Valley-polarized nematic order in twisted moir\'e systems: In-plane orbital magnetism and non-Fermi liquid to Fermi liquid crossover

TL;DR

This paper explores valley-polarized nematic order in twisted moiré systems, revealing in-plane orbital magnetism, a pseudo-Goldstone mode, and a crossover from non-Fermi liquid to Fermi liquid behavior at low energies.

Contribution

It develops a phenomenological model for valley-polarized nematic order, analyzes its electronic properties, and uncovers a non-Fermi liquid to Fermi liquid crossover driven by a dangerously irrelevant coupling.

Findings

Valley-polarized nematic order breaks multiple symmetries and induces in-plane orbital magnetic moments.

Presence of a pseudo-Goldstone mode at the quantum critical point influences low-energy electronic behavior.

Identification of a crossover energy scale where Fermi liquid behavior re-emerges.

Abstract

The interplay between strong correlations and non-trivial topology in twisted moir\'e systems can give rise to a rich landscape of ordered states that intertwine the spin, valley, and charge degrees of freedom. In this paper, we investigate the properties of a system that displays long-range valley-polarized nematic order. Besides breaking the threefold rotational symmetry of the triangular moir\'e superlattice, this type of order also breaks twofold rotational and time-reversal symmetries, which leads to interesting properties. First, we develop a phenomenological model to describe the onset of this ordered state in twisted moir\'e systems and to explore its signatures in their thermodynamic and electronic properties. Its main manifestation is that it triggers the emergence of in-plane orbital magnetic moments oriented along high-symmetry lattice directions. We also investigate the properties of the valley-polarized nematic state at zero temperature. Due to the existence of a dangerously irrelevant coupling $\lambda$ in the six-state clock model that describes the putative valley-polarized nematic quantum critical point, the ordered state displays a pseudo-Goldstone mode. Using a two-patch model, we compute the fermionic self-energy to show that down to very low energies, the Yukawa-like coupling between the pseudo-Goldstone mode and the electronic degrees of freedom promotes the emergence of non-Fermi liquid behavior. Below a crossover energy scale $\Omega^{*}\sim\lambda^{3/2}$, however, Fermi liquid behavior is recovered. Finally, we discuss the applicability of these results to other non-trivial nematic states, such as the spin-polarized nematic phase.