Orbital-selective Mott transitions in the 2-band J_z-model: a high-precision quantum Monte Carlo study

Using high-precision quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations within the framework of dynamical mean field theory (DMFT), we show that the anisotropic degenerate two-orbital Hubbard model contains two consecutive orbital-selective Mott transitions (OSMTs) even in the absence of spin-flip terms and pair-hopping processes. In order to reveal the second transition we carefully analyze the low-frequency part of the self-energy and the local spectral functions. This paper extends our previous work to lower temperatures. We discuss the nature - in particular the order - of both Mott transitions and list various possible extensions.

Efficiency of quantum Monte Carlo impurity solvers for dynamical mean-field theory

Since the inception of the dynamical mean-field theory, numerous numerical studies have relied on the Hirsch-Fye quantum Monte Carlo (HF-QMC) method for solving the associated impurity problem. Recently developed continuous-time algorithms (CT-QMC) avoid the Trotter discretization error and allow for faster configuration updates, which makes them candidates for replacing HF-QMC. We demonstrate, however, that a state-of-the-art implementation of HF-QMC (with extrapolation of discretization delta_tau -> 0) is competitive with CT-QMC. A quantitative analysis of Trotter errors in HF-QMC estimates and of appropriate delta_tau values is included.

Orbital-selective Mott transitions in the anisotropic two-band Hubbard model at finite temperatures

The anisotropic degenerate two-orbital Hubbard model is studied within dynamical mean-field theory at low temperatures. High-precision calculations on the basis of a refined quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method reveal that two distinct orbital-selective Mott transitions occur for a bandwidth ratio of 2 even in the absence of spin-flip contributions to the Hund exchange. The second transition -- not seen in earlier studies using QMC, iterative perturbation theory, and exact diagonalization -- is clearly exposed in a low-frequency analysis of the self-energy and in local spectra.

Universal probes for antiferromagnetic correlations and entropy in cold fermions on optical lattices

We determine antiferromagnetic (AF) signatures in the half-filled Hubbard model at strong coupling on a cubic lattice and in lower dimensions. Upon cooling, the transition from the charge-excitation regime to the AF Heisenberg regime is signaled by a universal minimum of the double occupancy at entropy s=S/(N k_B)=s*=ln(2) per particle and a linear increase of the next-nearest neighbor (NNN) spin correlation function for s<s*. This crossover, driven by a gain in kinetic exchange energy, appears as the essential AF physics relevant for current cold-atom experiments. The onset of long-range AF order (at low s on cubic lattices) is hardly visible in nearest-neighbor spin correlations versus s,…

Orbital-selective Mott Transitions in a Doped Two-band Hubbard Model

We extend previous studies on orbital-selective Mott transitions in the paramagnetic state of the half-filled degenerate two-band Hubbard model to the general doped case, using a high-precision quantum Monte Carlo dynamical mean-field theory solver. For sufficiently strong interactions, orbital-selective Mott transitions as a function of total band filling are clearly visible in the band-specific fillings, quasiparticle weights, double occupancies, and spectra. The results are contrasted with those of single-band models for similar correlation strengths.

Momentum structure of the self-energy and its parametrization for the two-dimensional Hubbard model

We compute the self-energy for the half-filled Hubbard model on a square lattice using lattice quantum Monte Carlo simulations and the dynamical vertex approximation. The self-energy is strongly momentum dependent, but it can be parametrized via the non-interacting energy-momentum dispersion $\varepsilon_{\mathbf{k}}$, except for pseudogap features right at the Fermi edge. That is, it can be written as $\Sigma(\varepsilon_{\mathbf{k}},\omega)$, with two energy-like parameters ($\varepsilon$, $\omega$) instead of three ($k_x$, $k_y$ and $\omega$). The self-energy has two rather broad and weakly dispersing high energy features and a sharp $\omega= \varepsilon_{\mathbf{k}}$ feature at high tem…

Realistic investigations of correlated electron systems with LDA + DMFT

Conventional band structure calculations in the local density approximation (LDA) [1–3] are highly successful for many materials, but miss important aspects of the physics and energetics of strongly correlated electron systems, such as transition metal oxides and f-electron systems displaying, e.g., Mott insulating and heavy quasiparticle behavior. In this respect, the LDA + DMFT approach which merges LDA with a modern many-body approach, the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), has proved to be a breakthrough for the realistic modeling of correlated materials. Depending on the strength of the electronic correlation, a LDA + DMFT calculation yields the weakly correlated LDA results, a strong…

Mott transitions in ternary flavor mixtures of ultracold fermions on optical lattices

Ternary flavor mixtures of ultracold fermionic atoms in an optical lattice are studied in the case of equal, repulsive on-site interactions U&gt;0. The corresponding SU(3) invariant Hubbard model is solved numerically exactly within dynamical mean-field theory using multigrid Hirsch-Fye quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We establish Mott transitions close to integer filling at low temperatures and show that the associated signatures in the compressibility and pair occupancy persist to high temperatures, i.e., should be accessible to experiments. In addition, we present spectral functions and discuss the properties of a ``semi-compressible'' state observed for large U near half filling.

Quasi-continuous-time impurity solver for the dynamical mean-field theory with linear scaling in the inverse temperature

We present an algorithm for solving the self-consistency equations of the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) with high precision and efficiency at low temperatures. In each DMFT iteration, the impurity problem is mapped to an auxiliary Hamiltonian, for which the Green function is computed by combining determinantal quantum Monte Carlo (BSS-QMC) calculations with a multigrid extrapolation procedure. The method is numerically exact, i.e., yields results which are free of significant Trotter errors, but retains the BSS advantage, compared to direct QMC impurity solvers, of linear (instead of cubic) scaling with the inverse temperature. The new algorithm is applied to the half-filled Hubbard mo…

Mott transitions in the half-filled SU(2M) symmetric Hubbard model

The Hubbard model with large orbital degeneracy has recently gained relevance in the context of ultracold earth alkali like atoms. We compute its static properties in the SU(2M) symmetric limit for up to M=8 bands at half filling within dynamical mean-field theory, using the numerically exact multigrid Hirsch-Fye quantum Monte Carlo approach. Based on this unbiased data, we establish scaling laws which predict the phase boundaries of the paramagnetic Mott metal-insulator transition at arbitrary orbital degeneracy M with high accuracy.

Orbital-selective Mott transitions in a doped two-band Hubbard model with crystal field splitting

We investigate the effects of crystal field splitting in a doped two-band Hubbard model with different bandwidths within dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), using a quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver. In addition to an orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP) of the narrow band, which is adiabatically connected with the well-studied OSMP in the half-filled case without crystal field splitting, we find, for sufficiently strong interaction and a suitable crystal field, also an OSMP of the wide band. We establish the phase diagram (in the absence of magnetic or orbital order) at moderate doping as a function of interaction strength and crystal field splitting and show that also the wide-band OSMP …

Fate of the false Mott-Hubbard transition in two dimensions

We have studied the impact of non-local electronic correlations at all length scales on the Mott-Hubbard metal-insulator transition in the unfrustrated two-dimensional Hubbard model. Combining dynamical vertex approximation, lattice quantum Monte-Carlo and variational cluster approximation, we demonstrate that scattering at long-range fluctuations, i.e., Slater-like paramagnons, opens a spectral gap at weak-to-intermediate coupling -- irrespectively of the preformation of localized or short-ranged magnetic moments. This is the reason, why the two-dimensional Hubbard model is insulating at low enough temperatures for any (finite) interaction and no Mott-Hubbard transition is observed.

Orbital-selective Mott transitions in two-band Hubbard models

The anisotropic two-orbital Hubbard model is investigated at low temperatures using high-precision quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations within dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). We demonstrate that two distinct orbital-selective Mott transitions (OSMTs) occur for a bandwidth ratio of 2 even without spin-flip contributions to the Hund exchange, and we quantify numerical errors in earlier QMC data which had obscured the second transition. The limit of small inter-orbital coupling is introduced via a new generalized Hamiltonian and studied using QMC and Potthoff's self-energy functional method, yielding insight into the nature of the OSMTs and the non-Fermi-liquid OSM phase and opening the p…

Ground state of the frustrated Hubbard model within DMFT: energetics of Mott insulator and metal from ePT and QMC

We present a new method, ePT, for extrapolating few known coefficients of a perturbative expansion. Controlled by comparisons with numerically exact quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) results, 10th order strong-coupling perturbation theory (PT) for the Hubbard model on the Bethe lattice is reliably extrapolated to infinite order. Within dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), we obtain continuous estimates of energy E and double occupancy D with unprecedented precision O(10^{-5}) for the Mott insulator above its stability edge U_{c1}=4.78 as well as critical exponents. In addition, we derive corresponding precise estimates for E and D in the metallic ground state from extensive low-temperature QMC simul…

Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of antiferromagnetism in ultracold fermions on optical lattices within real-space dynamical mean-field theory

We present a massively parallel quantum Monte Carlo based implementation of real-space dynamical mean-field theory for general inhomogeneous correlated fermionic lattice systems. As a first application, we study magnetic order in a binary mixture of repulsively interacting fermionic atoms harmonically trapped in an optical lattice. We explore temperature effects and establish signatures of the N\'{e}el transition in observables directly accessible in cold-atom experiments; entropy estimates are also provided. We demonstrate that the local density approximation (LDA) fails for ordered phases. In contrast, a "slab" approximation allows us to reach experimental system sizes with O(10^5) atoms …

Experimentelle Allergologie/Immunologie

Mott insulator: Tenth-order perturbation theory extended to infinite order using a quantum Monte Carlo scheme

