N generalization of these spin liquids are discussed, and a systematic 1/N expansion is applied to the RG calculations. The most relevant four fermion perturbations are identified, and the possible phases driven by relevant perturbations are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Dynamics and transport of the Z_2 spin liquid: application to kappa-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3

We describe neutron scattering, NMR relaxation, and thermal transport properties of Z_2 spin liquids in two dimensions. Comparison to recent experiments on the spin S=1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet in kappa-(ET)2Cu2(CN)3 shows that this compound may realize a Z_2 spin liquid. We argue that the topological `vison' excitations dominate thermal transport, and that recent thermal conductivity experiments by M. Yamashita et al. have observed the vison gap.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Field theory for magnetic and lattice structure properties of Fe_{1+y}Te_{1-x}Se_x

We study the magnetism and lattice distortion of Fe_{1+y}Te_{1-x}Se_x with a general field theory formalism, motivated by recent neutron scattering experiments. Besides the Ising nematic order parameter which can be naturally defined in the 1111 and 122 materials, We show that the collinear order observed in $\mathrm{Fe_{1+y}Te}$ materials is stabilized by an extra Ising order parameter which doubles the generalized unit cell of the system. By tuning this Ising order parameter, one can drive a transition between collinear and noncollinear spin density wave orders, both of which are observed in the FeTe family. The nature of the quantum and classical phase transitions are also studied in this field theory formalism, with lattice strain tensor fluctuation considered.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2009

Global phase diagrams of frustrated quantum antiferromagnets in two dimensions: doubled Chern-Simons theory

We present a general approach to understanding the quantum phases and phase transitions of quantum antiferromagnets in two spatial dimensions. We begin with the simplest spin liquid state, the Z_2 spin liquid, whose elementary excitations are spinons and visons, carrying Z_2 electric and magnetic charges respectively. Their dynamics are expressed in terms of a doubled U(1) Chern-Simons theory, which correctly captures the `topological' order of the Z_2 spin liquid state. We show that the same theory also yields a description of the variety of ordered phases obtained when one or more of the elementary excitations condense. Field theories for the transitions and multicritical points between these phases are obtained. We also survey experimental results on antiferromagnets on the anisotropic triangular lattice, and make connections between their phase diagrams and our results.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Global Phase Diagram for Magnetism and Lattice Distortion of Fe-pnictide Materials

We study the global phase diagram of magnetic orders and lattice structure in the Fe-pnictide materials at zero temperature within one unified theory, tuned by both doping and pressure. On the low doping and high pressure side of the phase diagram, there is one single transition, which is described by a $z=2$ mean field theory with very weak run-away flows; on the high doping and low pressure side the transition is expected to split to two transitions, with one O(3) spin density wave transition followed by a z = 3 quantum Ising transition at larger doping. The fluctuation of the strain field fluctuation of the lattice will not affect the spin density wave transition, but will likely drive the Ising nematic transition more mean field like through a linear coupling, as observed experimentally in BaFe_2-xCo_xAs_2.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Ising and Spin orders in Iron-based Superconductors

Motivated by recent neutron scattering experiments, we study the ordering of spins in the iron-based superconductors La(O_{1-x}F_x)FeAs, assuming them in proximity to a Mott insulator in the phase diagram. The ground state of the parent system with x = 0 is a spin density wave with ordering wave vector Q = (0, π) or (π, 0). Upon raising the temperature, we find the system to restore SU(2) symmetry, while an Ising symmetry remains broken, explaining the experimentally observed lattice distortion to a monoclinic crystal structure. Upon further temperature increase, the spins finally disorder at a second transition. The phase transition driven by doping with charge carriers similarly splits into an O(3) transition, and an Ising transition with z = 3 at larger doping.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Magnetic impurities on the surface of a topological insulator

The surface states of a topological insulator are described by an emergent relativistic massless Dirac equation in 2+1 dimensions. In contrast to graphene, there is an odd number of Dirac points, and the electron spin is directly coupled to the momentum. We show that a magnetic impurity opens up a local gap and suppresses the local density of states. Furthermore, the Dirac electronic states mediate an RKKY interaction among the magnetic impurities which is always ferromagnetic, whenever the chemical potential lies near the Dirac point. These effects can be directly measured in STM experiments. We also study the case of quenched disorder through a renormalization group analysis.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Experimental observables near a nematic quantum critical point in the pnictide and cuprate superconductors

The newly discovered high temperature superconductor SmFeAs(O1-xFx) shows a clear nematic transition where the square lattice of Fe ions has a rectangular distortion. Similar nematic ordering has also been observed in the cuprate superconductors. We provide a detailed theory of experimental observables near such a nematic transition: we calculate the scaling of specific heat, local density of states (LDOS) and NMR relaxation rate 1/T_1T.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Quantum Phase Transitions beyond the Landau's Paradigm in Sp(4) Spin System

We propose quantum phase transitions beyond the Landau's paradigm of Sp(4) spin Heisenberg models on the triangular and square lattices, motivated by the exact Sp(4)$\simeq$ SO(5) symmetry of spin-3/2 fermionic cold atomic system with only $s-$wave scattering. On the triangular lattice, we study a phase transition between the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ spin ordered phase and a $Z_2$ spin liquid phase, this phase transition is described by an O(8) sigma model in terms of fractionalized spinon fields, with significant anomalous scaling dimensions of spin order parameters. On the square lattice, we propose a deconfined critical point between the Neel order and the VBS order, which is described by the CP(3) model, and the monopole effect of the compact U(1) gauge field is expected to be suppressed at the critical point.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Destruction of Neel order in the cuprates by electron-doping

