Showing papers in "Advances in Physics in 2008"

Matrix product states, projected entangled pair states, and variational renormalization group methods for quantum spin systems

Abstract: This article reviews recent developments in the theoretical understanding and the numerical implementation of variational renormalization group methods using matrix product states and projected entangled pair states.

Heat transport in low-dimensional systems

Abstract: Recent results on theoretical studies of heat conduction in low-dimensional systems are presented. These studies are on simple, yet non-trivial, models. Most of these are classical systems, but some quantum-mechanical work is also reported. Much of the work has been on lattice models corresponding to phononic systems, and some on hard-particle and hard-disc systems. A recently developed approach, using generalized Langevin equations and phonon Green's functions, is explained and several applications to harmonic systems are given. For interacting systems, various analytic approaches based on the Green–Kubo formula are described, and their predictions are compared with the latest results from simulation. These results indicate that for momentum-conserving systems, transport is anomalous in one and two dimensions, and the thermal conductivity κ diverges with system size L as κ ∼ L α. For one-dimensional interacting systems there is strong numerical evidence for a universal exponent α = 1/3, but there is no e...

Rapidly rotating atomic gases

Abstract: In this article, we review developments in the theory of rapidly rotating degenerate atomic gases. The main focus is on the equilibrium properties of a single-component atomic Bose gas, which (at least at rest) forms a Bose–Einstein condensate. Rotation leads to the formation of quantized vortices which order into a vortex array, in close analogy with the behaviour of superfluid helium. Under conditions of rapid rotation, when the vortex density becomes large, atomic Bose gases offer the possibility to explore the physics of quantized vortices in novel parameter regimes. First, there is an interesting regime in which the vortices become sufficiently dense that their cores, as set by the healing length, start to overlap. In this regime, the theoretical description simplifies, allowing a reduction to single-particle states in the lowest Landau level. Second, one can envisage entering a regime of very high vortex density, when the number of vortices becomes comparable to the number of particles in the gas. I...

Dynamics and statistical mechanics of ultra-cold Bose gases using c-field techniques

Abstract: We review phase-space techniques based on the Wigner representation that provide an approximate description of dilute ultra-cold Bose gases. In this approach the quantum field evolution can be represented using equations of motion of a similar form to the Gross-Pitaevskii equation but with stochastic modifications that include quantum effects in a controlled degree of approximation. These techniques provide a practical quantitative description of both equilibrium and dynamical properties of Bose gas systems. We develop versions of the formalism appropriate at zero temperature, where quantum fluctuations can be important, and at finite temperature where thermal fluctuations dominate. The numerical techniques necessary for implementing the formalism are discussed in detail, together with methods for extracting observables of interest. Numerous applications to a wide range of phenomena are presented.

Fluctuation scaling in complex systems: Taylor's law and beyond

Abstract: Complex systems consist of many interacting elements which participate in some dynamical process. The activity of various elements is often different and the fluctuation in the activity of an element grows monotonically with the average activity. This relationship is often of the form ‘fluctuations ≈ constant × averageα’, where the exponent α is predominantly in the range [1/2, 1]. This power law has been observed in a very wide range of disciplines, ranging from population dynamics through the Internet to the stock market and it is often treated under the names Taylor's law or fluctuation scaling. This review attempts to show how general the above scaling relationship is by surveying the literature, as well as by reporting some new empirical data and model calculations. We also show some basic principles that can underlie the generality of the phenomenon. This is followed by a mean-field framework based on sums of random variables. In this context the emergence of fluctuation scaling is equivalent to som...

Advances of and by phase-field modelling in condensed-matter physics

Abstract: Phase-field modelling is still a young discipline in condensed-matter physics, which established itself for the class of systems that can be characterised by domains of different phases separated by a distinct interface. Driven out of equilibrium, their dynamics result in the evolution of those interfaces which might develop into well defined-structures with characteristic length scales at the nano-, micro- or meso-scale. Since the material properties of such systems are to a large extent determined by those small-scale structures, acquiring a precise understanding of the mechanisms that drive the interfacial dynamics is a great challenge for scientists in this field. Phase-field modelling is an approach that allows this challenge to be tackled in a simulation-based manner. This review provides a critical overview of the conceptual background of the phase-field method, the most relevant fields of condensed-matter physics that have been approached using phase-field modelling, as well as the respective mode...

Decoherence in solid-state qubits

Abstract: The interaction of solid-state qubits with environmental degrees of freedom strongly affects the qubit dynamics, and leads to decoherence. In quantum information processing with solid-state qubits, decoherence significantly limits the performances of such devices. Therefore, it is necessary to fully understand the mechanisms that lead to decoherence. In this review, we discuss how decoherence affects two of the most successful realizations of solid-state qubits, namely, spin qubits and superconducting qubits. In the former, the qubit is encoded in the spin 1/2 of the electron, and it is implemented by confining the electron spin in a semiconductor quantum dot. Superconducting devices show quantum behaviour at low temperatures, and the qubit is encoded in the two lowest energy levels of a superconducting circuit. The electron spin in a quantum dot has two main decoherence channels, a (Markovian) phonon-assisted relaxation channel, due to the presence of a spin–orbit interaction, and a (non-Markovian) spin ...

Exactly solvable model of avalanches dynamics for Barkhausen crackling noise

Abstract: We review the present state of understanding of the Barkhausen effect in soft ferromagnetic materials. Barkhausen noise (BN) is generated by the discontinuous motion of magnetic domains as they interact with impurities and defects. BN is one of the many examples of crackling noise, arising in a variety of contexts with remarkably similar features, and occurring when a system responds in a jerky manner to a smooth external forcing. Among all crackling system, we focus on BN, where a complete and consistent picture emerges thanks to an exactly solvable model of avalanche dynamics, known as the ABBM model, which ultimately describes the system in terms of a Langevin equation for the velocity of the avalanche front. Despite its simplicity, the ABBM model is able to accurately reproduce the phenomenology observed in the experiments on a large class of magnetic materials, as long as universal properties are involved. To complete the picture and to understand the long-standing discrepancy between the ABBM theory...