Universal dielectric response across a continuous metal-insulator transition

A wide range of disordered materials, including disordered correlated systems, show "Universal Dielectric Response" (UDR), followed by a superlinear power-law increase in their optical responses over exceptionally broad frequency regimes. While extensively used in various contexts over the years, the microscopic underpinning UDR remains controversial. Here, we investigate the optical response of the simplest model of correlated fermions, Falicov-Kimball model (FKM), across the continuous metal-insulator transition (MIT) and analyze the associated quantum criticality in detail using cluster extension of dynamical mean field theory (CDMFT). Surprisingly, we find that UDR naturally emerges in the quantum critical region associated with the continuous MIT. We tie the emergence of these novel features to a many-body orthogonality catastrophe accompanying the onset of strongly correlated electronic glassy dynamics close to the MIT, providing a microscopic realization of Jonscher's time-honored proposal as well as a rationale for similarities in optical responses between correlated electronic matter and canonical glass formers.

[1]  M. Dressel,et al.  Electrodynamics of quantum spin liquids , 2018, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[2]  S. Hassan,et al.  Thermal transport across a continuous metal-insulator transition , 2016, 1607.03879.

[3]  S. Hassan,et al.  Real-space cluster dynamical mean-field approach to the Falicov-Kimball model: An alloy-analogy approach , 2016, 1603.00301.

[4]  S. Hassan,et al.  Quantum critical transport at a continuous metal-insulator transition , 2016, 1603.00769.

[5]  P. Lunkenheimer,et al.  Dielectric Characterization of a Nonlinear Optical Material , 2014, Scientific Reports.

[6]  H. Terletska,et al.  Quantum critical transport near the Mott transition. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[7]  J. Tomczak,et al.  Optical properties of correlated materials: Generalized Peierls approach and its application to VO 2 , 2009, 0904.3388.

[8]  M. Ferrero,et al.  Pseudogap opening and formation of Fermi arcs as an orbital-selective Mott transition in momentum space , 2009, 0903.2480.

[9]  Alessandro Silva.  Statistics of the work done on a quantum critical system by quenching a control parameter. , 2008, Physical review letters.

[10]  G. Kotliar,et al.  Optical conductivity and kinetic energy of the superconducting state: A cluster dynamical mean field study , 2007 .

[11]  G. Kotliar,et al.  Optical Conductivity of the t-J model within Cluster Dynamical Mean Field Theory , 2006, cond-mat/0601478.

[12]  P. Anderson.  The ‘strange metal’ is a projected Fermi liquid with edge singularities , 2005, cond-mat/0512471.

[13]  H. R. Krishnamurthy,et al.  Theory of insulator metal transition and colossal magnetoresistance in doped manganites. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[14]  J. Freericks,et al.  Exact dynamical mean-field theory of the Falicov-Kimball model , 2003 .

[15]  H. Eisaki,et al.  Quantum critical behaviour in a high-Tc superconductor , 2003, Nature.

[16]  Z. Nussinov,et al.  Powerlaw optical conductivity with a constant phase angle in high Tc superconductors , 2003, cond-mat/0309172.

[17]  P. Lunkenheimer,et al.  Response of disordered matter to electromagnetic fields. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[18]  Y. Gefen,et al.  Anderson orthogonality catastrophe in disordered systems , 2001, cond-mat/0106556.

[19]  H. R. Krishnamurthy,et al.  Systematic and Causal Corrections to the Coherent Potential Approximation , 2000, cond-mat/0006431.

[20]  M. Laad,et al.  Non-local effects in the fermion dynamical mean-field framework; application to the two-dimensional Falicov-Kimball model , 2000 .

[21]  J. Mydosh,et al.  Spatially Inhomogeneous Metal-Insulator Transition in Doped Manganites. , 1999, Science.

[22]  A. A. Pastor,et al.  MELTING OF THE ELECTRON GLASS , 1999, cond-mat/9903272.

[23]  Masatoshi Imada,et al.  Metal-insulator transitions , 1998 .

[24]  E. Abrahams,et al.  SCALING THEORY OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL METAL-INSULATOR TRANSITIONS , 1997, cond-mat/9704091.

[25]  Domański,et al.  Falicov-Kimball model and its relation to the Hubbard model: Studies on clusters. , 1994, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[26]  V. Janiš.  A lattice model for X-ray emission and absorption: the edge singularity , 1993 .

[27]  Vollhardt,et al.  Exact mean-field Hamiltonian for fermionic lattice models in high dimensions. , 1990, Physical review letters.

[28]  A. Jonscher.  Dielectric relaxation in solids , 1983 .

[29]  A. K. Jonscher,et al.  The ‘universal’ dielectric response , 1977, Nature.

[30]  B. Velicky.  Theory of Electronic Transport in Disordered Binary Alloys: Coherent-Potential Approximation , 1969 .

[31]  C. Dominicis,et al.  Singularities in the X-Ray Absorption and Emission of Metals. III. One-Body Theory Exact Solution , 1969 .

[32]  G. V. Chester,et al.  Solid State Physics , 2000 .