Analysis of transport properties of iron pnictides: spin-fluctuation scenario

We present a phenomenological theory of quasiparticle scattering and transport relaxation in the normal state of iron pnictides based on the simplified two-band model coupled via spin fluctuations. In analogy with anomalous properties of cuprates it is shown that a large and anomalous normal-state resistivity and thermopower can be interpreted as the consequence of strong coupling to spin fluctuations. The generalization to the superconducting phase is also discussed.Comment: Revised version, 6 pages, 11 references adde

Suppression of static stripe formation by next-neighbor hopping

We show from real-space Hartree-Fock calculations within the extended Hubbard model that next-nearest neighbor (t') hopping processes act to suppress the formation of static charge stripes. This result is confirmed by investigating the evolution of charge-inhomogeneous corral and stripe phases with increasing t' of both signs. We propose that large t' values in YBCO prevent static stripe formation, while anomalously small t' in LSCO provides an additional reason for the appearance of static stripes only in these systems.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Self-energy corrections in an antiferromagnet -- interplay of classical and quantum effects on quasiparticle dispersion

Self-energy corrections due to fermion-magnon interaction are studied in the antiferromagnetic state of the $t-t'-t''$ Hubbard model within the rainbow (noncrossing) approximation in the full $U$ range from weak to strong coupling. The role of classical (mean-field) features of fermion and magnon dispersion, associated with finite $U,t',t''$, are examined on quantum corrections to quasiparticle energy, weight, one-particle density of states etc. A finite-$U$ induced classical dispersion term, absent in the $t-J$ model, is found to play an important role in suppressing the quasiparticle weight for states near ${\bf k}=(0,0)$, as seen in cuprates. For intermediate $U$, the renormalized AF band gap is found to be nearly half of the classical value, and the weak coupling limit is quite non-trivial due to strongly suppressed magnon amplitude. For finite $t'$, the renormalized AF band gap is shown to vanish at a critical interaction strength $U_c$, yielding a spin fluctuation driven first-order AF insulator - PM metal transition. Quasiparticle dispersion evaluated with the same set of Hubbard model cuprate parameters, as obtained from a recent magnon spectrum fit, provides excellent agreement with ARPES data for $\rm Sr_2 Cu O_2 Cl_2$.Comment: 11 pages, 17 figure

Out-of-plane dielectric constant and insulator-superconductor transition in Bi_2Sr_2Dy_{1-x}Er_xCu_2O_8 single crystals

The out-of-plane dielectric constant of the parent insulator of the high-temperature superconductor Bi_2Sr_2(Dy,Er)Cu_2O_8 was measured and analysed from 80 to 300 K in the frequency range of 10^6-10^9 Hz. All the samples were found to show a fairly large value of 10-60, implying some kind of charge inhomogeneity in the CuO_2 plane. Considering that the superconducting sample Bi_2Sr_2(Ca,Pr)Cu_2O_8 also shows a similar dielectric constant, the charge inhomogeneity plays an important role in the insulator-superconductor transition.Comment: RevTex4 format, 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Condens. Ma

Density Functional Application to Strongly Correlated Electron Systems

The LSDA+U approach to density functional theory is carefully reanalyzed. Its possible link to single-particle Green's function theory is occasionally discussed. A simple and elegant derivation of the important sum rules for the on-site interaction matrix elements linking them to the values of U and J is presented. All necessary expressions for an implementation of LSDA+U into a non-orthogonal basis solver for the Kohn-Sham equations are given, and implementation into the FPLO solver is made. Results of application to several planar cuprate structures are reported in detail and conclusions on the interpretation of the physics of the electronic structure of the cuprates are drawn.Comment: invited paper in Journal of Solid State Chemistr

Anomalous Spin and Charge Dynamics of the 2D t-J Model at low doping

We present an exact diagonalization study of the dynamical spin and density correlation function of the 2D t-J model for hole doping < 25%. Both correlation functions show a remarkably regular, but completely different scaling behaviour with both hole concentration and parameter values: the density correlation function is consistent with that of bosons corresponding to the doped holes and condensed into the lowest state of the noninteracting band of width 8t, the spin correlation function is consistent with Fermions in a band of width J. We show that the spin bag picture gives a natural explanation for this unusual behaviour.Comment: Revtex-file, 4 PRB pages + 5 figures attached as uu-encoded ps-files Hardcopies of figures (or the entire manuscript) can also be obtained by e-mailing to: [email protected]

Effect of Stripes on Electronic States in Underdoped La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4

We investigate the electronic states of underdoped La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) by using a microscopic model, i.e., t-t'-t''-J model, containing vertical charge stripes. The numerically exact diagonalization calculation on small clusters shows the consistent explanation of the physical properties in the angle-resolved photoemission, neutron magnetic scattering and optical conductivity experiments such as the antiphase domain and quasi-one-dimensional charge transport. The pair correlation function of the d-channel is suppressed by the stripes. These results demonstrate a crucial role of the stripes in LSCOComment: 4 pages, 4 EPS figures, revised version, to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol.82, No.25, 199

Critical Properties in Dynamical Charge Correlation Function for the One-Dimensional Mott Insulator

Critical properties in the dynamical charge correlation function for the one-dimensional Mott insulator are studied. By properly taking into account {\it the final-state interaction} between the charge and spin degrees of freedom, we find that the edge singularity in the charge correlation function is governed by massless spinon excitations, although it is naively expected that spinons do not directly contribute to the charge excitation over the Hubbard gap. We obtain the momentum-dependent anomalous critical exponent by applying the finite-size scaling analysis to the Bethe ansatz solution of the half-filled Hubbard model.Comment: 7 pages, REVTe

Effect of magnetic frustration on single-hole spectral function in the t-t'-t''-J model

We examine the effect of the magnetic frustration J' on the single-hole spectral function in the t-t'-t''-J model. At zero temperature, the exact diagonalization (ED) and the self-consistent Born approximation (SCBA) methods are used. We find that the frustration suppresses the quasiparticle (QP) weight at small momentum k, whereas the QP peak at k=(pi/2,pi/2) remains sharp. We also show the temperature dependence of the single-hole spectral function by using the ED method. It is found that the lineshapes at (pi/2,0) and (pi/2,pi/2) show different temperature dependence. These findings are consistent with the angle-resolved photoemission data on Sr2CuO2Cl2, and indicate the importance of the magnetic frustration on the electronic states of the insulating cuprates.Comment: 5 pages, 3 EPS figures, REVTeX, To be published in Phys. Rev. B, Vol. 59, Num. 3 (15 Jan. 1999

New results for the t-J model in ladders: Changes in the spin liquid state with applied magnetic field. Implications for the cuprates

Exact Diagonalization calculations are presented for the t-J model in the presence of a uniform magnetic field. Results for 2xL ladders (L=8,10,12) and 4x4 square clusters with 1 and 2 holes indicate that the diamagnetic response to a perpendicular magnetic field tends to induce a spin liquid state in the spin background. The zero-field spin liquid state of a two-leg ladder is reinforced by the magnetic field: a considerable increase of rung antiferromagnetic correlations is observed for J/t up to 0.6, for 1 and 2 holes. Pair-breaking is also clearly observed in the ladders and seems to be associated in part with changes promoted by the field in the spin correlations around the zero-field pair. In the 4x4 cluster, the numerical results seem to indicate that the field-induced spin liquid state competes with the zero-field antiferromagnetic short-range-order, the spin liquid state being favored by higher doping and smaller values of J/t. It is interesting to note that the field-effect can also be observed in a 2x2 plaquette with 1 and 2 holes. This opens up the possibility of gaining a qualitative understanding of the effect.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, latex New results adde