No Arabic abstract
A simple and commonly employed approximate technique with which one can examine spatially disordered systems when strong electronic correlations are present is based on the use of real-space unrestricted self-consistent Hartree-Fock wave functions. In such an approach the disorder is treated exactly while the correlations are treated approximately. In this report we critique the success of this approximation by making comparisons between such solutions and the exact wave functions for the Anderson-Hubbard model. Due to the sizes of the complete Hilbert spaces for these problems, the comparisons are restricted to small one-dimensional chains, up to ten sites, and a 4x4 two-dimensional cluster, and at 1/2 filling these Hilbert spaces contain about 63,500 and 166 million states, respectively. We have completed these calculations both at and away from 1/2 filling. This approximation is based on a variational approach which minimizes the Hartree-Fock energy, and we have completed comparisons of the exact and Hartree-Fock energies. However, in order to assess the success of this approximation in reproducing ground-state correlations we have completed comparisons of the local charge and spin correlations, including the calculation of the overlap of the Hartree-Fock wave functions with those of the exact solutions. We find that this approximation reproduces the local charge densities to quite a high accuracy, but that the local spin correlations, as represented by < S_i . S_j >, are not as well represented. In addition to these comparisons, we discuss the properties of the spin degrees of freedom in the HF approximation, and where in the disorder-interaction phase diagram such physics may be important.
We have obtained the exact ground state wave functions of the Anderson-Hubbard model for different electron fillings on a 4x4 lattice with periodic boundary conditions - for 1/2 filling such ground states have roughly 166 million states. When compared to the uncorrelated ground states (Hubbard interaction set to zero) we have found strong evidence of the very effective screening of the charge homogeneities due to the Hubbard interaction. We have successfully modelled these local charge densities using a non-interacting model with a static screening of the impurity potentials. In addition, we have compared such wave functions to self-consistent real-space unrestricted Hartree-Fock solutions and have found that these approximate ground state wave functions are remarkably successful at reproducing the local charge densities, and may indicate the role of dipolar backflow in producing a novel metallic state in two dimensions.
Partially-projected Gutzwiller variational wavefunctions are used to describe the ground state of disordered interacting systems of fermions. We compare several different variational ground states with the exact ground state for disordered one-dimensional chains, with the goal of determining a minimal set of variational parameters required to accurately describe the spatially-inhomogeneous charge densities and spin correlations. We find that, for weak and intermediate disorder, it is sufficient to include spatial variations of the charge densities in the product state alone, provided that screening of the disorder potential is accounted for. For strong disorder, this prescription is insufficient and it is necessary to include spatially inhomogeneous variational parameters as well.
Twisted bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides have emerged as important model systems for the investigation of correlated electron physics because their interaction strength, carrier concentration, band structure, and inversion symmetry breaking are controllable by device fabrication, twist angle, and most importantly, gate voltage, which can be varied in situ. The low energy physics of some of these materials has been shown to be described by a moire Hubbard model generalized from the usual Hubbard model by the addition of strong, tunable spin orbit coupling and inversion symmetry breaking. In this work, we use a Hartree-Fock approximation to reach a comprehensive understanding of the moire Hubbard model on the mean field level. We determine the magnetic and metal-insulator phase diagrams, and assess the effects of spin orbit coupling, inversion symmetry breaking, and the tunable van Hove singularity. We also consider the spin and orbital effects of applied magnetic fields. This work provides guidance for experiments and sets the stage for beyond mean-field calculations.
The nonequilibrium variational-cluster approach is applied to study the real-time dynamics of the double occupancy in the one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model after different fast changes of hopping parameters. A simple reference system, consisting of isolated Hubbard dimers, is used to discuss different aspects of the numerical implementation of the approach in the general framework of nonequilibrium self-energy functional theory. Opposed to a direct solution of the Euler equation, its time derivative is found to serve as numerically tractable and stable conditional equation to fix the time-dependent variational parameters.
In this work, we study the extended Falicov-Kimball model at half-filling within the Hartree-Fock approach (HFA) (for various crystal lattices) and compare the results obtained with the rigorous ones derived within the dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). The model describes a system, where electrons with spin-$downarrow$ are itinerant (with hopping amplitude $t$), whereas those with spin-$uparrow$ are localized. The particles interact via on-site $U$ and intersite $V$ density-density Coulomb interactions. We show that the HFA description of the ground state properties of the model is equivalent to the exact DMFT solution and provides a qualitatively correct picture also for a range of small temperatures. It does capture the discontinuous transition between ordered phases at $U=2V$ for small temperatures as well as correct features of the continuous order-disorder transition. However, the HFA predicts that the discontinuous boundary ends at the isolated-critical point (of the liquid-gas type) and it does not merge with the continuous boundary. This approach cannot also describe properly a change of order of the continuous transition for large $V$ as well as various metal-insulator transitions found within the DMFT.