The two-dimensional attractive Hubbard model is studied in the weak to intermediate coupling regime by employing a non-perturbative approach. It is first shown that this approach is in quantitative agreement with Monte Carlo calculations for both single-particle and two-particle quantities. Both the density of states and the single-particle spectral weight show a pseudogap at the Fermi energy below some characteristic temperature T*, also in good agreement with quantum Monte Carlo calculations. The pseudogap is caused by critical pairing fluctuations in the low-temperature renormalized classical regime $omega < T$ of the two-dimensional system. With increasing temperature the spectral weight fills in the pseudogap instead of closing it and the pseudogap appears earlier in the density of states than in the spectral function. Small temperature changes around T* can modify the spectral weight over frequency scales much larger than temperature. Several qualitative results for the s-wave case should remain true for d-wave superconductors.
By employing unbiased numerical methods, we show that pulse irradiation can induce unconventional superconductivity even in the Mott insulator of the Hubbard model. The superconductivity found here in the photoexcited state is due to the $eta$-pairing mechanism, characterized by staggered pair-density-wave oscillations in the off-diagonal long-range correlation, and is absent in the ground-state phase diagram; i.e., it is induced neither by a change of the effective interaction of the Hubbard model nor by simple photocarrier doping. Because of the selection rule, we show that the nonlinear optical response is essential to increase the number of $eta$ pairs and thus enhance the superconducting correlation in the photoexcited state. Our finding demonstrates that nonequilibrium many-body dynamics is an alternative pathway to access a new exotic quantum state that is absent in the ground-state phase diagram and also provides an alternative mechanism for enhancing superconductivity.
A non-perturbative approach to the single-band attractive Hubbard model is presented in the general context of functional derivative approaches to many-body theories. As in previous work on the repulsive model, the first step is based on a local-field type ansatz, on enforcement of the Pauli principle and a number of crucial sum-rules. The Mermin-Wagner theorem in two dimensions is automatically satisfied. At this level, two-particle self-consistency has been achieved. In the second step of the approximation, an improved expression for the self-energy is obtained by using the results of the first step in an exact expression for the self-energy where the high- and low-frequency behaviors appear separately. The result is a cooperon-like formula. The required vertex corrections are included in this self-energy expression, as required by the absence of a Migdal theorem for this problem. Other approaches to the attractive Hubbard model are critically compared. Physical consequences of the present approach and agreement with Monte Carlo simulations are demonstrated in the accompanying paper (following this one).
We present a functional renormalization group analysis of superconductivity in the ground state of the attractive Hubbard model on a square lattice. Spontaneous symmetry breaking is treated in a purely fermionic setting via anomalous propagators and anomalous effective interactions. In addition to the anomalous interactions arising already in the reduced BCS model, effective interactions with three incoming legs and one outgoing leg (and vice versa) occur. We accomplish their integration into the usual diagrammatic formalism by introducing a Nambu matrix for the effective interactions. From a random-phase approximation generalized through use of this matrix we conclude that the impact of the 3+1 effective interactions is limited, especially considering the effective interactions important for the determination of the order parameter. The exact hierarchy of flow equations for one-particle irreducible vertex functions is truncated on the two-particle level, with higher-order self-energy corrections included in a scheme proposed by Katanin. Using a parametrization of effective interactions by patches in momentum space, the flow equations can be integrated numerically to the lowest scales without encountering divergences. Momentum-shell as well as interaction-flow cutoff functions are used, including a small external field or a large external field and a counterterm, respectively. Both approaches produce momentum-resolved order parameter values directly from the microscopic model. The size of the superconducting gap is in reasonable agreement with expectations from other studies.
In this thesis, I present a non-perturbative approach to the single-band attractive Hubard model which is an extension of previous work by Vilk and Tremblay on the repulsive model. Exact results are derived in the general context of functional derivative approaches to many-body theories. The first step of the approximation is based on a local field type ansatz. All physical quantities can be expressed as a function of double-occupancy (in addition to temperature and filling). Double-occupancy is determined without adjustable parameter by imposing the Pauli principle and a crucial sum-rule, making the first step of the approximation Two-Particle Self-Consistent. The final expression for the self-energy is obtained by calculating the low-frequency part of the exact expression with the two-particle correlation, Green function and renormalized vertex obtained in the first step of the approximation. The Mermin-Wagner theorem in two dimensions is automatically satisfied. Application of this non-perturbative many-body approach to the intermediate coupling regime shows quantitative agreement with quantum Monte Carlo calculations. Both approaches predict the existence of a pseudogap in the single-particle spectral weight. I present some physical properties, such as correlation lengths, superfluid density, and characteristic pair fluctuation energy, to highlight the origin of the pseudogap in the weak to intermediate coupling regime. These results suggest that two-dimensional systems that are described by a symmetry group larger than SO(2) could have a larger region of pseudogap behavior. High-temperature superconductors may belong to that category of systems.
We address some open questions regarding the phase diagram of the one-dimensional Hubbard model with asymmetric hopping coefficients and balanced species. In the attractive regime we present a numerical study of the passage from on-site pairing dominant correlations at small asymmetries to charge-density waves in the region with markedly different hopping coefficients. In the repulsive regime we exploit two analytical treatments in the strong- and weak-coupling regimes in order to locate the onset of phase separation at small and large asymmetries respectively.