Phase transition with trivial quantum criticality in an anisotropic Weyl semimetal

Xin Li, Jing-Rong Wang, and Guo-Zhu Liu
Phys. Rev. B 97, 184508 – Published 17 May 2018

Abstract

When a metal undergoes continuous quantum phase transition, the correlation length diverges at the critical point and the quantum fluctuation of order parameter behaves as a gapless bosonic mode. Generically, the coupling of this boson to fermions induces a variety of unusual quantum critical phenomena, such as non-Fermi liquid behavior and various emergent symmetries. Here, we perform a renormalization group analysis of the semimetal-superconductor quantum criticality in a three-dimensional anisotropic Weyl semimetal. Surprisingly, distinct from previously studied quantum critical systems, the anomalous dimension of anisotropic Weyl fermions flows to zero very quickly with decreasing energy, and the quasiparticle residue takes a nonzero value. These results indicate that the quantum fluctuation of superconducting order parameter is irrelevant at low energies, and a simple mean-field calculation suffices to capture the essential physics of the superconducting transition. We thus obtain a phase transition that exhibits trivial quantum criticality, which is unique comparing to other invariably nontrivial quantum critical systems. Our theoretical prediction can be experimentally verified by measuring the fermion spectral function and specific heat.

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  • Received 24 January 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.184508

©2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Xin Li1, Jing-Rong Wang2, and Guo-Zhu Liu1,*

  • 1Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China
  • 2Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei, Anhui 230031, People's Republic of China

  • *Corresponding author: gzliu@ustc.edu.cn

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Vol. 97, Iss. 18 — 1 May 2018

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