Non-Fermi Liquid Behavior of the $t$-$J$ Model in the Strange Metal Phase: $U(1)$ Gauge Theory with Local Constraints

Abstract

We use the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) method to quantize the $t$-$J$ model in the $U(1)$ gauge slave boson representation. While the temporal component of the gauge field plays a role of a Lagrange multiplier to enforce the no double occupancy constraint, the spatial components do that to enforce the zero counterflow constraint of the spinon and holon currents. The BRST quantization guarantees the gauge invariance of the theory and removes the redundant gauge degrees of freedom by proper gauge fixing conditions while the no double occupancy and zero counterflow constraints are exactly retained. Furthermore, Fradkin-Vilkovisky gauge fixing conditions endow the gauge field with dynamics. This turns the strongly correlated electron model into a weakly coupled slave boson model, most of whose physical observables can be calculated by the conventional quantum many-body perturbation theory. We focus on the properties of the strange metal phase in the $t$-$J$ model. The electron momentum distribution and the spectral function are calculated, and their non-Fermi liquid behavior agrees with the angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements for the cuprate materials. We also study the responses of the strange metal state to the external electromagnetic fields. The non-Fermi liquid anomalies observed in cuprates are captured by our calculations. Especially, we find that the Hall resistivity decreases as temperature raises and the sign of the Hall resistivity varies from negative to positive when the dopant concentration varies from the optimal doping one to underdoping one when the temperature $T>T^*$.Comment: v1: 20 pages; v2: 21 pages, 8 figures. A few changes and new references added. All comments are welcom