Origin of the Non-Fermi Liquid Behavior of SrRuO₃

Motivated by the unusual features observed in the transport properties of the ferromagnetic “bad metal” SrRuO₃, we construct a model incorporating essential features of the realistic structure of this nearly cubic material. In particular, we show how the t_2g orbital orientation in the perfectly cubic structure determines the peculiar structure of the hybridization matrix, and demonstrate how the local non-Fermi liquid features arise when interactions are switched on. We discuss the effects of the slight deviation from the cubic structure qualitatively. The model provides a consistent explanation of the features observed recently in the optical response of SrRuO₃.