Interacting Crumpled Manifolds: Exact Results to all Orders of Perturbation Theory

In this letter, we report progress on the field theory of polymerized tethered membranes. For the toy-model of a manifold repelled by a single point, we are able to sum the perturbation expansion in the strength g of the interaction exactly in the limit of internal dimension D -> 2. This exact solution is the starting point for an expansion in 2-D, which aims at connecting to the well studied case of polymers (D=1). We here give results to order (2-D)^4, where again all orders in g are resummed. This is a first step towards a more complete solution of the self-avoiding manifold problem, which might also prove valuable for polymers.Comment: 8 page

Random field spin models beyond one loop: a mechanism for decreasing the lower critical dimension

The functional RG for the random field and random anisotropy O(N) sigma-models is studied to two loop. The ferromagnetic/disordered (F/D) transition fixed point is found to next order in d=4+epsilon for N > N_c (N_c=2.8347408 for random field, N_c=9.44121 for random anisotropy). For N < N_c the lower critical dimension plunges below d=4: we find two fixed points, one describing the quasi-ordered phase, the other is novel and describes the F/D transition. The lower critical dimension can be obtained in an (N_c-N)-expansion. The theory is also analyzed at large N and a glassy regime is found.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Stability and distortions of liquid crystal order in a cell with a heterogeneous substrate

We study stability and distortions of liquid crystal nematic order in a cell with a random heterogeneous substrate. Modeling this system as a bulk xy model with quenched disorder confined to a surface, we find that nematic order is marginally unstable to such surface pinning. We compute the length scale beyond which nematic distortions become large and calculate orientational correlation functions using the functional renormalization-group and matching methods, finding universal logarithmic and double-logarithmic distortions in two and three dimensions, respectively. We extend these results to a finite-thickness liquid crystal cell with a second homogeneous substrate, detailing crossovers as a function of random pinning strength and cell thickness. We conclude with analysis of experimental signatures of these distortions in a conventional crossed-polarizer-analyzer light microscopy.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figures, Published in PRE, with minor typos correcte

Random matrix models for phase diagrams

We describe a random matrix approach that can provide generic and readily soluble mean-field descriptions of the phase diagram for a variety of systems ranging from QCD to high-T_c materials. Instead of working from specific models, phase diagrams are constructed by averaging over the ensemble of theories that possesses the relevant symmetries of the problem. Although approximate in nature, this approach has a number of advantages. First, it can be useful in distinguishing generic features from model-dependent details. Second, it can help in understanding the `minimal' number of symmetry constraints required to reproduce specific phase structures. Third, the robustness of predictions can be checked with respect to variations in the detailed description of the interactions. Finally, near critical points, random matrix models bear strong similarities to Ginsburg-Landau theories with the advantage of additional constraints inherited from the symmetries of the underlying interaction. These constraints can be helpful in ruling out certain topologies in the phase diagram. In this Key Issue, we illustrate the basic structure of random matrix models, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and consider the kinds of system to which they can be applied.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figures, uses iopart.sty. Author's postprint versio

Precision study of 6p 2Pj - 8s 2S1/2 relative transition matrix elements in atomic Cs

A combined experimental and theoretical study of transition matrix elements of the 6p 2Pj - 8s 2S1/2 transition in atomic Cs is reported. Measurements of the polarization-dependent two-photon excitation spectrum associated with the transition were made in an approximately 200 cm-1 range on the low frequency side of the 6s 2S1/2 - 6p 2P3/2 resonance. The measurements depend parametrically on the relative transition matrix elements, but also are sensitive to far-off-resonance 6s 2S1/2 - np 2Pj - 8s 2S1/2 transitions. In the past, this dependence has yielded a generalized sum rule, the value of which is dependent on sums of relative two-photon transition matrix elements. In the present case, best available determinations from other experiments are combined with theoretical matrix elements to extract the ratio of transition matrix elements for the 6p 2Pj - 8s 2S1/2 (j = 1/2,3/2) transition. The resulting experimental value of 1.423(2) is in excellent agreement with the theoretical value, calculated using a relativistic all-order method, of 1.425(2)

A new type of lattice gauge theory through self-adjoint extensions

A generalization of Wilsonian lattice gauge theory may be obtained by considering the possible self-adjoint extensions of the electric field operator in the Hamiltonian formalism. In the special case of 3D U(1) gauge theory these are parametrised by a phase θ, and the ordinary Wilson theory is recovered for θ=0. We consider the case θ=π, which, upon dualization, turns into a theory of staggered integer and half-integer height variables. We investigate order parameters for the breaking of the relevant symmetries, and thus study the phase diagram of the theory, which shows evidence of a broken ℤ2 symmetry in the continuum limit, in contrast to the ordinary theory

QCD as a Quantum Link Model

QCD is constructed as a lattice gauge theory in which the elements of the link matrices are represented by non-commuting operators acting in a Hilbert space. The resulting quantum link model for QCD is formulated with a fifth Euclidean dimension, whose extent resembles the inverse gauge coupling of the resulting four-dimensional theory after dimensional reduction. The inclusion of quarks is natural in Shamir's variant of Kaplan's fermion method, which does not require fine-tuning to approach the chiral limit. A rishon representation in terms of fermionic constituents of the gluons is derived and the quantum link Hamiltonian for QCD with a U(N) gauge symmetry is expressed in terms of glueball, meson and constituent quark operators. The new formulation of QCD is promising both from an analytic and from a computational point of view.Comment: 27 pages, including three figures. ordinary LaTeX; Submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Atomic Quantum Simulation of Dynamical Gauge Fields coupled to Fermionic Matter: From String Breaking to Evolution after a Quench

Using a Fermi-Bose mixture of ultra-cold atoms in an optical lattice, we construct a quantum simulator for a U(1) gauge theory coupled to fermionic matter. The construction is based on quantum links which realize continuous gauge symmetry with discrete quantum variables. At low energies, quantum link models with staggered fermions emerge from a Hubbard-type model which can be quantum simulated. This allows us to investigate string breaking as well as the real-time evolution after a quench in gauge theories, which are inaccessible to classical simulation methods.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Main text plus one general supplementary material and one basic introduction to the topic. Published versio

Glassy trapping of manifolds in nonpotential random flows

We study the dynamics of polymers and elastic manifolds in non potential static random flows. We find that barriers are generated from combined effects of elasticity, disorder and thermal fluctuations. This leads to glassy trapping even in pure barrier-free divergenceless flows $v {f \to 0}{\sim} f^\phi$ ($\phi > 1$). The physics is described by a new RG fixed point at finite temperature. We compute the anomalous roughness $R \sim L^\zeta$ and dynamical $t\sim L^z$ exponents for directed and isotropic manifolds.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTe

Distribution of velocities and acceleration for a particle in Brownian correlated disorder: inertial case

We study the motion of an elastic object driven in a disordered environment in presence of both dissipation and inertia. We consider random forces with the statistics of random walks and reduce the problem to a single degree of freedom. It is the extension of the mean field ABBM model in presence of an inertial mass m. While the ABBM model can be solved exactly, its extension to inertia exhibits complicated history dependence due to oscillations and backward motion. The characteristic scales for avalanche motion are studied from numerics and qualitative arguments. To make analytical progress we consider two variants which coincide with the original model whenever the particle moves only forward. Using a combination of analytical and numerical methods together with simulations, we characterize the distributions of instantaneous acceleration and velocity, and compare them in these three models. We show that for large driving velocity, all three models share the same large-deviation function for positive velocities, which is obtained analytically for small and large m, as well as for m =6/25. The effect of small additional thermal and quantum fluctuations can be treated within an approximate method.Comment: 42 page