Work

Electron-hole pair condensation at the semimetal-semiconductor transition: A BCS-BEC crossover scenario

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: We act on the suggestion that an excitonic insulator state might separate---at very low temperatures---a semimetal from a semiconductor and ask for the nature of these transitions. Based on the analysis of electron-hole pairing in the extended Falicov-Kimball model, we show that tuning the Coulomb attraction between both species, a continuous crossover between a BCS-like transition of Cooper-type pairs and a Bose-Einstein condensation of preformed tightly bound excitons might be achieved in a solid-state system. The precursor of this crossover in the normal state might cause the transport anomalies observed in several strongly correlated mixed-valence compounds.

Source: Physical Review B

DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.85.121102

Authors: B. Zenker, D. Ihle, F. X. Bronold, H. Fehske

Institutions: Universität Greifswald, Leipzig University

Language: English

Topic: Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Award: G5620122118