# Quantum Critical Response at the Onset of Spin Density Wave Order in Two-dimensional Metals

 dc.contributor.author Hartnoll, Sean dc.contributor.author Metlitski, Max dc.contributor.author Hofman, Diego dc.contributor.author Sachdev, Subir dc.date.accessioned 2012-01-30T16:05:21Z dc.date.issued 2011 dc.identifier.citation Hartnoll, Sean, Diego M. Hofman, Max A. Metlitski, and Subir Sachdev. 2011. Quantum critical response at the onset of spin density wave order in two-dimensional metals. Physical Review B 84(12): 125115. en_US dc.identifier.issn 1550-235X en_US dc.identifier.uri http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:8063398 dc.description.abstract We study the frequency dependence of the electron self-energy and the optical conductivity in a recently developed field theory of the spin-density-wave quantum phase transition in two-dimensional metals. We focus on the interplay between the Fermi surface “hot spots” and the remainder of the “cold” Fermi surface. Scattering of electrons off the fluctuations of the spin-density-wave order parameter, $$\varphi$$, is strongest at the hot spots; we compute the conductivity due to this scattering in a rainbow approximation. We point out the importance of composite operators, built of products of the primary electron or $$\varphi$$ fields: These have important effects also away from the hot spots. The simplest composite operator, $$\varphi^2$$, leads to deviations from Landau Fermi-liquid behavior on the entire Fermi surface. We also find an intermediate frequency window in which the cold electrons lose their quasiparticle form due to effectively one-dimensional scattering processes. The latter processes are part of umklapp scattering, which leads to singular contributions to the optical conductivity at the lowest frequencies at zero temperature. en_US dc.description.sponsorship Physics en_US dc.language.iso en_US en_US dc.publisher American Physical Society en_US dc.relation.isversionof doi://10.1103/PhysRevB.84.125115 en_US dc.relation.hasversion http://arxiv.org/abs/1106.0001 en_US dash.license OAP dc.subject strongly correlated electrons en_US dc.subject high energy physics en_US dc.title Quantum Critical Response at the Onset of Spin Density Wave Order in Two-dimensional Metals en_US dc.type Journal Article en_US dc.description.version Author's Original en_US dc.relation.journal Physical Review B en_US dash.depositing.author Sachdev, Subir dc.date.available 2012-01-30T16:05:21Z

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