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Fractionalization of holographic Fermi surfaces. (English) Zbl 1254.83013

Summary: Zero temperature states of matter at finite charge density are holographically described by a spacetime with an asymptotic electric flux. This flux can be sourced either by explicit charged matter fields in the bulk, by an extremal black hole horizon, or by a combination of the two. We refer to these as mesonic, fully fractionalized and partially fractionalized phases of matter, respectively. By coupling a charged fluid of fermions to an asymptotically AdS\(_{4}\) Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory, we exhibit quantum phase transitions between all three of these phases. The onset of fractionalization can be either a first order or continuous phase transition. In the latter case, at the quantum critical point the theory displays an emergent Lifshitz scaling symmetry in the IR.

MSC:

83C22 Einstein-Maxwell equations
83C57 Black holes
80A10 Classical and relativistic thermodynamics
83C05 Einstein’s equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems)
81T30 String and superstring theories; other extended objects (e.g., branes) in quantum field theory
81T15 Perturbative methods of renormalization applied to problems in quantum field theory