Quantum delocalization, structural order, and density response of the strongly coupled electron liquid

TL;DR

This paper explores how quantum effects and electronic correlations influence the structure and density response of the strongly coupled electron liquid, revealing quantum-induced suppression at small scales and effective attractions at certain wavelengths.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous analysis of quantum delocalization effects on the static structure factor and response functions using imaginary-time correlation functions.

Findings

Density response vanishes at small scales due to quantum delocalization

Identification of an effective electronic attraction at specific wavelengths

Analysis of the interplay between structural order and quantum effects

Abstract

We investigate the impact of electronic correlations and quantum delocalization onto the static structure factor and static density response function of the strongly coupled electron liquid. In contrast to a classical system, the density response of the electron liquid vanishes on small length scales due to quantum delocalization effects, which we rigorously quantify in terms of imaginary-time correlation functions and dynamic Matsubara response functions. This allows us to analyze the interplay of structural order and dynamic quantum effects as it manifests in the dynamic Matsubara local field correction. Finally, we identify an effective electronic attraction in the spin-offdiagonal static density response when the wavelength of the perturbation is commensurate with the average interparticle distance.