Theory of a Fermi-Liquid-to-Non-Fermi-Liquid Quantum Phase Transition in Dimensions d>1

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework describing a quantum phase transition from a Fermi liquid to a non-Fermi-liquid state in dimensions greater than one, driven by effective interactions and characterized by diverging susceptibilities.

Contribution

It introduces a scaling and effective field theory approach to analyze the Fermi-liquid instability and the critical behavior of the transition in higher dimensions.

Findings

Order-parameter susceptibility diverges in the Fermi-liquid phase for 1<d<3.

The transition is driven by effective interaction strength.

The theory predicts measurable tunneling signatures at the transition.

Abstract

We develop a theory for a generic instability of a Fermi liquid in dimension d>1 against the formation of a Luttinger-liquid-like state. The density of states at the Fermi level is the order parameter for the ensuing quantum phase transition, which is driven by the effective interaction strength. A scaling theory in conjunction with an effective field theoy for clean electrons is used to obtain the critical behavior of observables. In the Fermi-liquid phase the order-parameter susceptibility, which is measurable by tunneling, is predicted to diverge for 1<d<3.