Local criticality close to a quantum Lifshitz point

TL;DR

This paper explores a local quantum critical regime near quantum Lifshitz points, where spin fluctuations are spatially local but temporally extended, affecting Fermi liquid behavior in heavy fermions and frustrated systems.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of local criticality near quantum Lifshitz points and analyzes its implications for Fermi liquid properties governed by a single energy scale.

Findings

Critical fluctuations are local in space but extended in time.

Fermi liquid properties are governed by a single coherence temperature.

Relevance extends to heavy fermions and frustrated systems with competing instabilities.

Abstract

Near quantum Lifshitz points the stiffness of the lifetime of the spin fluctuations is very small. This gives rise to a regime where the critical fluctuations are local in space but extended along the time directions. The Fermi liquid properties in this local quantum regime is governed by a single energy scale, the coherence temperature. These results are relevant for heavy fermions and frustrated systems whenever there is a competition between different instabilities in $q$-space.