2,322 research outputs found
Weak spin-orbit interactions induce exponentially flat mini-bands in magnetic metals without inversion symmetry
In metallic magnets like MnSi the interplay of two very weak spin-orbit
coupling effects can strongly modify the Fermi surface. In the absence of
inversion symmetry even a very small Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction of
strength delta<<1 distorts a ferromagnetic state into a chiral helix with a
long pitch of order 1/delta. We show that additional small spin-orbit coupling
terms of order delta in the band structure lead to the formation of
exponentially flat minibands with a bandwidth of order exp(-1/sqrt(delta))
parallel to the direction of the helix. These flat minibands cover a rather
broad belt of width sqrt(delta) on the Fermi surface where electron motion
parallel to the helix practically stops. We argue that these peculiar
band-structure effects lead to pronounced features in the anomalous skin
effect.Comment: 7 pages, minor corrections, references adde
Transport in Almost Integrable Models: Perturbed Heisenberg Chains
The heat conductivity kappa(T) of integrable models, like the one-dimensional
spin-1/2 nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model, is infinite even at finite
temperatures as a consequence of the conservation laws associated with
integrability. Small perturbations lead to finite but large transport
coefficients which we calculate perturbatively using exact diagonalization and
moment expansions. We show that there are two different classes of
perturbations. While an interchain coupling of strength J_perp leads to
kappa(T) propto 1/J_perp^2 as expected from simple golden-rule arguments, we
obtain a much larger kappa(T) propto 1/J'^4 for a weak next-nearest neighbor
interaction J'. This can be explained by a new approximate conservation law of
the J-J' Heisenberg chain.Comment: 4 pages, several minor modifications, title change
String order and adiabatic continuity of Haldane chains and band insulators
The ground state of spin-1 Haldane chains is characterized by the so-called
string order. We show that the same hidden order is also present in ordinary
one-dimensional band insulators. We construct a family of Hamiltonians which
connects adiabatically band insulators to two topologically non-equivalent spin
models, the Haldane chain and the antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 ladder. We observe
that the localized spin-1/2 edge-state characteristic of spin-1 chains is
smoothly connected to a surface-bound state of band insulators and its
emergence is not related to any bulk phase transition. Furthermore, we show
that the string order is absent in any dimensions higher than one.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures. Appendix about charge string orders added.
Version as publishe
Fragility of String Orders
One-dimensional gapped systems are often characterized by a 'hidden'
non-local order parameter, the so-called string order. Due to the gap,
thermodynamic properties are robust against a weak higher-dimensional coupling
between such chains or ladders. To the contrary, we find that the string order
is not stable and decays for arbitrary weak inter-chain or inter-ladder
coupling. We investigate the vanishing of the order for three different
systems: spin-one Haldane chains, band insulators, and the transverse-field
Ising model. Using perturbation theory and bosonization, we show that the
fragility of the string order arises from non-local commutation relations
between the non-local order parameter and the perturbation.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Published versio
Magnetic skyrmions and skyrmion clusters in the helical phase of CuOSeO
Skyrmions are nanometric spin whirls that can be stabilized in magnets
lacking inversion symmetry. The properties of isolated skyrmions embedded in a
ferromagnetic background have been intensively studied. We show that single
skyrmions and clusters of skyrmions can also form in the helical phase and
investigate theoretically their energetics and dynamics. The helical background
provides natural one-dimensional channels along which a skyrmion can move
rapidly. In contrast to skyrmions in ferromagnets, the skymion-skyrmion
interaction has a strong attractive component and thus skyrmions tend to form
clusters with characteristic shapes. These clusters are directly observed in
transmission electron microscopy measurements in thin films of CuOSeO.
Topological quantization, high mobility and the confinement of skyrmions in
channels provided by the helical background may be useful for future
spintronics devices.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 4 pages supplemen
Zero temperature optical conductivity of ultra-clean Fermi liquids and superconductors
We calculate the low-frequency optical conductivity sigma(w) of clean metals
and superconductors at zero temperature neglecting the effects of impurities
and phonons. In general, the frequency and temperature dependences of sigma
have very little in common. For small Fermi surfaces in three dimensions (but
not in 2D) we find for example that Re sigma(w>0)=const. for low w which
corresponds to a scattering rate Gamma proportional to w^2 even in the absence
of Umklapp scattering when there is no T^2 contribution to Gamma. In the main
part of the paper we discuss in detail the optical conductivity of d-wave
superconductors in 2D where Re sigma(w>0) \propto w^4 for the smallest
frequencies and the Umklapp processes typically set in smoothly above a finite
threshold w_0 smaller than twice the maximal gap Delta. In cases where the
nodes are located at (pi/2, pi/2), such that direct Umklapp scattering among
them is possible, one obtains Re sigma(w) \propto w^2.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Anomalous bond stretching phonons as a probe of charge fluctuations in perovskites
Important information on momentum resolved low energy charge response can be
extracted from anomalous properties of bond stretching in plane phonons
observed in inelastic neutron and X-ray scattering in cuprates and some other
perovskites. We discuss a semiphenomenological model based on coupling of
phonons to a single charge mode. The phonon dispersion and linewidth allow to
locate the energy of the charge excitation in the mid infrared part of the
spectrum and to determine some of its characteristics. New experiments on
oxygen isotope substitution could allow to achieve a more detailed description.
Corresponding relations following from the model can be used for the
interpretation of experiments and as test of the model.Comment: presented at the M2S-HTSC-VIII conference in Dresde
Emergent Lorentz symmetry with vanishing velocity in a critical two-subband quantum wire
We consider a quantum wire with two subbands of spin-polarized electrons in
the presence of strong interactions. We focus on the quantum phase transition
when the second subband starts to get filled as a function of gate voltage.
Performing a one-loop renormalization group (RG) analysis of the effective
Hamiltonian, we identify the critical fixed-point theory as a conformal field
theory having an enhanced SU(2) symmetry and central charge 3/2. While the
fixed point is Lorentz invariant, the effective 'speed of light' nevertheless
vanishes at low energies due to marginally irrelevant operators leading to a
diverging critical specific heat coefficient.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, minor changes, published versio
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