Anomalous Scaling and Spin-Charge Separation in Coupled Chains

We use a bosonization approach to show that the three-dimensional Coulomb interaction in coupled metallic chains leads to a Luttinger liquid for vanishing interchain hopping t_, and to a Fermi liquid for any finite t_. However, for small t_0 the Green's function satisfies a homogeneity relation with a nontrivial exponent ₂₁ in a large intermediate regime. Our results offer a simple explanation for the large values of ₂₁ inferred from recent photoemission data from quasi-one-dimensional conductors and might have some relevance for the understanding of the unusual properties of the high-temperature superconductors.