Metal-Insulator transitions in the periodic Anderson model

We solve the Periodic Anderson model in the Mott-Hubbard regime, using Dynamical Mean Field Theory. Upon electron doping of the Mott insulator, a metal-insulator transition occurs which is qualitatively similar to that of the single band Hubbard model, namely with a divergent effective mass and a first order character at finite temperatures. Surprisingly, upon hole doping, the metal-insulator transition is not first order and does not show a divergent mass. Thus, the transition scenario of the single band Hubbard model is not generic for the Periodic Anderson model, even in the Mott-Hubbard regime.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Inducing and controlling magnetism in the honeycomb lattice through a harmonic trapping potential

We study strongly interacting ultracold spin-1/2 fermions in a honeycomb lattice in the presence of a harmonic trap. Tuning the strength of the harmonic trap we show that it is possible to confine the fermions in artificial structures reminiscent of graphene nanoflakes in solid state. The confinement on small structures induces magnetic effects which are absent in a large graphene sheet. Increasing the strength of the harmonic potential we are able to induce different magnetic states, such as a N\ue9el-like antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic state, as well as mixtures of these basic states. The realization of different magnetic patterns is associated with the terminations of the artificial structures, in turn controlled by the confining potential

Interplay between destructive quantum interference and symmetry-breaking phenomena in graphene quantum junctions

We study the role of electronic spin and valley symmetry in the quantum interference (QI) patterns of the transmission function in graphene quantum junctions. In particular, we link it to the position of the destructive QI antiresonances. When the spin or valley symmetry is preserved, electrons with opposite spin or valley display the same interference pattern. On the other hand, when a symmetry is lifted, the antiresonances are split, with a consequent dramatic differentiation of the transport properties in the respective channel. We demonstrate rigorously this link in terms of the analytical structure of the electronic Green function, which follows from the symmetries of the microscopic model, and we confirm the result with numerical calculations for graphene nanoflakes. We argue that this is a generic and robust feature that can be exploited in different ways for the realization of nanoelectronic QI devices, generalizing the recent proposal of a QI-assisted spin-filtering effect [A. Valli et al., Nano Lett. 18, 2158 (2018)10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00453]

Analyticity of the SRB measure for a class of simple Anosov flows

We consider perturbations of the Hamiltonian flow associated with the geodesic flow on a surface of constant negative curvature. We prove that, under a small perturbation, not necessarely of Hamiltonian character, the SRB measure associated to the flow exists and is analytic in the strength of the perturbation. An explicit example of "thermostatted" dissipative dynamics is constructed.Comment: 23 pages, corrected typo

Correlation-driven Lifshitz transition and orbital order in a two-band Hubbard model

We study by dynamical mean-field theory the ground state of a quarter-filled Hubbard model of two bands with different bandwidths. At half-filling, this model is known to display an orbital selective Mott transition, with the narrower band undergoing Mott localization while the wider one being still itinerant. At quarter-filling, the physical behavior is different and to some extent reversed. The interaction generates an effective crystal field splitting, absent in the Hamiltonian, that tends to empty the narrower band in favor of the wider one, which also become more correlated than the former at odds with the orbital selective paradigm. Upon increasing the interaction, the depletion of the narrower band can continue till it empties completely and the system undergoes a topological Lifshitz transition into a half-filled single-band metal that eventually turns insulating. Alternatively, when the two bandwidths are not too different, a first order Mott transition intervenes before the Lifshitz's one. The properties of the Mott insulator are significantly affected by the interplay between spin and orbital degrees of freedom

Exciton condensation in strongly correlated quantum spin Hall insulators

Time reversal symmetric topological insulators are generically robust with respect to weak local interaction, unless symmetry breaking transitions take place. Using dynamical mean-field theory we solve an interacting model of quantum spin Hall insulators and show the existence, at intermediate coupling, of a symmetry breaking transition to a non-topological insulator characterised by exciton condensation. This transition is of first order. For a larger interaction strength the insulator evolves into a Mott one. The transition is continuous if magnetic order is prevented, and notably, for any finite Hund's exchange it progresses through a Mott localization before the condensate coherence is lost. We show that the correlated excitonic state corresponds to a magneto-electric insulator which allows for direct experimental probing. Finally, we discuss the fate of the helical edge modes across the excitonic transition.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Quasilocal entanglement across the Mott-Hubbard transition

The possibility to directly measure, in a cold-atom quantum simulator, the von Neumann entropy and mutual information between a site and its environment opens new perspectives on the characterization of the Mott-Hubbard metal-insulator transition, in the framework of quantum information theory. In this work, we provide an alternative view of the Mott transition in the two-dimensional Hubbard model in terms of rigorous quasilocal measures of entanglement and correlation between two spatially separated electronic orbitals, with no contribution from their environment. A space-resolved analysis of cluster dynamical mean-field theory results elucidates the prominent role of the nearest-neighbor entanglement in probing Mott localization: both its lower and upper bounds sharply increase at the metal-insulator transition. The two-site entanglement beyond nearest neighbors is shown to be quickly damped as the intersite distance is increased. These results ultimately resolve a conundrum of previous analyses based on the single-site von Neumann entropy, which has been found to monotonically decrease when the interaction is increased. The quasilocal two-site entanglement recovers instead the distinctive character of Mott insulators as strongly correlated quantum states, demonstrating its central role in the 2d Hubbard model

Asymmetry between the electron- and hole-doped Mott transition in the periodic Anderson model

We study the doping driven Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT) in the periodic Anderson model set in the Mott-Hubbard regime. A striking asymmetry for electron or hole driven transitions is found. The electron doped MIT at larger U is similar to the one found in the single band Hubbard model, with a first order character due to coexistence of solutions. The hole doped MIT, in contrast, is second order and can be described as the delocalization of Zhang-Rice singlets.Comment: 18 pages, 19 figure

Coexistence of metallic edge states and antiferromagnetic ordering in correlated topological insulators

We investigate the emergence of antiferromagnetic ordering and its effect on the helical edge states in a quantum spin Hall insulator, in the presence of strong Coulomb interaction. Using dynamical mean-field theory, we show that the breakdown of lattice translational symmetry favors the formation of magnetic ordering with nontrivial spatial modulation. The onset of a nonuniform magnetization enables the coexistence of spin-ordered and topologically nontrivial states. An unambiguous signature of the persistence of the topological bulk property is the survival of bona fide edge states. We show that the penetration of the magnetic order is accompanied by the progressive reconstruction of gapless states in subperipheral layers, redefining the actual topological boundary within the system