Emergent Lorentz symmetry with vanishing velocity in a critical two-subband quantum wire.
Journal Article
·
· Phys. Rev. Lett.
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 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.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 961729
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/MSD/JA-64705; PRLTAO; TRN: US0904307
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 102, Issue 2009; ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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