Almost Perfect Metals in One Dimension

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a simple one-dimensional quantum wire with minimal channels can host stable, non-Fermi liquid metallic states resistant to typical perturbations, due to strong interactions among fermions.

Contribution

It introduces a class of stable metallic states in one dimension with minimal channels, resistant to all finite-order perturbations, expanding the understanding of non-Fermi liquids.

Findings

Stable metallic states exist with as few as 2 channels.

These states are resistant to all perturbations up to any finite order.

Strong interactions underpin the stability of these non-Fermi liquid phases.

Abstract

We show that a one-dimensional quantum wire with as few as 2 channels of interacting fermions can host metallic states of matter that are stable against all perturbations up to $q^\text{th}$-order in fermion creation/annihilation operators for any fixed finite $q$. The leading relevant perturbations are thus complicated operators that are expected to modify the physics only at very low energies, below accessible temperatures. The stability of these non-Fermi liquid fixed points is due to strong interactions between the channels, which can (but need not) be chosen to be purely repulsive. Our results might enable elementary physical realizations of these phases.