Localization of Interacting Dirac Fermions

Journal Article · 12 March 2018 · Physical Review Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.116601 · OSTI ID:1464962

Ma, Tianxing ^[1]; Zhang, Lufeng ^[2]; Chang, Chia-Chen ^[3]; Hung, Hsiang-Hsuan ^[4]; Scalettar, Richard T. ^[3]

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1. Beijing Normal Univ. (China). Dept. of Physics; Beijing Computational Science Research Center (CSRC); The Regents of the University of California, Davis
2. Beijing Normal Univ. (China). Dept. of Physics
3. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
4. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Dept. of Physics

By using exact quantum Monte Carlo calculations, we examine the interplay between localization of electronic states driven by many-body correlations and that by randomness in a two-dimensional system featuring linearly vanishing density of states at the Fermi level. A novel disorder-induced nonmagnetic insulating phase is found to emerge from the zero-temperature quantum critical point separating a semimetal and a Mott insulator. Within this phase, a phase transition from a gapless Anderson-like insulator to a gapped Mott-like insulator is identified. Implications of the phase diagram are also discussed.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC52-07NA27344; NA0002908
• OSTI ID: 1464962
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 120; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English