Bethe-Salpeter Equation at the Critical End Point of the Mott Transition

Strong repulsive interactions between electrons can lead to a Mott metal-insulator transition. The dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) explains the critical end point and the hysteresis region usually in terms of single-particle concepts, such as the spectral function and the quasiparticle weight. In this Letter, we reconsider the critical end point of the metal-insulator transition on the DMFT's two-particle level. We show that the relevant eigenvalue and eigenvector of the nonlocal Bethe-Salpeter kernel in the charge channel provide a unified picture of the hysteresis region and of the critical end point of the Mott transition. In particular, they simultaneously explain the thermodynamics of the hysteresis region and the iterative stability of the DMFT equations. This analysis paves the way for a deeper understanding of phase transitions in correlated materials.