Spin-triplet superconductivity in a weak-coupling Hubbard model for the quasi-one-dimensional compound Li$_{0.9}$Mo$_6$O$_{17}$

TL;DR

This study uses a minimal Hubbard model and renormalization group analysis to reveal that Li$_{0.9}$Mo$_6$O$_{17}$ likely exhibits spin triplet odd-parity superconductivity with a nodal gap structure.

Contribution

It provides the first theoretical evidence that spin triplet pairing dominates in a minimal Hubbard model for this quasi-one-dimensional superconductor.

Findings

Spin triplet odd-parity superconductivity is the dominant instability.

Fermi surface nesting enhances specific pairing interactions.

The superconducting gap has accidental nodes with more sign changes than symmetry dictates.

Abstract

The purple bronze Li$_{0.9}$Mo$_6$O$_{17}$ is of interest due to its quasi-one-dimensional electronic structure and the possible Luttinger liquid behavior resulting from it. For sufficiently low temperatures, it is a superconductor with a pairing symmetry that is still to be determined. To shed light on this issue, we analyze a minimal Hubbard model for this material involving four molybdenum orbitals per unit cell near quarter filling, using asymptotically exact perturbative renormalization group methods. We find that spin triplet odd-parity superconductivity is the dominant instability. Approximate nesting properties of the two quasi-one-dimensional Fermi surfaces enhance certain second-order processes, which play crucial roles in determining the structure of the pairing gap. Notably, we find that the gap has accidental nodes, i.e. it has more sign changes than required by the point-group symmetry.