Surface metal-insulator transition in the Hubbard model

Abstract

The correlation-driven metal-insulator (Mott) transition at a solid surface is studied within the Hubbard model for a semi-infinite lattice by means of the dynamical mean-field theory. The transition takes place at a unique critical strength of the interaction. Depending on the surface geometry, the interaction strength, and the wave vector, we find one-electron excitations in the coherent part of the surface-projected metallic spectrum, which are confined to two dimensions.