Theory of magnetism and metal-insulator transition in layered perovskite iridates

Abstract: We investigate the metal-insulator transition in the layered Ruddelsden Popper series of strontium iridates Srn+1IrnO3n+1. Tight-binding models of t2g orbitals for n = 1, 2, and infinity are constructed, and changes in band dispersion due to dimensionality and spin-orbit coupling are presented. Identifying the states near the Fermi level to be predominantly Jeff = 1/2, we use an effective Hubbard model to study the effect of correlations. Transitions from a metallic state to various magnetically ordered states at different critical interactions are obtained. A canted antiferromagnetic insulator is found for Sr2IrO4, a c-axis collinear antiferromagnetic insulator for Sr3Ir2O7, and non-coplanar canted antiferromagnetic insulator via magnetic metal for SrIrO3. We derive the strong-coupling spin-model and compare the magnetic ordering patterns obtained in the weak and strong coupling limits. We find that they are identical, indicating that magnetic ordering is not sufficient to justify Mott physics in this series of iridates.