Ising Nematic Quantum Critical Point in a Metal: A Monte Carlo Study

Abstract

The Ising nematic quantum critical point associated with the zero-temperature transition from a symmetric to a nematic metal is an exemplar of metallic quantum criticality. We carry out a minus-sign-free quantum Monte Carlo study of this quantum critical point for a two-dimensional lattice model with sizes up to 24 × 24 sites. For the parameters in this study, some (but not all) correlation functions exhibit scaling behavior over the accessible ranges of temperature, (imaginary) time, and distance, and the system remains nonsuperconducting down to the lowest accessible temperatures. The observed scaling behavior has remarkable similarities to recently measured properties of the Fe-based superconductors proximate to their putative nematic quantum critical point.