Spin-Charge Separation and Kinetic Energy in the t-J Model

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that spin-charge separation in the 2-D t-J model significantly increases kinetic energy, which challenges the stability of mean-field states and supports the idea that recombination processes may lead to superconductivity.

Contribution

It provides an exact bound for kinetic energy in the t-J model and shows that mean-field states with spin-charge separation have higher KE than this bound, indicating instability.

Findings

Mean-field states exhibit KE much larger than the exact lower bound.

Excess KE is due to electron and hole depletion at band edges.

Correctly imposed constraints do not reduce KE below the bound.

Abstract

I show that spin-charge separation in 2-D t-J model leads to an increase of kinetic energy. Using a sum rule, I derive an exact expression for the lowest possible KE (E_{bound}) for any state without doubly occupied sites. KE of relevant slave-boson and Schwinger-boson mean-field states -- which exhibit complete spin-charge separation -- are found to be much larger than E_{bound}. Examination of n(k) shows that the large increse in KE is due to excessive depletion of electrons from the bottom of the band (Schwinger boson) and of holes from the top (slave boson). To see whether the excess KE is simply due to poor treatment of the constraints, I solve the constraint problem analytically for the Schwinger boson case in the J = 0 limit. This restores gauge invariance, incorrectly violated in MF theories. The result is a generalized Hartree-Fock state of the Hubbard model, but one that includes spin waves. Even after constraints are imposed correctly, the KE remains much larger than E_{bound}. These results support the notion, advanced earlier [PRB 61, 8663 (2000)] that spin-charge separation in the MF state costs excessive KE, and makes the state unstable toward recombination processes which lead to superconductivity in d = 2 and a Fermi liquid state in higher dimensions.