arXiv subjects

Zi Yang Meng

Publications and source records attributed to Zi Yang Meng.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Identification of non-Fermi liquid fermionic self-energy from quantum Monte Carlo data

Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations of correlated electron systems provide unbiased information about system behavior at a quantum critical point (QCP) and can verify or disprove the existing theories of non-Fermi liquid (NFL) behavior at a QCP. However, simulations are carried out at a finite temperature, where quantum-critical features are masked by finite temperature effects. Here we present a theoretical framework within which it is possible to separate thermal and quantum effects and extract the information about NFL physics at $T=0$. We demonstrate our method for a specific example of 2D fermions near a Ising-ferromagnetic QCP. We show that one can extract from QMC data the zero-temperature form of fermionic self-energy $Σ(ω)$ even though the leading contribution to the self-energy comes from thermal effects. We find that the frequency dependence of $Σ(ω)$ agrees well with the analytic form obtained within the Eliashberg theory of dynamical quantum criticality, and obeys $ω^{2/3}$ scaling at low frequencies. Our results open up an avenue for QMC studies of quantum-critical metals.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Quantum Many-Body Simulations of the 2D Fermi-Hubbard Model in Ultracold Optical Lattices

Understanding quantum many-body states of correlated electrons is one main theme in modern condensed matter physics. Given that the Fermi-Hubbard model, the prototype of correlated electrons, has been recently realized in ultracold optical lattices, it is highly desirable to have controlled numerical methodology to provide precise finite-temperature results upon doping, to directly compare with experiments. Here, we demonstrate the exponential tensor renormalization group (XTRG) algorithm [Phys. Rev. X 8, 031082 (2018)], complemented with independent determinant quantum Monte Carlo (DQMC) offer a powerful combination of tools for this purpose. XTRG provides full and accurate access to the density matrix and thus various spin and charge correlations, down to unprecedented low temperature of few percents of the fermion tunneling energy scale. We observe excellent agreement with ultracold fermion measurements at both half-filling and finite-doping, including the sign-reversal behavior in spin correlations due to formation of magnetic polarons, and the attractive hole-doublon and repulsive hole-hole pairs that are responsible for the peculiar bunching and antibunching behavior of the antimoments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Magnetic phase diagram of Cu$_{4-x}$Zn$_x$(OH)$_6$FBr studied by neutron-diffraction and $μ$SR techniques

We have systematically studied the magnetic properties of Cu$_{4-x}$Zn$_x$(OH)$_6$FBr by the neutron diffraction and muon spin rotation and relaxation ($μ$SR) techniques. Neutron-diffraction measurements suggest that the long-range magnetic order and the orthorhombic nuclear structure in the $x$ = 0 sample can persist up to $x$ = 0.23 and 0.43, respectively. The temperature dependence of the zero-field (ZF) $μ$SR spectra provide two characteristic temperatures, $T_{A0}$ and $T_λ$. Comparison between $T_{A0}$ and $T_M$ from previously reported magnetic-susceptibility measurements suggest that the former comes from the short-range interlayer-spin clusters that persist up to $x$ = 0.82. On the other hand, the doping level where $T_λ$ becomes zero is about 0.66, which is much higher than threshold of the long-range order, i.e., $\sim$ 0.4. Our results suggest that the change in the nuclear structure may alter the spin dynamics of the kagome layers and a gapped quantum-spin-liquid state may exist above $x$ = 0.66 with the perfect kagome planes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Quantum phases of SrCu2(BO3)2 from high-pressure thermodynamics

We report heat capacity measurements of SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ under high pressure along with simulations of relevant quantum spin models and map out the $(P,T)$ phase diagram of the material. We find a first-order quantum phase transition between the low-pressure quantum dimer paramagnet and a phase with signatures of a plaquette-singlet state below T = $2$ K. At higher pressures, we observe a transition into a previously unknown antiferromagnetic state below $4$ K. Our findings can be explained within the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland quantum spin model supplemented by weak inter-layer couplings. The possibility to tune SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ between the plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic states opens opportunities for experimental tests of quantum field theories and lattice models involving fractionalized excitations, emergent symmetries, and gauge fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Confinement transition in the QED$_3$-Gross-Neveu-XY universality class

