Metal-insulator transition in the two-chain model of correlated fermions

The doping-induced metal-insulator transition in two-chain systems of correlated fermions is studied using a solvable limit of the t-J model and the fact that various strong- and weak-coupling limits of the two-chain model are in the same phase, i.e., have the same low-energy properties. It is shown that the Luttinger-liquid parameter K_ρ takes the universal value unity as the insulating state (half-filling) is approached, implying dominant d-type superconducting fluctuations, independently of the interaction strength. The crossover to insulating behavior of correlations as the transition is approached is discussed.