Abstract
A novel type of symmetry breaking is reported for the two-channel Kondo lattice where conduction electrons have spin and orbital (channel) degrees of freedom. Using the continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo and the dynamical mean-field theory, a spontaneous breaking of the orbital symmetry is observed. The tiny breakdown of orbital occupation number, however, vanishes if the conduction electrons have the particle-hole symmetry. The proper order parameter instead is identified as a composite quantity representing the orbital-selective Kondo effect. The single-particle spectrum of the selected orbital shows insulating property, while the other orbital behaves as a Fermi liquid. This composite order is the first example of odd-frequency order other than off-diagonal order (superconductivity), and is a candidate of hidden order in -electron systems.
- Received 24 August 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.247202
© 2011 American Physical Society