Showing papers in "Advances in Physics in 2000"

Non-equilibrium critical phenomena and phase transitions into absorbing states

Abstract: This review addresses recent developments in non-equilibrium statistical physics. Focusing on phase transitions from fluctuating phases into absorbing states, the universality class of directed percolation is investigated in detail. The survey gives a general introduction to various lattice models of directed percolation and studies their scaling properties, field-theoretic aspects, numerical techniques, as well as possible experimental realizations. In addition, several examples of absorbing-state transitions which do not belong to the directed percolation universality class will be discussed. As a closely related technique, we investigate the concept of damage spreading. It is shown that this technique is ambiguous to some extent, making it impossible to define chaotic and regular phases in stochastic non-equilibrium systems. Finally, we discuss various classes of depinning transitions in models for interface growth which are related to phase transitions into absorbing states.

Phonons in carbon nanotubes

Abstract: A broad review of the unusual one-dimensional properties of phonons in carbon nanotubes is presented, including phonons in isolated nanotubes and in crystalline arrays of nanotubes in nanotube bundles. The main technique for probing the phonon spectra has been Raman spectroscopy and the many unique and unusual features of the Raman spectra of carbon nanotubes are reviewed. Also included is a brief review of the thermal properties of carbon nanotubes in relation to their unusual phonon dispersion relations and density of states.

Cooperative self-organization of microorganisms

Abstract: In nature, microorganisms must often cope with hostile environmental conditions. To do so they have developed sophisticated cooperative behaviour and intricate communication capabilities, such as: direct cell-cell physical interactions via extra-membrane polymers, collective production of extracellular 'wetting' fluid for movement on hard surfaces, long range chemical signalling such as quorum sensing and chemotactic (bias of movement according to gradient of chemical agent) signalling, collective activation and deactivation of genes and even exchange of genetic material. Utilizing these capabilities, the colonies develop complex spatio-temporal patterns in response to adverse growth conditions. We present a wealth of beautiful patterns formed during colony development of various microorganisms and for different environmental conditions. Invoking ideas from pattern formation in non-living systems and using 'generic' modelling we are able to reveal novel survival strategies which account for the salient fe...

Heavy fermion semiconductors

Abstract: The heavy fermion semiconductors, or Kondo insulators, are very narrow gap semiconductors in which the properties show unusual temperature dependencies. We shall review their properties and show how they can be interpreted in terms of an electronic band structure, with a temperature dependent hybridization gap together with temperature dependent quasi-particle lifetimes. The properties of these semiconductors are very sensitive to impurities, which can enhance the incipient antiferromagnetic correlations and precipitate a magnetic instability.

Spin fluctuations and high temperature superconductivity

Abstract: Theory of spin fluctuations for itinerant magnetism and its application to high temperature superconductivity are reviewed. After a brief introduction to the whole subject the developments of the self-consistent renormalization theory of spin fluctuations are summarized with particular emphasis on critical properties at the quantum phase transitions. Most of the anomalous properties in the normal state of high-Tc cuprates are understood as due to the critical behaviours for the two dimensional antiferromagnetic metals. By analysing the nuclear magnetic relaxation rate and the T-linear term of resistivity, the set of parameters to specify the spin fluctuations are determined. It is shown that by using the parameters thus obtained one can describe other quantities as well, e.g. optical conductivity. Then we proceed to the theory of superconductivity by the spin fluctuation mechanism. After some discussion on the weak coupling treatments, the strong coupling theory is reviewed. It is shown that the set of pa...

Vortex-glass phases in type-II superconductors

Abstract: A review is given on the theory of vortex-glass phases in impure type-II superconductors in an external field. We begin with a brief discussion of the effects of thermal fluctuations on the spontaneously broken U(1) and translation symmetries, on the global phase diagram and on the critical behaviour. Introducing disorder we restrict ourselves to the experimentally most relevant case of weak uncorrelated randomness which is known to destroy the long-ranged translational order of the Abrikosov lattice in three dimensions. Elucidating possible residual glassy ordered phases, we distinguish between positional and phase-coherent vortex glasses. The study of the behaviour of isolated vortex lines and their generalization directed elastic manifolds in a random potential introduces further important concepts for the characterization of glasses. The discussion of elastic vortex glasses, i.e. topologically ordered dislocation-free positional glasses in two and three dimensions occupy the main part of our review. I...

Finite-temperature properties of doped antiferromagnets

Abstract: We review recent results for the properties of doped antiferromagnets, obtained by the numerical analysis of the planar t-J model using the novel finite-temperature Lanczos method for small correlated systems. First we briefly summarize our present understanding of anomalous normal-state properties of cuprates, and present the electronic phase diagram, phenomenological scenarios and models proposed in this connection. The numerical method is then described in more detail. The following sections are devoted to various static and dynamical properties of the t-J model. Among the thermodynamic properties the chemical potential, entropy and the specific heat are evaluated. Discussing electrical properties the emphasis is on the planar optical conductivity and the d.c. resistivity. Magnetic properties involve the static and dynamical spin structure factor, as measured via the susceptibility measurements, the NMR relaxation and the neutron scattering, as well as the orbital current contribution. The analysis of ...

High-order convergent expansions for quantum many particle systems

Abstract: We review recent advances in the calculations of high-order convergent expansions for quantum many-particle systems. Calculations for ground state properties, including correlation functions and static susceptibilities, for spin models as well as for models of many fermions, such as Hubbard and Kondo models, are discussed. A historical perspective to the subject is provided. Recently important technical advances have been made in perturbative calculations of the excitationspectraof quantummany-particle systems, whichenable the calculation of these spectra to high orders. The method, along with its applications, are explained. Fairlycomprehensive, thoughsimpli® ed, algorithmsfor generatinglists of relevant clusters, their lattice embeddings and subclusters are presented. The perturbative recursion relations and their computer implementation are also discussed in detail. A compilation is made of various series expansion studies that havebeencarriedoutforcondensedmatterproblems. Thescopeandlimitations of these methods are explained, and several open problems are noted.

Electron spin transitions in quantum Hall systems

Abstract: A system of two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field exhibits a remarkable phenomenon known as the fractional quantum Hall effect. Rapid advances in experimental techniques and intense theoretical work for well over a decade have significantly contributed to our understanding of the mechanism behind the effect. It is now a well established fact that electron correlations are largely responsible for the occurrence of this phenomenon. In recent years, theoretical and experimental investigations have revealed that those electron correlations, which are responsible for the quantum Hall effect, are also the reason for various spin transitions in the system. In this review, we systematically follow the theoretical studies of the role spin degree of freedom play in the quantum Hall effect regime and also describe several ingenious experiments reported in recent years which are in good agreement with the emerging theoretical picture.

Field theory of mesoscopic fluctuations in superconductor-normal-metal systems

Abstract: Thermodynamic and transport properties of mesoscopic conductors are strongly influenced by the proximity of a superconductor: an interplay between the large scale quantum coherent wave functions in the normal mesoscopic and the superconducting region, respectively, leads to unusual mechanisms of quantum interference. These manifest themselves in both the mean and the mesoscopic fluctuation behaviour of superconductor-normal-metal (SN) hybrid systems being strikingly different from those of conventional mesoscopic systems. After reviewing some established theories of SN quantum interference phenomena, we introduce a new approach to the analysis of SN mesoscopic physics. Essentially, our formalism represents a unification of the quasi-classical formalism for describing mean properties of SN systems on the one hand, with more recent field theories of mesoscopic fluctuations on the other hand. Thus, by its very construction, the new approach is capable of exploring both averaged and fluctuation properties of ...