Spin-charge separation for paired Dirac fermions in $(1+1)$ dimensions

Abstract: We study Dirac fermions at finite density coupled to a complex pairing field assumed to obey scalar field theory with quartic self-repulsion. The bulk of our work develops the mathematics that elucidates the propagation of fermionic excitations in such systems as independent spin (boosts) and charge (fermion number) degrees of freedom. A necessary ingredient is the presence of broken $U(1)$ symmetry in the pairing field and decoupling of its density and phase. In the fermion sector, these elements give rise to an emergent spin-dependent gauge coupling which binds in-vacuum spin and charge into elementary fermions, while driving proliferation of unbound spin and charge for finite condensation in the pairing field. Notably, the onset of spin-charge separation is signaled by $\mathcal{P} \mathcal{T}$-symmetry breaking and decoupling of spin components under Lorentz transformations. Our investigation concludes with two theorems that identify generic features of spin-charge separation in such systems.