Metal-insulator transition in quarter-filled Hubbard model on triangular lattice and its implication for the physics of $Na_{0.5}CoO_{2}$

Abstract

The metal-insulator transition of the quarter-filled Hubbard model on triangular lattice is studied at the mean field level. We find a quasi-one dimensional metallic state with a collinear magnetic order competes closely with an insulating state with a non-coplanar magnetic order for both signs of the hopping integral $t$. In the strong correlation regime($U/|t|\gg1$), it is found that the metal-insulator transition of the system occurs in a two-step manner. The quasi-one dimensional metallic state with collinear magnetic order is found to be stable in an intermediate temperature region between the paramagnetic metallic phase and the non-coplanar insulating phase. Possible relevance of these results to the physics of metal-insulator transition in $Na_{0.5}CoO_{2}$ is discussed.