Metal-insulator transition and quantum magnetism in the SU(3) Fermi-Hubbard model

Journal Article · 20 December 2023 · Physical Review Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.5.043267 · OSTI ID:2246993

Feng, Chunhan  ^[1]; Ibarra-García-Padilla, Eduardo  ^[2]; Hazzard, Kaden R. A.  ^[3]; Scalettar, Richard  ^[4]; Zhang, Shiwei  ^[1]; Vitali, Ettore  ^[5]

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1. Flatiron Institute, New York, NY (United States)
2. San José State University, CA (United States); University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
3. Rice University, Houston, TX (United States); University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
4. University of California, Davis, CA (United States)
5. California State University Fresno, CA (United States)

We develop a self-consistent variant of the constrained path quantum Monte Carlo approach which ensures its independence of the trial wave function, and apply the method to compute ground-state correlations in the two-dimensional SU(3) Fermi-Hubbard Hamiltonian at $$\frac{1}{3}$$ filling, modeling fermions with three possible spin flavors moving on a square lattice with an average of one particle per site. We provide clear evidence of a quantum critical point separating a nonmagnetic uniform metallic phase from a regime where long-range “spin” order is present. This discovery of multiple successive transitions to magnetic states with regular, long-range alternation of the different flavors, whose symmetry changes as the interaction strength increases, significantly extends previous work in the Heisenberg limit to itinerant fermions. In addition to the rich quantum magnetism, this important physical system allows one to study integer filling and the associated Mott transition disentangled from nesting, in contrast to the usual SU(2) model, while preserving the square-lattice geometry. Our results also provide a significant step towards the interpretation of present and future experiments on fermionic alkaline-earth atoms, and other realizations of SU⁡(N) physics.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Robert A. Welch Foundation; W. F. Keck Foundation; USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0022311; 2207048; PHY-1848304; C-1872; 995764; CNS-1338099; PHY-1066293; PHY-1748958; SC-0022311
• OSTI ID: 2246993
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 2432284
• Journal Information: Physical Review Research, Vol. 5, Issue 4; ISSN 2643-1564
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English