The coupling between fermionic matter and gauge fields plays a fundamental role in our understanding of nature, while at the same time posing a challenging problem for theoretical modeling. In this situation, controlled information can be gained by combining different complementary approaches. Here, we study a confinement transition in a system of $N_f$ flavors of interacting Dirac fermions charged under a U(1) gauge field in 2+1 dimensions. Using Quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate a lattice model that exhibits a continuous transition at zero temperature between a gapless deconfined phase, described by three-dimensional quantum electrodynamics, and a gapped confined phase, in which the system develops valence-bond-solid order. We argue that the quantum critical point is in the universality class of the QED$_3$-Gross-Neveu-XY model. We study this field theory within a $1/N_f$ expansion in fixed dimension as well as a renormalization group analysis in $4-ε$ space-time dimensions. The consistency between numerical and analytical results is revealed from large to intermediate flavor number.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Langevin Simulations of the Half-Filled Cubic Holstein Model

Over the past several years, reliable Quantum Monte Carlo results for the charge density wave transition temperature $T_{cdw}$ of the half-filled two dimensional Holstein model in square and honeycomb lattices have become available for the first time. Exploiting the further development of numerical methodology, here we present results in three dimensions, which are made possible through the use of Langevin evolution of the quantum phonon degrees of freedom. In addition to determining $T_{cdw}$ from the scaling of the charge correlations, we also examine the nature of charge order at general wave vectors for different temperatures, couplings, and phonon frequencies, and the behavior of the spectral function and specific heat.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Correlated states in twisted double bilayer graphene

Electron-electron interactions play an important role in graphene and related systems and can induce exotic quantum states, especially in a stacked bilayer with a small twist angle. For bilayer graphene where the two layers are twisted by a "magic angle", flat band and strong many-body effects lead to correlated insulating states and superconductivity. In contrast to monolayer graphene, the band structure of untwisted bilayer graphene can be further tuned by a displacement field, providing an extra degree of freedom to control the flat band that should appear when two bilayers are stacked on top of each other. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of such displacement-field tunable electronic phases in twisted double bilayer graphene. We observe insulating states at a half-filled conduction band in an intermediate range of displacement fields. Furthermore, the resistance gap in the correlated insulator increases with respect to the in-plane magnetic fields and we find that the g factor according to spin Zeeman effect is ~2, indicating spin polarization at half filling. These results establish the twisted double bilayer graphene as an easily tunable platform for exploring quantum many-body states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Metal to Orthogonal Metal Transition

Orthogonal metal is a new quantum metallic state that conducts electricity but acquires no Fermi surface (FS) or quasiparticles, and hence orthogonal to the established paradigm of Landau's Fermi-liquid (FL). Such a state may hold the key of understanding the perplexing experimental observations of quantum metals that are beyond FL, i.e., dubbed non-Fermi-liquid (nFL), ranging from the Cu- and Fe-based oxides, heavy fermion compounds to the recently discovered twisted graphene heterostructures. However, to fully understand such an exotic state of matter, at least theoretically, one would like to construct a lattice model and to solve it with unbiased quantum many-body machinery. Here we achieve this goal by designing a 2D lattice model comprised of fermionic and bosonic matter fields coupled with dynamic $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge fields, and obtain its exact properties with sign-free quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We find that as the bosonic matter fields become disordered, with the help of deconfinement of the $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge fields, the system reacts with changing its nature from the conventional normal metal with an FS to an orthogonal metal of nFL without FS and quasiparticles and yet still responds to magnetic probe like an FL. Such a quantum phase transition from a normal metal to an orthogonal metal, with its electronic and magnetic spectral properties revealed, is calling for the establishment of new paradigm of quantum metals and their transition with conventional ones.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Magnetism of Finite Graphene Samples: Mean-Field Theory compared with Exact Diagonalization and Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation

The magnetic properties of graphene on finite geometries are studied using a self-consistent mean-field theory of the Hubbard model. This approach is known to predict ferromagnetic edge states close to the zig-zag edges in single-layer graphene quantum dots and nanoribbons. In order to assess the accuracy of this method, we perform complementary exact diagonalization and quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We observe good quantitative agreement for all quantities investigated provided that the Coulomb interaction is not too strong.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Kosterlitz-Thouless Melting of Magnetic Order in the Triangular Quantum Ising Material TmMgGaO$_4$

