Highly correlated electron materials are systems in which many new states of matter can emerge. A particular situation which favours the formation of exotic phases of the electron liquid in complex materials is that where a quantum critical point (QCP) is present in the phase diagram. Neighbouring regions in parameter space reveal unusual physical properties, described as non-Fermi liquid behaviour. One of the important problems in quantum criticality is to find out how the Fermi surface (FS) of a material evolves near a QCP. The traditional method for studying the FS of materials is the de Haas van Alphen effect (dHvA). A quantum critical end point (QCEP) has been reported in the highly correlated metal Sr₃Ru₂O₇, which is tuned using a magnetic field high enough to perform the dHvA experiment. It moreover features a new emergent phase in the vicinity of the QCEP, a nematic type of electron ordering. The subject of this thesis is the study of the FS of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ using the dHvA effect. Three aspects were explored. The first was the determination of the FS at fields both above and below that where the QCEP arises. The second was the search for quantum oscillations inside the nematic phase. The third was a reinvestigation of the behaviour of the quasiparticle effective masses near the FS. In collaboration with angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy experimentalists, a complete robust model for the FS of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ at zero fields was determined. Moreover, the new measurements of the quasiparticle masses revealed that no mass enhancements exist anywhere around the QCEP, in contradiction with previous specific heat data and measurements of the A coefficient of the power law of the resistivity. Finally, we report dHvA oscillations inside the nematic phase, and the temperature dependence of their amplitude suggests strongly that the carriers consist of Landau quasiparticles.

Orientador: Wei-Liang Qian / Resumo: Uma característica vital da cromodinâmica quântica (QCD) está relacionada à simetria quiral. Isso é particularmente intrigante devido ao papel crítico da simetria quiral não abeliana dos spinores de Lorentz na física teórica moderna. Muitos esforços teóricos foram dedicados à sua quebra espontânea no vácuo, bem como a restauração da mesma no ambiente extremamente quente ou denso. Além disso, quarks e glúons tornam-se os graus de liberdade relevantes por meio da transição de desconfinamento do estado dos hádrons. O significado desta última está intimamente ligado às implicações da equação de Callan-Symanzik e à teoria do grupo renormalizado. No entanto, em princípio, ambas as transições acima podem ser descritas pela QCD. Os estudos da QCD na rede demonstraram que a transição do sistema é um cruzamento suave com a densidade bariônica nula e a massa de quarks estranhos grandes. No potencial químico finito, por outro lado, uma variedade de modelos prevê a ocorrência de uma transição de fase de primeira ordem entre a fase hadrônica e o plasma de quarks e glúons (QGP). Esses resultados indicam que um ponto crítico (CEP) pode estar localizado em algum lugar no diagrama de fases da QCD no qual a linha de transições de fase de primeira ordem termina. Espera-se que a transição seja de segunda ordem neste caso. De fato, entre outros objetivos estabelecidos, o programa Beam Energy Scan (BES) em andamento no Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) é impulsionado pela busca do CEP. Nesta t... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: One vital characteristic of the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is regarding the chiral symmetry. This is particularly intriguing owing to the critical role of non-abelian gauge symmetry of Lorentz spinors in modern theoretical physics. Many theoretical efforts have been devoted concerning its spontaneously breaking in the vacuum, as well as the restoration at the extremely hot or dense environment. Furthermore, quarks and gluons become the relevant degrees of freedom through the deconfinement transition from the hadron state of matter. The significance of the latter is closely connected to the implications of the Callan-Symanzik equation and the theory of the renormalized group. Nonetheless, in principle, both of the above transitions can be described by the QCD. Lattice QCD studies demonstrated that the transition of the system is a smooth crossover at vanishing baryon density and large strange quark mass. At finite chemical potential, on the other hand, a variety of models predict the occurrence of a first-order transition between the hadronic phase and quark-gluon plasma (QGP). These results indicate that a critical endpoint (CEP) might be located somewhere on the QCD phase diagram at which the line of first-order phase transitions terminates. The transition is expected to be of second-order at this point. As a matter of fact, among other established goals, the ongoing Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) is driven by the search for th... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Les modèles effectifs de type Nambu—Jona-Lasinio (NJL) peuvent être utilisés pour étudier les phases à densité et température finies de la chromodynamique quantique (QCD). Alors que les prédictions de ces modèles effectifs peuvent être comparées avec les résultats sur réseaux aux faibles densités, un tel garde-fou n'existe pas à plus haute densité où la discrétisation fait face à un problème de signe sévère. Dans cette thèse nous proposons une méthode systématique permettant de calculer la stabilité d'une prédiction par rapport aux données d'entrée du modèle. De cette manière un critère quantitatif est fabriqué permettant d'évaluer le pouvoir prédictif d'un modèle. La discussion est principalement orientée sur le point critique chiral.Enfin les phases très hautes densités, telles que pouvant exister à l'intérieur des étoiles compactes, sont abordées et la superconductivité de couleur est discutée dans le cadre des modèles NJL / Nambu--Jona-Lasinio models can be used to study finite density and finite temperature quantum chromodynamics phases. Finite temperature and low density predictions of these models can be compared to lattice results. Such a comparison is not possible at larger density because of the so called sign problem. In this thesis the proposed systematic method allows to compute the stability of a prediction with respect to the inputs of the model. In this way a quantitative criterium is constructed which can be used to evaluate the predictive power of the studied model. Finally the high density phases which can exist in the interior of compact stellar objects are discussed along with color superconductivity in NJL type models