Solvable Theory of a Strange Metal at the Breakdown of a Heavy Fermi Liquid

TL;DR

This paper develops a controlled theoretical framework for quantum critical points in heavy fermion systems, explaining strange metal behavior and universal transport properties near the breakdown of a heavy Fermi liquid.

Contribution

It introduces a new effective theory capturing strongly coupled metallic quantum criticality with universal transport phenomena, contrasting with previous weak-coupling approaches.

Findings

Reproduces linear-in-T resistivity characteristic of strange metals

Predicts near-universal Planckian transport lifetime at the QCP

Explains peak in Hall coefficient during critical crossover

Abstract

We introduce an effective theory for quantum critical points (QCPs) in heavy fermion systems, involving a change in carrier density without symmetry breaking. Our new theory captures a strongly coupled metallic QCP, leading to robust marginal Fermi liquid transport phenomenology, and associated linear in temperature ($T$) "strange metal" resistivity, all within a controlled large $N$ limit. In the parameter regime of strong damping of emergent bosonic excitations, the QCP also displays a near-universal "Planckian" transport lifetime, $\tau_{\mathrm{tr}}\sim\hbar/(k_BT)$. This is contrasted with the conventional so-called "slave boson" theory of the Kondo breakdown, where the large $N$ limit describes a weak coupling fixed point and non-trivial transport behavior may only be obtained through uncontrolled $1/N$ corrections. We also compute the weak-field Hall coefficient within the effective model as the system is tuned across the transition. We further find that between the two plateaus, reflecting the different carrier densities in the two Fermi liquid phases, the Hall coefficient can develop a peak in the critical crossover regime, like in recent experimental findings, in the parameter regime of weak boson damping.