Frustrated magnets host the promises of material realizations of new paradigm of quantum matter, while direct comparison of unbiased model calculations with experimental measurements is still very challenging. Here, we design and implement a protocol of employing many-body computation methodologies for accurate model calculation -- both equilibrium and dynamical properties -- of a frustrated rare-earth magnet TmMgGaO$_4$ (TMGO), which perfectly explains the corresponding experimental findings. Our results confirm TMGO is an ideal realization of triangular-lattice Ising model with an intrinsic transverse field. The magnetic order of TMGO is predicted to melt through two successive Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) phase transitions, with a floating KT phase in between. The dynamical spectra calculated suggest remnant images of a vanishing magnetic stripe order that represent vortex-antivortex pairs, resembling rotons in a superfluid helium film. TMGO therefore constitutes a rare quantum magnet for realizing KT physics and we further propose experimental detections of its intriguing properties.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Designer Monte Carlo Simulation for Gross-Neveu Transition

In this manuscript, we study quantum criticality of Dirac fermions via large-scale numerical simulations, focusing on the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa(GNY) chiral-Ising quantum critical point with critical bosonic modes coupled with Dirac fermions. We show that finite-size effects at this quantum critical point can be efficiently minimized via model design, which maximizes the ultraviolet cutoff and at the same time places the bare control parameters closer to the nontrivial fixed point to better expose the critical region. Combined with the efficient self-learning quantum Monte Carlo algorithm, which enables non-local update of the bosonic field, we find that moderately-large system size (up to $16\times 16$) is already sufficient to produce robust scaling behavior and critical exponents.The conductance of the Dirac fermions is also calculated and its frequency dependence is found to be consistent with the scaling behavior predicted by the conformal field theory. The methods and model-design principles developed for this study can be generalized to other fermionic QCPs, and thus provide a promising direction for controlled studies of strongly-correlated itinerant systems.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2019

Is magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene near a quantum critical point?

An extended Hubbard model on a honeycomb lattice with two orbitals per site at charge neutrality is investigated with unbiased large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations. The Fermi velocity of the Dirac fermions is renormalized as the cluster charge interaction increases, until a mass term emerges and a quantum phase transition from Dirac semi-metal to valence bond solid (VBS) insulator is established. The quantum critical point is discovered to belong to 3D $N=4$ Gross-Neveu chiral XY universality with the critical exponents obtained at high precision. Further enhancement of the interaction drives the system into two different VBS phases, the properties and transition between them are also revealed. Since the model is related to magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene, our results may have relevance towards the symmetry breaking order at the charge neutrality point of the material, and associate the wide range of universal strange metal behavior around it with quantum critical fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Revealing Fermionic Quantum Criticality from New Monte Carlo Techniques

This review summarizes recent developments in the study of fermionic quantum criticality, focusing on new progress in numerical methodologies, especially quantum Monte Carlo methods, and insights that emerged from recently large-scale numerical simulations. Quantum critical phenomena in fermionic systems have attracted decades of extensive research efforts, partially lured by their exotic properties and potential technology applications and partially awaked by the profound and universal fundamental principles that govern these quantum critical systems. Due to the complex and non-perturbative nature, these systems belong to the most difficult and challenging problems in the study of modern condensed matter physics, and many important fundamental problems remain open. Recently, new developments in model design and algorithm improvements enabled unbiased large-scale numerical solutions to be achieved in the close vicinity of these quantum critical points, which paves a new pathway towards achieving controlled conclusions through combined efforts of theoretical and numerical studies, as well as possible theoretical guidance for experiments in heavy-fermion compounds, Cu-based and Fe-based superconductors, ultra-cold fermionic atomic gas, twisted graphene layers, etc., where signatures of fermionic quantum criticality exist.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Dynamics of Compact Quantum Electrodynamics at Large Fermion Flavor

Thanks to the development in quantum Monte Carlo technique, the compact U(1) lattice gauge theory coupled to fermionic matter at (2+1)D is now accessible with large-scale numerical simulations, and the ground state phase diagram as a function of fermion flavor ($N_f$) and the strength of gauge fluctuations is mapped out~\cite{Xiao2018Monte}. Here we focus on the large fermion flavor case ($N_f=8$) to investigate the dynamic properties across the deconfinement-to-confinement phase transition. In the deconfined phase, fermions coupled to the fluctuating gauge field to form U(1) spin liquid with continua in both spin and dimer spectral functions, and in the confined phase fermions are gapped out into valence bond solid phase with translational symmetry breaking and gapped spectra. The dynamical behaviors provide supporting evidence for the existence of the U(1) deconfined phase and could shine light on the nature of the U(1)-to-VBS phase transition which is of the QED$_3$-Gross-Neveu chiral O(2) universality whose properties still largely unknown.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Itinerant Quantum Critical Point with Fermion Pockets and Hot Spots

