Topological interpretation of Luttinger theorem

TL;DR

This paper reveals the topological nature of the generalized Luttinger theorem by linking it to the winding number of the Green's function, providing a non-perturbative proof of its validity for symmetric interacting fermions.

Contribution

It introduces a topological interpretation of the generalized Luttinger theorem using winding numbers and proves its validity non-perturbatively under particle-hole symmetry.

Findings

Luttinger volume equals the winding number of the Green's function

Two types of the generalized Luttinger theorem are identified

The theorem holds non-perturbatively for particle-hole symmetric systems

Abstract

Based solely on the analytical properties of the single-particle Green's function of fermions at finite temperatures, we show that the generalized Luttinger theorem inherently possesses topological aspects. The topological interpretation of the generalized Luttinger theorem can be introduced because i) the Luttinger volume is represented as the winding number of the single-particle Green's function and thus ii) the deviation of the theorem, expressed with a ratio between the interacting and noninteracting single-particle Green's functions, is also represented as the winding number of this ratio. The formulation based on the winding number naturally leads to two types of the generalized Luttinger theorem. Exploring two examples of single-band translationally invariant interacting electrons, i.e., simple metal and Mott insulator, we show that the first type falls into the original statement for Fermi liquids given by Luttinger, while the second type corresponds to the extended one for non metallic cases with no Fermi surface generalized by Dzyaloshinskii. This formulation also allows us to derive a sufficient condition for the validity of the Luttinger theorem of the first type by applying the Rouche's theorem in complex analysis as an inequality. Moreover, we can rigorously prove in a non-perturbative manner, without assuming any detail of a microscopic Hamiltonian, that the generalized Luttinger theorem of both types is valid for generic interacting fermions as long as the particle-hole symmetry is preserved. Finally, we show that the winding number of the single-particle Green's function can also be associated with the distribution function of quasiparticles, and therefore the number of quasiparticles is equal to the Luttinger volume.