85 research outputs found
System-adapted correlation energy density functionals from effective pair interactions
We present and discuss some ideas concerning an ``average-pair-density
functional theory'', in which the ground-state energy of a many-electron system
is rewritten as a functional of the spherically and system-averaged pair
density. These ideas are further clarified with simple physical examples. We
then show that the proposed formalism can be combined with density functional
theory to build system-adapted correlation energy functionals. A simple
approximation for the unknown effective electron-electron interaction that
enters in this combined approach is described, and results for the He series
and for the uniform electron gas are briefly reviewed.Comment: to appear in Phil. Mag. as part of Conference proceedings for the
"Electron Correlations and Materials Properties", Kos Greece, July 5-9, 200
Demagnetization of Quantum Dot Nuclear Spins: Breakdown of the Nuclear Spin Temperature Approach
The physics of interacting nuclear spins arranged in a crystalline lattice is
typically described using a thermodynamic framework: a variety of experimental
studies in bulk solid-state systems have proven the concept of a spin
temperature to be not only correct but also vital for the understanding of
experimental observations. Using demagnetization experiments we demonstrate
that the mesoscopic nuclear spin ensemble of a quantum dot (QD) can in general
not be described by a spin temperature. We associate the observed deviations
from a thermal spin state with the presence of strong quadrupolar interactions
within the QD that cause significant anharmonicity in the spectrum of the
nuclear spins. Strain-induced, inhomogeneous quadrupolar shifts also lead to a
complete suppression of angular momentum exchange between the nuclear spin
ensemble and its environment, resulting in nuclear spin relaxation times
exceeding an hour. Remarkably, the position dependent axes of quadrupolar
interactions render magnetic field sweeps inherently non-adiabatic, thereby
causing an irreversible loss of nuclear spin polarization.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure
Ordering phenomena in quasi one-dimensional organic conductors
Low-dimensional organic conductors could establish themselves as model
systems for the investigation of the physics in reduced dimensions. In the
metallic state of a one-dimensional solid, Fermi-liquid theory breaks down and
spin and charge degrees of freedom become separated. But the metallic phase is
not stable in one dimension: as the temperature is reduced, the electronic
charge and spin tend to arrange themselves in an ordered fashion due to strong
correlations. The competition of the different interactions is responsible for
which broken-symmetry ground state is eventually realized in a specific
compound and which drives the system towards an insulating state.
Here we review the various ordering phenomena and how they can be identified
by optic and magnetic measurements. While the final results might look very
similar in the case of a charge density wave and a charge-ordered metal, for
instance, the physical cause is completely different. When density waves form,
a gap opens in the density of states at the Fermi energy due to nesting of the
one-dimension Fermi surface sheets. When a one-dimensional metal becomes a
charge-ordered Mott insulator, on the other hand, the short-range Coulomb
repulsion localizes the charge on the lattice sites and even causes certain
charge patterns.
We try to point out the similarities and conceptional differences of these
phenomena and give an example for each of them. Particular emphasis will be put
on collective phenomena which are inherently present as soon as ordering breaks
the symmetry of the system.Comment: Review article Naturwissenschaften 200
Testing quantum mechanics in non-Minkowski space-time with high power lasers and 4th generation light sources
A common misperception of quantum gravity is that it requires accessing energies up to the Planck scale of 1019 GeV, which is unattainable from any conceivable particle collider. Thanks to the development of ultra-high intensity optical lasers, very large accelerations can be now the reached at their focal spot, thus mimicking, by virtue of the equivalence principle, a non Minkowski space-time. Here we derive a semiclassical extension of quantum mechanics that applies to different metrics, but under the assumption of weak gravity. We use our results to show that Thomson scattering of photons by uniformly accelerated electrons predicts an observable effect depending upon acceleration and local metric. In the laboratory frame, a broadening of the Thomson scattered x ray light from a fourth generation light source can be used to detect the modification of the metric associated to electrons accelerated in the field of a high power optical laser
Evidence for topological defects in a photoinduced phase transition
Upon excitation with an intense ultrafast laser pulse, a symmetry-broken
ground state can undergo a non-equilibrium phase transition through pathways
dissimilar from those in thermal equilibrium. Determining the mechanism
underlying these photo-induced phase transitions (PIPTs) has been a
long-standing issue in the study of condensed matter systems. To this end, we
investigate the light-induced melting of a unidirectional charge density wave
(CDW) material, LaTe. Using a suite of time-resolved probes, we
independently track the amplitude and phase dynamics of the CDW. We find that a
quick (1ps) recovery of the CDW amplitude is followed by a slower
reestablishment of phase coherence. This longer timescale is dictated by the
presence of topological defects: long-range order (LRO) is inhibited and is
only restored when the defects annihilate. Our results provide a framework for
understanding other PIPTs by identifying the generation of defects as a
governing mechanism
Disentangling amplitude and phase dynamics of a charge density wave in a photo-induced phase transition
Upon excitation with an intense ultrafast laser pulse, a symmetry-broken
ground state can undergo a non-equilibrium phase transition through pathways
dissimilar from those in thermal equilibrium. Determining the mechanism
underlying these photo-induced phase transitions (PIPTs) has been a
long-standing issue in the study of condensed matter systems. To this end, we
investigate the light-induced melting of a unidirectional charge density wave
(CDW) material, LaTe. Using a suite of time-resolved probes, we
independently track the amplitude and phase dynamics of the CDW. We find that a
quick (1ps) recovery of the CDW amplitude is followed by a slower
reestablishment of phase coherence. This longer timescale is dictated by the
presence of topological defects: long-range order (LRO) is inhibited and is
only restored when the defects annihilate. Our results provide a framework for
understanding other PIPTs by identifying the generation of defects as a
governing mechanism
The one dimensional Kondo lattice model at partial band filling
The Kondo lattice model introduced in 1977 describes a lattice of localized
magnetic moments interacting with a sea of conduction electrons. It is one of
the most important canonical models in the study of a class of rare earth
compounds, called heavy fermion systems, and as such has been studied
intensively by a wide variety of techniques for more than a quarter of a
century. This review focuses on the one dimensional case at partial band
filling, in which the number of conduction electrons is less than the number of
localized moments. The theoretical understanding, based on the bosonized
solution, of the conventional Kondo lattice model is presented in great detail.
This review divides naturally into two parts, the first relating to the
description of the formalism, and the second to its application. After an
all-inclusive description of the bosonization technique, the bosonized form of
the Kondo lattice hamiltonian is constructed in detail. Next the
double-exchange ordering, Kondo singlet formation, the RKKY interaction and
spin polaron formation are described comprehensively. An in-depth analysis of
the phase diagram follows, with special emphasis on the destruction of the
ferromagnetic phase by spin-flip disorder scattering, and of recent numerical
results. The results are shown to hold for both antiferromagnetic and
ferromagnetic Kondo lattice. The general exposition is pedagogic in tone.Comment: Review, 258 pages, 19 figure
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