Systematic Speedup of Path Integrals of a Generic NN-fold Discretized Theory

We present and discuss a detailed derivation of a new analytical method that systematically improves the convergence of path integrals of a generic $N$-fold discretized theory. We develop an explicit procedure for calculating a set of effective actions $S^{(p)}$, for $p=1,2,3,...$ which have the property that they lead to the same continuum amplitudes as the starting action, but that converge to that continuum limit ever faster. Discretized amplitudes calculated using the $p$ level effective action differ from the continuum limit by a term of order $1/N^p$. We obtain explicit expressions for the effective actions for levels $p\le 9$. We end by analyzing the speedup of Monte Carlo simulations of two different models: an anharmonic oscillator with quartic coupling and a particle in a modified P\"oschl-Teller potential.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, biblio info correcte

Generalization of Euler's Summation Formula to Path Integrals

A recently developed analytical method for systematic improvement of the convergence of path integrals is used to derive a generalization of Euler's summation formula for path integrals. The first $p$ terms in this formula improve convergence of path integrals to the continuum limit from 1/N to $1/N^p$, where $N$ is the coarseness of the discretization. Monte Carlo simulations performed on several different models show that the analytically derived speedup holds.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, uses elsart.cls, ref. [15] resolve

Jaggedness of Path Integral Trajectories

We define and investigate the properties of the jaggedness of path integral trajectories. The new quantity is shown to be scale invariant and to satisfy a self-averaging property. Jaggedness allows for a classification of path integral trajectories according to their relevance. We show that in the continuum limit the only paths that are not of measure zero are those with jaggedness 1/2, i.e. belonging to the same equivalence class as random walks. The set of relevant trajectories is thus narrowed down to a specific subset of non-differentiable paths. For numerical calculations, we show that jaggedness represents an important practical criterion for assessing the quality of trajectory generating algorithms. We illustrate the obtained results with Monte Carlo simulations of several different models.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, uses elsart.cl

Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensates in Weak Anisotropic Disorder

Here we study properties of a homogeneous dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in a weak anisotropic random potential with Lorentzian correlation at zero temperature. To this end we solve perturbatively the Gross-Pitaevskii equation to second order in the random potential strength and obtain analytic results for the disorder ensemble averages of both the condensate and the superfluid depletion, the equation of state, and the sound velocity. For a pure contact interaction and a vanishing correlation length, we reproduce the seminal results of Huang and Meng, which were originally derived within a Bogoliubov theory around a disorder-averaged background field. For dipolar interaction and isotropic Lorentzian-correlated disorder, we obtain results which are qualitatively similar to the case of an isotropic Gaussian-correlated disorder. In the case of an anisotropic disorder, the physical observables show characteristic anisotropies which arise from the formation of fragmented dipolar condensates in the local minima of the disorder potential.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Asymptotic Properties of Path Integral Ideals

We introduce and analyze a new quantity, the path integral ideal, governing the flow of generic discrete theories to the continuum limit and greatly increasing their convergence. The said flow is classified according to the degree of divergence of the potential at spatial infinity. Studying the asymptotic behavior of path integral ideals we isolate the dominant terms in the effective potential that determine the behavior of a generic theory for large discrete time steps.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, revte

Stability of quantum degenerate Fermi gases of tilted polar molecules

A recent experimental realization of quantum degenerate gas of $^{40}$K$^{87}$Rb molecules opens up prospects of exploring strong dipolar Fermi gases and many-body phenomena arising in that regime. Here we derive a mean-field variational approach based on the Wigner function for the description of ground-state properties of such systems. We show that the stability of dipolar fermions in a general harmonic trap is universal as it only depends on the trap aspect ratios and the dipoles' orientation. We calculate the species-independent stability diagram and the deformation of the Fermi surface (FS) for polarized molecules, whose electric dipoles are oriented along a preferential direction. Compared to atomic magnetic species, the stability of a molecular electric system turns out to strongly depend on its geometry and the FS deformation significantly increases.Comment: 6 + 5 pages, 5 + 3 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Researc

Energy Estimators and Calculation of Energy Expectation Values in the Path Integral Formalism

A recently developed method, introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 (2005) 180403, Phys. Rev. B 72 (2005) 064302, Phys. Lett. A 344 (2005) 84, systematically improved the convergence of generic path integrals for transition amplitudes. This was achieved by analytically constructing a hierarchy of $N$-fold discretized effective actions $S^{(p)}_N$ labeled by a whole number $p$ and starting at $p=1$ from the naively discretized action in the mid-point prescription. The derivation guaranteed that the level $p$ effective actions lead to discretized transition amplitudes differing from the continuum limit by a term of order $1/N^p$. Here we extend the applicability of the above method to the calculation of energy expectation values. This is done by constructing analytical expressions for energy estimators of a general theory for each level $p$. As a result of this energy expectation values converge to the continuum as $1/N^p$. Finally, we perform a series of Monte Carlo simulations of several models, show explicitly the derived increase in convergence, and the ensuing speedup in numerical calculation of energy expectation values of many orders of magnitude.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 1 appendix, uses elsart.cl

Improved Gaussian Approximation

In a recently developed approximation technique for quantum field theory the standard one-loop result is used as a seed for a recursive formula that gives a sequence of improved Gaussian approximations for the generating functional. In this paper we work with the generic $\phi^3+\phi^4$ model in $d=0$ dimensions. We compare the first, and simplest, approximation in the above sequence with the one-loop and two-loop approximations, as well as the exact results (calculated numericaly).Comment: 5 pages, Latex 2e, 7 figures, Lectures given at 11th Yugoslav Symposium on Nuclear and Particle Physics, Studenica, September 199

Efficient Calculation of Energy Spectra Using Path Integrals

A newly developed method for systematically improving the convergence of path integrals for transition amplitudes, introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 (2005) 180403, Phys. Rev. B 72 (2005) 064302, Phys. Lett. A 344 (2005) 84, and expectation values, introduced in Phys. Lett. A 360 (2006) 217, is here applied to the efficient calculation of energy spectra. We show how the derived hierarchies of effective actions lead to substantial speedup of the standard path integral Monte Carlo evaluation of energy levels. The general results and the ensuing increase in efficiency of several orders of magnitude are shown using explicit Monte Carlo simulations of several distinct models.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, uses elsart.cl

An Improved Gaussian Approximation for Quantum Field Theory

We present a new approximation technique for quantum field theory. The standard one-loop result is used as a seed for a recursive formula that gives a sequence of improved Gaussian approximations for the generating functional. In a different setting, the basic idea of this recursive scheme is used in the second part of the paper to substantialy speed up the standard Monte Carlo algorithm.Comment: 9 pages, Latex 2e, 4 figure