Quantum critical properties of a metallic spin-density-wave transition

We report on numerically exact determinantal quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the onset of spin-density-wave (SDW) order in itinerant electron systems captured by a sign-problem-free two-dimensional lattice model. Extensive measurements of the SDW correlations in the vicinity of the phase transition reveal that the critical dynamics of the bosonic order parameter are well described by a dynamical critical exponent z=2, consistent with Hertz-Millis theory, but are found to follow a finite-temperature dependence that does not fit the predicted behavior of the same theory. The presence of critical SDW fluctuations is found to have a strong impact on the fermionic quasiparticles, giving rise to a dome-shaped superconducting phase near the quantum critical point. In the superconducting state we find a gap function that has an opposite sign between the two bands of the model and is nearly constant along the Fermi surface of each band. Above the superconducting Tc, our numerical simulations reveal a nearly temperature and frequency independent self-energy causing a strong suppression of the low-energy quasiparticle weight in the vicinity of the hot spots on the Fermi surface. This indicates a clear breakdown of Fermi liquid theory around these points.