DQMP Seminar - Insights into Mechanisms of Strange Metals

05.02.2019 13:00 – 14:30

Insights into Mechanisms of Strange Metals

Abstract: The theory of metals, formulated in the middle of the last century, is one of the most successful theories in condensed matter physics. In essence, it shows how the low-energy properties of a strongly interacting electron liquid can be mapped onto those of a nearly-free electron gas with just a few modifications, such as the replacement of the electron mass by an effective mass. However, this theory is incomplete: there are metals whose behavior deviates strongly from that of nearly free electrons, even down to extremely low temperatures. Understanding this behavior remains one of the major challenges in contemporary condensed matter theory. In this talk, I will describe recent progress in understanding strange metals. One route to strange metallic behavior is to consider a metal on the verge of a quantum phase transition, where the long-wavelength, low-energy fluctuations of the order parameter can lead to a breakdown of Fermi liquid behavior. I will describe numerical and analytical progress in understanding transport properties of critical metals. In addition, I will discuss how a narrow band of "hot", non-degenerate electrons coexisting with a wide band of degenerate electrons can exhibit a broad regime of strange metallic behavior. I will argue that many of the puzzling properties of the strontium ruthenate compounds can be understand in terms of this theory.

Lieu

Bâtiment: Ecole de Physique

Auditoire Stuckelberg

Organisé par

Département de physique de la matière quantique

Intervenant-e-s

Erez Berg , Weizmann Institut of Science

entrée libre

Classement

Catégorie: Séminaire