SU(2) gauge theory of the Hubbard model: emergence of an anomalous metallic phase near the Mott critical point

We propose one possible mechanism for an anomalous metallic phase appearing frequently in two spatial dimensions, that is, local pairing fluctuations. Introducing a pair-rotor representation to decompose bare electrons into collective pairing excitations and renormalized electrons, we derive an SU(2) gauge theory of the Hubbard model as an extended version of its U(1) gauge theory. Since our effective SU(2) gauge theory admits two kinds of collective bosons corresponding to pair excitations and density fluctuations, respectively, an intermediate phase appears naturally between the spin liquid Mott insulator and Fermi liquid metal of the U(1) gauge theory, characterized by softening of density-fluctuation modes as the Fermi liquid, but gapping of pair-excitation modes. We show that this intermediate phase is identified with an anomalous metallic phase because there are no electronlike quasiparticles although it is metallic.