Inhomogeneous metallic phase in a disordered Mott insulator in two dimensions

We show that, with increasing randomness, the spectral gap in a 2D Mott-Hubbard insulator is destroyed first at a disorder V(c1), while antiferromagnetism persists up to a higher V(c2). Most unexpectedly, between V(c1) and V(c2) the system is metallic and is sandwiched between the Mott insulator below V(c1) and the Anderson insulator above V(c2). The metal is formed when the spectral gap gets destroyed locally in regions where the disorder potential is high enough to overcome the interelectron repulsion. This generates puddles with enhanced charge fluctuations that percolate with increasing disorder, resulting in a spatially inhomogeneous metallic phase.     

Novel metallic behavior in two dimensions

Experiments on a sufficiently disordered two-dimensional (2D) electron system in silicon reveal a new and unexpected kind of metallic behavior, where the conductivity decreases as sigma(n(s),T) = sigma(n(s),T = 0)+A(n(s))T(2) (where n(s) is carrier density) to a nonzero value as temperature T-->0. In 2D, the existence of a metal with dsigma/dT>0 is very surprising. In addition, a novel type of a metal-insulator transition obtains, which is unlike any known quantum phase transition in 2D.     

Properties of the t-J model in the dynamical mean field theory: One-particle properties in the antiferromagnetic phase

We study the one-particle properties of the t-J model within the framework of Vollhardt's dynamical mean field theory. By introducing an AB-sublattice structure we explicitly allow for a broken symmetry for the spin degrees of freedom and are thus able to calculate the one-particle spectral function in the antiferromagnetic phase. We observe surprisingly rich structures in the one-particle density of states for T < T _N at finite doping up to 15%. These structures can be related to the well known results for one single hole in the Néel background. We are thus able to establish the relevance of this at a first sight academic limit to physical properties of the t-J model with a finite density of holes in the thermodynamical limit.     

Low-temperature collapse of electron localization in two dimensions

We report direct experimental evidence that the insulating phase of a disordered, yet strongly interacting two-dimensional electron system becomes unstable at low temperatures. As the temperature decreases, a transition from insulating to metal-like transport behavior is observed, which persists even when the resistivity of the system greatly exceeds the quantum of resistivity h/e2. The results have been achieved by measuring transport on a mesoscopic length scale while systematically varying the strength of disorder.     

Interface properties of the three-state potts model in two dimensions

Interface properties, in particular the interface free energy and the interface profile of the three-state Potts model in two dimensions are studied using Monte Carlo techniques and a generalized version of the method of Müller-Hartmann and Zittartz. The role of the third state in characterizing the interface between the two other states is elucidated.     

A new metallic state in two dimensions

We report the discovery of a new and unexpected kind of metal in two dimensions (2D), which exists in the presence of scattering by local magnetic moments. The experiment was carried out on a 2D electron system in silicon, where the local magnetic moments have been induced by disorder and their number was varied using substrate bias (V_sub). In the new metal, the conductivity decreases as σ(n_s,T)=σ(n_s,T=0)+A(n_s)T² (n_s – carrier density) to a non-zero value as temperature T→0. In three dimensions, this T² dependence is well known, and results from Kondo scattering by local magnetic moments. In 2D, however, the existence of a metal with dσ/dT>0 is very surprising. As the number of local moments is reduced, the range of temperatures [T<T_m(V_sub)] where they dominate transport becomes smaller. For T>T_m, we observe the usual 2D metallic behavior with dσ/dT<0.     

Ground-state properties of the Falicov-Kimball model in one and two dimensions

A new numerical method is used to study the ground-state properties of the spinless Falicov-Kimball model in one and two dimensions. The resultant solutions are used to examine the phase diagram of the model as well as possibilities for valence and metal-insulator transitions. In one dimension a comprehensive phase diagram of the model is presented. On the base of this phase diagram, the complete picture of valence and metal-insulator transitions is discussed. In two dimensions the structure of ground-state configurations is described for intermediate interactions between f and d electrons. In this region the phase separation and metal-insulator transitions are found at low f-electron concentrations. It is shown that valence transitions exhibit a staircase structure. Received 20 October 2000     

First order phase transition in the plane rotator ferromagnetic model in two dimensions

We show that the two-dimensional isotropic ferromagnetic rotator model exhibits a first order phase transition if the interaction decays asr ^– with 2<<4.Work supported by Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique.