Inhomogeneous phase formation on the border of itinerant ferromagnetism

Understand

A variety of analytical techniques suggest that quantum fluctuations lead to a fundamental instability of the Fermi liquid that drives ferromagnetic transitions first order at low temperatures.

• We present both analytical and numerical evidence that, driven by the same quantum fluctuations, this first order transition is pre-empted by the formation of an inhomogeneous magnetic phase.
• This occurs in a manner that is closely analogous to the formation of the inhomogeneous superconducting Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state.
• We derive these results from a field theoretical approach supplemented with numerical Quantum Monte Carlo simulations.