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Linear resistivity and Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) spin liquid behavior in a quantum critical metal with spin-1=2 fermions

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

P. Cha
N. Wentzell
O. Parcollet
A. Georges
Eun-Ah Kim

Abstract

"Strange metals" with resistivity depending linearly on temperature T down to low T have been a long-standing puzzle in condensed matter physics. Here, we consider a lattice model of itinerant spin-1=2 fermions interacting via onsite Hubbard interaction and random infinite-ranged spin-spin interaction.We show that the quantum critical point associated with the melting of the spin-glass phase by charge fluctuations displays non-Fermi liquid behavior, with local spin dynamics identical to that of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev family of models. This extends the quantum spin liquid dynamics previously established in the large-M limit of SU(M) symmetric models to models with physical SU(2) spin-1=2 electrons. Remarkably, the quantum critical regime also features a Planckian linear-T resistivity associated with a T-linear scattering rate and a frequency dependence of the electronic self-energy consistent with the marginal Fermi liquid phenomenology. © 2020 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Date Published

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Volume

117

Issue

31

Number of Pages

18341-18346,

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85089165128&doi=10.1073%2fpnas.2003179117&partnerID=40&md5=baf66917409f9dee516d7f41237fb851

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2003179117

Group (Lab)

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