We present a method based on the combination of analytical and numerical techniques within the framework of the dynamical mean-field theory. Building upon numerically exact results obtained in an improved quantum Monte Carlo scheme, tenth-order strong-coupling perturbation theory for the Hubbard model on the Bethe lattice is extrapolated to infinite order. We obtain continuous estimates of energy $E$ and double occupancy $D$ with unprecedented precision $\mathcal{O}({10}^{\ensuremath{-}5})$ for the Mott insulator above its stability edge ${U}_{c1}\ensuremath{\approx}4.78$ as well as critical exponents. The relevance for recent experiments on Cr-doped ${\mathrm{V}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is po…

Néel Transition of Lattice Fermions in a Harmonic Trap: A Real-Space Dynamic Mean-Field Study

We study the magnetic ordering transition for a system of harmonically trapped ultracold fermions with repulsive interactions in a cubic optical lattice, within a real-space extension of dynamical mean-field theory. Using a quantum Monte Carlo impurity solver, we establish that antiferromagnetic correlations are signaled, at strong coupling, by an enhanced double occupancy. This signature is directly accessible experimentally and should be observable well above the critical temperature for long-range order. Dimensional aspects appear less relevant than naively expected.

Magnetic phase diagram of the anisotropic multi-band Hubbard model

Using quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations we determine the magnetic phase diagram of the anisotropic two-band Hubbard model within the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) in the important intermediate-coupling regime. We compare the QMC predictions with exact results from second-order weak-and strong-coupling perturbation theory. We find that the orbital-selective Mott transition (OSMT), which occurs in the fully frustrated case, is completely hidden in the antiferromagnetic (AF) ground state of the model. On the basis of our results, we discuss possible mechanisms of frustration. We also demonstrate the close relationship of the physics of the two-band Hubbard model in the orbital-selecti…

Discriminating antiferromagnetic signatures in systems of ultracold fermions by tunable geometric frustration

Recently, it has become possible to tune optical lattices continuously between square and triangular geometries. We compute thermodynamics and spin correlations in the corresponding Hubbard model using a determinant quantum Monte Carlo technique and show that the frustration effects induced by the variable hopping terms can be clearly separated from concomitant bandwidth changes by a proper rescaling of the interaction. An enhancement of the double occupancy by geometric frustration signals the destruction of nontrivial antiferromagnetic correlations at weak coupling and entropy $s\ensuremath{\lesssim}\mathrm{ln}(2)$ (and restores Pomeranchuk cooling at strong frustration), paving the way t…

Deciding the fate of the false Mott transition in two dimensions by exact quantum Monte Carlo methods

We present an algorithm for the computation of unbiased Green functions and self-energies for quantum lattice models, free from systematic errors and valid in the thermodynamic limit. The method combines direct lattice simulations using the Blankenbecler Scalapino-Sugar quantum Monte Carlo (BSS-QMC) approach with controlled multigrid extrapolation techniques. We show that the half-filled Hubbard model is insulating at low temperatures even in the weak-coupling regime; the previously claimed Mott transition at intermediate coupling does not exist.

Green functions for nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor hopping on the Bethe lattice

We calculate the local Green function for a quantum-mechanical particle with hopping between nearest and next-nearest neighbors on the Bethe lattice, where the on-site energies may alternate on sublattices. For infinite connectivity the renormalized perturbation expansion is carried out by counting all non-self-intersecting paths, leading to an implicit equation for the local Green function. By integrating out branches of the Bethe lattice the same equation is obtained from a path integral approach for the partition function. This also provides the local Green function for finite connectivity. Finally, a recently developed topological approach is extended to derive an operator identity whic…

Transport Properties of Correlated Electrons in High Dimensions

We develop a new general algorithm for finding a regular tight-binding lattice Hamiltonian in infinite dimensions for an arbitrary given shape of the density of states (DOS). The availability of such an algorithm is essential for the investigation of broken-symmetry phases of interacting electron systems and for the computation of transport properties within the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). The algorithm enables us to calculate the optical conductivity fully consistently on a regular lattice, e.g., for the semi-elliptical (Bethe) DOS. We discuss the relevant f-sum rule and present numerical results obtained using quantum Monte Carlo techniques.

Momentum-dependent pseudogaps in the half-filled two-dimensional Hubbard model

We compute unbiased spectral functions of the two-dimensional Hubbard model by extrapolating Green functions, obtained from determinantal quantum Monte Carlo simulations, to the thermodynamic and continuous time limits. Our results clearly resolve the pseudogap at weak to intermediate coupling, originating from a momentum selective opening of the charge gap. A characteristic pseudogap temperature T*, determined consistently from the spectra and from the momentum dependence of the imaginary-time Green functions, is found to match the dynamical mean-field critical temperature, below which antiferromagnetic fluctuations become dominant. Our results identify a regime where pseudogap physics is …