Bad metal and negative compressibility transitions in a two-band Hubbard model

Abstract: We analyze the paramagnetic state of a two-band Hubbard model with finite Hund's coupling close to integer filling at $n=2$ in two spacial dimensions. Previously, a Mott metal-insulator transition was established at $n=2$ with a coexistence region of a metallic and a bad metal state in the vicinity of that integer filling. The coexistence region ends at a critical point beyond which a charge instability persists. Here we investigate the transition into negative electronic compressibility states for an extended filling range close to $n=2$ within a slave boson setup. We analyze the separate contributions from the (fermionic) quasiparticles and the (bosonic) multiparticle incoherent background and find that the total compressibility depends on a subtle interplay between the quasiparticle excitations and collective fields. Implementing a Blume-Emery-Griffiths model approach for the slave bosons, which mimics the bosonic fields by Ising-like pseudospins, we suggest a feedback mechanism between these fields and the fermionic degrees of freedom. We argue that the negative compressibility can be sustained for heterostructures of such strongly correlated planes and results in a large capacitance of these structures. The strong density dependence of these capacitances allows to tune them through small electronic density variations. Moreover, by resistive switching from a Mott insulating state to a metallic state through short electric pulses, transitions between fairly different capacitances are within reach.