Exotic phases and quantum criticality in gapless correlated electron systems

In this thesis, I theoretically studied exotic phases of matter than arise due to strong interactions between electrons in three different scenarios. Firstly, at a stripe melting phase transition, which may be relevant for the high temperature superconductors, where we propose a specific type of transition which produces critical exponents agreeing with neutron scattering experiments on LSCO. Secondly, for a Pomeranchuk transition where an electronic nematic order parameter develops we present a controlled expansion within which the physics of such a transition, and of the related problem of fermions coupled to a gauge field, can be addressed. Thirdly, in a quantum spin liquid phase that is likely to be realized in certain organic Mott insulators. Here we show how such a phase can be accessed from a low energy description of a metal, without resorting to slave-particle constructions. Methodologically, the work in this thesis relies on field theoretical methods such as the renormalization group, the large-N and related expansions, dualities, bosonization and slave-particle constructions.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Mross, David Fabian

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Senthil Todadri.

• Physics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/84394

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/84394