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Gapless metallic charge-density-wave phase driven by strong electron correlations

We analyze the transformation from insulator to metal induced by thermal fluctuations within the Falicov-Kimball model. Using the Dynamic Mean Field Theory (DMFT) formalism on the Bethe lattice we find rigorously the temperature dependent Density of States ($DOS$) at half filling in the limit of high dimensions. At zero temperature (T=0) the system is ordered to form the checkerboard pattern and the $DOS$ has the gap $Δ$ at the Fermi level $\varepsilon_F=0$, which is proportional to the interaction constant $U$. With an increase of $T$ the $DOS$ evolves in various ways that depend on $U$. For $U>U_{cr}$ the gap persists for any $T$ (then $Δ>0$), so the system is always an insulator. However, if $U < U_{cr}$, two additional subbands develop inside the gap. They become wider with increasing $T$ and at a certain $U$-dependent temperature $T_{MI}$ they join with each other at $\varepsilon_F$. Since above $T_{MI}$ the $DOS$ is positive at $\varepsilon_F$, we interpret $T_{MI}$ as the transformation temperature from insulator to metal. It appears, that $T_{MI}$ approaches the order-disorder phase transition temperature $T_{O-DO}$ when $U$ is close to 0 or $ U_{cr}$, but $T_{MI}$ is substantially lower than $T_{O-DO}$ for intermediate values of $U$. Having calculated the temperature dependent $DOS$ we study thermodynamic properties of the system starting from its free energy $F$. Then we find how the order parameter $d$ and the gap $Δ$ change with $T$ and we construct the phase diagram in the variables $T$ and $U$, where we display regions of stability of four different phases: ordered insulator, ordered metal, disordered insulator and disordered metal. Finally, we use a low temperature expansion to demonstrate the existence of a nonzero DOS at a characteristic value of U on a general bipartite lattice.