Spontaneous breaking of the Fermi surface symmetry in the t-J model: a numerical study

We present a variational Monte Carlo (VMC) study of spontaneous Fermi surface symmetry breaking in the t-J model. We find that the variational energy of a Gutzwiller projected Fermi sea is lowered by allowing for a finite asymmetry between the x- and the y-directions. However, the best variational state remains a pure superconducting state with d-wave symmetry, as long as the underlying lattice is isotropic. Our VMC results are in good overall agreement with slave boson mean field theory (SBMFT) and renormalized mean field theory (RMFT), although apparent discrepancies do show up in the half-filled limit, revealing some limitations of mean field theories. VMC and complementary RMFT calculations also confirm the SBMFT predictions that many-body interactions can enhance any anisotropy in the underlying crystal lattice. Thus, our results may be of consequence for the description of strongly correlated superconductors with an anisotropic lattice structure.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures; final versio

Attractor Metadynamics in Adapting Neural Networks

Slow adaption processes, like synaptic and intrinsic plasticity, abound in the brain and shape the landscape for the neural dynamics occurring on substantially faster timescales. At any given time the network is characterized by a set of internal parameters, which are adapting continuously, albeit slowly. This set of parameters defines the number and the location of the respective adiabatic attractors. The slow evolution of network parameters hence induces an evolving attractor landscape, a process which we term attractor metadynamics. We study the nature of the metadynamics of the attractor landscape for several continuous-time autonomous model networks. We find both first- and second-order changes in the location of adiabatic attractors and argue that the study of the continuously evolving attractor landscape constitutes a powerful tool for understanding the overall development of the neural dynamics

Breakdown of the Luttinger sum-rule at the Mott-Hubbard transition in the one-dimensional t1-t2 Hubbard model

We investigate the momentum distribution function near the Mott-Hubbard transition in the one-dimensional t1-t2 Hubbard model (the zig-zag Hubbard chain), with the density-matrix renormalization-group technique. We show that for strong interactions the Mott-Hubbard transition occurs between the metallic-phase and an insulating dimerized phase with incommensurate spin excitations, suggesting a decoupling of magnetic and charge excitations not present in weak coupling. We illustrate the signatures for the Mott-Hubbard transition and the commensurate-incommensurate transition in the insulating spin-gapped state in their respective ground-state momentum distribution functions

Na2V3O7, a frustrated nanotubular system with spin-1/2 diamond rings

Following the recent discussion on the puzzling nature of the interactions in the nanotubular system Na2V3O7, we present a detailed ab-initio microscopic analysis of its electronic and magnetic properties. By means of a non-trivial downfolding study we propose an effective model in terms of tubes of nine-site rings with the geometry of a spin-diamond necklace with frustrated inter-ring interactions. We show that this model provides a quantitative account of the observed magnetic behavior.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press

Neel order, quantum spin liquids and quantum criticality in two dimensions

This paper is concerned with the possibility of a direct second order transition out of a collinear Neel phase to a paramagnetic spin liquid in two dimensional quantum antiferromagnets. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we show that such second order quantum transitions can potentially occur to certain spin liquid states popular in theories of the cuprates. We provide a theory of this transition and study its universal properties in an $\epsilon$ expansion. The existence of such a transition has a number of interesting implications for spin liquid based approaches to the underdoped cuprates. In particular it considerably clarifies existing ideas for incorporating antiferromagnetic long range order into such a spin liquid based approach.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figure

Modeling the electronic behavior of γ\gamma-LiV2O5: a microscopic study

We determine the electronic structure of the one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg compound $\gamma$-LiV$_2$O$_5$, which has two inequivalent vanadium ions, V(1) and V(2), via density-functional calculations. We find a relative V(1)-V(2) charge ordering of roughly $70:30$. We discuss the influence of the charge ordering on the electronic structure and the magnetic behavior. We give estimates of the basic hopping matrix elements and compare with the most studied $\alpha '$-NaV$_2$O$_5$.Comment: Final version. To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

TiOCl, an orbital-ordered system?

We present first principles density functional calculations and downfolding studies of the electronic and magnetic properties of the layered quantum spin system TiOCl. We discuss explicitely the nature of the exchange pathes and attempt to clarify the concept of orbital ordering in this material. An analysis of the electronic structure of slightly distorted structures according to the phononic modes allowed in this material suggests that this system is subject to large orbital fluctuations driven by the electron-phonon coupling. Based on these results, we propose a microscopic explanation of the behavior of TiOCl near the phase transition to a spin-gapped system.Comment: Some figures are compressed, for higher quality please contact the author

Low energy physical properties of high-Tc superconducting Cu oxides: A comparison between the resonating valence bond and experiments

In a recent review by Anderson and coworkers\cite{Vanilla}, it was pointed out that an early resonating valence bond (RVB) theory is able to explain a number of unusual properties of high temperature superconducting (SC) Cu-oxides. Here we extend previous calculations \cite{anderson87,FC Zhang,Randeria} to study more systematically low energy physical properties of the plain vanilla d-wave RVB state, and to compare results with the available experiments. We use a renormalized mean field theory combined with variational Monte Carlo and power Lanczos methods to study the RVB state of an extended $t-J$ model in a square lattice with parameters suitable for the hole doped Cu-oxides. The physical observable quantities we study include the specific heat, the linear residual thermal conductivity, the in-plane magnetic penetration depth, the quasiparticle energy at the antinode $(\pi, 0)$, the superconducting energy gap, the quasiparticle spectra and the Drude weight. The traits of nodes (including $k_{F}$, the Fermi velocity $v_{F}$ and the velocity along Fermi surface $v_{2}$), as well as the SC order parameter are also studied. Comparisons of the theory and the experiments in cuprates show an overall qualitative agreement, especially on their doping dependences.Comment: 12 pages, 14 figures, 1 tabl