CMSA Quantum Matter in Mathematics and Physics: Metal-to-metal quantum phase transitions not described by symmetry-breaking orders

CMSA EVENTS

Speaker:

Subir Sachdev - Harvard University

Numerous experiments have explored the phases of the cuprates with increasing doping density p from the antiferromagnetic insulator. There is now strong evidence that the small p region is a novel phase of matter, often called the pseudo gap metal, separated from conventional Fermi liquid at larger p by a quantum phase transition. Symmetry-breaking orders play a spectator role, at best, at this quantum phase transition. I will describe trial wave functions across this metal-metal transition employing hidden layers of ancilla qubits (proposed by Ya-Hui Zhang).Quantum fluctuations are described by a gauge theory of ghost fermions that carry neither spin nor charge. I will also describe a separate approach to this transition in a t-J model with random exchange interactions in the limit of large dimensions. This approach leads to a partly solvable SYK-like critical theory of holons and spinons, and a linear in temperature resistivity from time reparameterization fluctuations. Near criticality, both approaches have in common emergent fractionalized excitations, and a significantly larger entropy than naively expected.

Zoom: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/977347126