Quantum Phase transition in the two dimensional ionic-Hubbard model

Abstract

We employ the dynamical mean field approximation to study the effects of ionic potential ($\Delta$) on the square lattice Hubbard model. At half-filling when the staggered potential ($\Delta$) dominates the on-site Hubbard interaction ($U$), the system is in the band insulator phase. We find that competition between $U$ and $\Delta$ can suppress the gap to zero and leading to an intermediate metallic region. At the large-$U$ limit, we identify a Mott insulator phase where the gap opens again and increases upon increasing the Hubbard interaction U. For $U\le 9t$ and $\Delta \approx 0$ the phase of the system is metallic, but for larger $U$ the system is in the Mott insulator phase.

12 pages, 6 figures submitted to Phys. Lett. A