Metallic quantum criticality is among the central theme in the understanding of correlated electronic systems, and converging results between analytical and numerical approaches are still under calling. In this work, we develop state-of-art large scale quantum Monte Carlo simulation technique and systematically investigate the itinerant quantum critical point on a 2D square lattice with antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations at wavevector $\mathbf{Q}=(π,π)$ -- a problem that resembles the Fermi surface setup and low-energy antiferromagnetic fluctuations in high-Tc cuprates and other critical metals, which might be relevant to their non-Fermi-liquid behaviors. System sizes of $60\times 60 \times 320$ ($L \times L \times L_τ$) are comfortably accessed, and the quantum critical scaling behaviors are revealed with unprecedingly high precision. We found that the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations introduce effective interactions among fermions and the fermions in return render the bare bosonic critical point into a new universality, different from both the bare Ising universality class and the Hertz-Mills-Moriya RPA prediction. At the quantum critical point, a finite anomalous dimension $η\sim 0.125$ is observed in the bosonic propagator, and fermions at hot spots evolve into a non-Fermi-liquid. In the antiferromagnetically ordered metallic phase, fermion pockets are observed as energy gap opens up at the hot spots. These results bridge the recent theoretical and numerical developments in metallic quantum criticality and can be served as the stepping stone towards final understanding of the 2D correlated fermions interacting with gapless critical excitations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Finite-Temperature Charge Dynamics and the Melting of the Mott Insulator

The Mott insulator is the quintessential strongly correlated electronic state. We obtain complete insight into the physics of the two-dimensional Mott insulator by extending the slave-fermion (holon-doublon) description to finite temperatures. We first benchmark its predictions against state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo simulations, demonstrating quantitative agreement. Qualitatively, the short-ranged spin fluctuations both induce holon-doublon bound states and renormalize the charge sector to form the Hubbard bands. The Mott gap is understood as the charge gap renormalized downwards by these spin fluctuations. As temperature increases, the Mott gap closes before the charge gap, causing a pseudogap regime to appear naturally during the melting of the Mott insulator.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Emmy Noether looks at the deconfined quantum critical point

Noether's theorem is one of the fundamental laws of physics, relating continuous symmetries and conserved currents. Here we explore the role of Noether's theorem at the deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP), which is the quantum phase transition beyond the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm. It was expected that a larger continuous symmetry could emerge at the DQCP, which, if true, should lead to emerged conserved current at low energy. By identifying the emergent current fluctuation in the spin excitation spectra, we can quantitatively study the current-current correlation in large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations. Our results reveal the conservation of the emergent current, as signified by the vanishing anomalous dimension of the current operator, and hence provide supporting evidence for the emergent symmetry at the DQCP. Our study demonstrates an elegant yet practical approach to detect emergent symmetry by probing the spin excitations, which could potentially guide the ongoing experimental search for DQCP in quantum magnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Monte Carlo Study of Lattice Compact Quantum Electrodynamics with Fermionic Matter: the Parent State of Quantum Phases

The interplay between lattice gauge theories and fermionic matter accounts for fundamental physical phenomena ranging from the deconfinement of quarks in particle physics to quantum spin liquid with fractionalized anyons and emergent gauge structures in condensed matter physics. However, except for certain limits (for instance large number of flavors of matter fields), analytical methods can provide few concrete results. Here we show that the problem of compact $U(1)$ lattice gauge theory coupled to fermionic matter in $(2+1)$D is possible to access via sign-problem-free quantum Monte Carlo simulations. One can hence map out the phase diagram as a function of fermion flavors and the strength of gauge fluctuations. By increasing the coupling constant of the gauge field, gauge confinement in the form of various spontaneous symmetry breaking phases such as valence bond solid (VBS) and Néel antiferromagnet emerge. Deconfined phases with algebraic spin and VBS correlation functions are also observed. Such deconfined phases are an incarnation of exotic states of matter, $i.e.$ the algebraic spin liquid, which is generally viewed as the parent state of various quantum phases. The phase transitions between deconfined and confined phases, as well as that between the different confined phases provide various manifestations of deconfined quantum criticality. In particular, for four flavors, $N_f = 4$, our data suggests a continuous quantum phase transition between the VBS and Néel order. We also provide preliminary theoretical analysis for these quantum phase transitions.

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