Quantized order parameters of approximate symmetry for metals and insulators

Abstract: We develop a simple scheme to distinguish between metals and insulators, or more generally gapless and gapped phases, by introducing the notion of an approximate symmetry order parameter. For one dimensional systems, we provide an explicit proof for the known criteria of metals and insulators based on the polarization operator which have been widely accepted for decades without a rigorous proof. For higher dimensions, we introduce a tiny magnetic flux to control the system, where the translation symmetry becomes approximate. We show that insulators and metals can be well distinguished with use of the approximate symmetry operators and they work as quantized order parameters in the thermodynamic limit characterizing gapless and gapped nature of the system.