Motivated by the evidence in PCCO and NCCO of a magnetic quantum critical point at which Neel order is destroyed, we study the evolution with doping of the T=0 quantum phases of the electron doped cuprates. At low doping, there is a metallic Neel state with small electron Fermi pockets, and this yields a fully gapped d_{x^2-y^2} superconductor with co-existing Neel order at low temperatures. We analyze the routes by which the spin-rotation symmetry can be restored in these metallic and superconducting states. In the metal, the loss of Neel order leads to a topologically ordered `doublon metal' across a deconfined critical point with global O(4) symmetry. In the superconductor, in addition to the conventional spin density wave transition, we find a variety of unconventional possibilities, including transitions to a nematic superconductor and to valence bond supersolids. Measurements of the spin correlation length and of the anomalous dimension of the Neel order by neutron scattering or NMR should discriminate these unconventional transitions from spin density wave theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Resonating plaquette phases in large spin cold atom systems

Large spin cold atom systems can exhibit novel magnetic properties which do not appear in usual spin-1/2 systems. We investigate the SU(4) resonating plaquette state in the three dimensional cubic optical lattice with spin-3/2 cold fermions. A novel gauge field formalism is constructed to describe the Rokhsar-Kivelson type of Hamiltonian and a duality transformation is used to study the phase diagram. Due to the proliferation of topological defects, the system is generally gapped for the whole phase diagram of the quantum model, which agrees with the recent numerical studies. A critical line is found for the classical plaquette system, which also corresponds to a quantum many-body wavefunction in a "plaquette liquid phase".

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

A square lattice algebraic spin liquid with SO(5) symmetry

We propose a critical spin liquid ground state for S=1/2 antiferromagnets on the square lattice. In a renormalization group analysis of the `staggered flux' algebraic spin liquid, we examine perturbations, present in the antiferromagnet, which break its global SU(4) symmetry to SO(5). At physical parameter values, we find an instability towards a fixed point with SO(5) symmetry. We discuss the possibility that this fixed point describes a transition between the Neel and valence bond solid states, and the relationship to the SO(5) non-linear sigma model of Tanaka and Hu.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Phase transitions in coupled two dimensional XY systems with spatial anisotropy

We study phase transitions of coupled two dimensional XY systems with spatial anisotropy and $U(1) \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry, motivated by spinless bosonic atoms trapped in square optical lattice on the metastable first excited $p-$level orbitals with anisotropic hopping amplitudes. The phase transitions of the system are generally split into an Ising transition and an XY transition, but the sequence and the nature of the transitions depend on the ratio between the anisotropic couplings. In the isotropic limit the XY variables are expected to be disordered before the Ising variables when thermal or quantum fluctuations are turned on gradually. In the anisotropic limit with zero perpendicular hoppings, the finite temperature transition is a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition driven by proliferation of hybrid half vortices, and the zero temperature quantum phase transition is split into a bond order transition and a 3D XY transition, which can be driven by the condensation of either single vortices or half vortices. After the condensation of half vortices the resultant state is a Mott Insulator of paired bosons. A small perpendicular hopping $J_b$ leads to a 2D Ising transition at low temperature and a 2+1d quantum Ising transition with a small charging energy at zero temperature. Global phase diagrams for both classical and quantum phase transitions are drawn. The analytical results obtained in this work are expected to be checked both numerically and experimentally.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Dynamical models and the phase ordering kinetics of the s=1 spinor condensate

The $s=1$ spinor Bose condensate at zero temperature supports ferromagnetic and polar phases that combine magnetic and superfluid ordering. We investigate the formation of magnetic domains at finite temperature and magnetic field in two dimensions in an optical trap. We study the general ground state phase diagram of a spin-1 system and focus on a phase that has a magnetic Ising order parameter and numerically determine the nature of the finite temperature superfluid and magnetic phase transitions. We then study three different dynamical models: model A, which has no conserved quantities, model F, which has a conserved second sound mode and the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation which has a conserved density and magnetization. We find the dynamic critical exponent to be the same for models A and F ($z=2$) but different for GP ($z \approx 3$). Externally imposed magnetization conservation in models A and F yields the value $z \approx 3$, which demonstrates that the only conserved density relevant to domain formation is the magnetization density.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2007

Global phase diagram of the spin-1 antiferromagnet with uniaxial anisotropy on the kagome lattice

The phase diagram of the XXZ spin-1 quantum magnet on the kagome lattice is studied for all cases where the $J_z$ coupling is antiferromagnetic. In the zero magnetic field case, the six previously introduced phases, found using various methods, are: the nondegenerate gapped photon phase which breaks no space symmetry or spin symmetry; the six-fold degenerate phase with plaquette order, which breaks both time reversal symmetry and translational symmetry; the "superfluid" (ferromagnetic) phase with an in-plane global U(1) symmetry broken, when $J_{xy} < 0$; the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ order when $J_{xy} > 0$; the nematic phase when $D < 0$ and large; and a phase with resonating dimers on each hexagon. We obtain all of these phases and partial information about their quantum phase transitions in a single framework by studying condensation of defects in the six-fold plaquette phases. The transition between nematic phase and the six-fold degenerate plaquette phase is potentially an unconventional second-order critical point. In the case of a nonzero magnetic field along $\hat{z}$, another ordered phase with translation symmetry broken is opened up in the nematic phase. Due to the breaking of time-reversal symmetry by the field, a supersolid phase emerges between the six-fold plaquette order and the superfluid phase. This phase diagram might be accessible in nickel compounds, BF$_4$ salts, or optical lattices of atoms with three degenerate states on every site.

cond-mat.str-el↗