145 research outputs found
On the Scale-Invariant Distribution of the Diffusion Coefficient for Classical Particles Diffusing in Disordered Media.-
The scaling form of the whole distribution P(D) of the random diffusion
coefficient D(x) in a model of classically diffusing particles is investigated.
The renormalization group approach above the lower critical dimension d=0 is
applied to the distribution P(D) using the n-replica approach. In the annealed
approximation (n=1), the inverse gaussian distribution is found to be the
stable one under rescaling. This identification is made based on symmetry
arguments and subtle relations between this model and that of fluc- tuating
interfaces studied by Wallace and Zia. The renormalization-group flow for the
ratios between consecutive cumulants shows a regime of pure diffusion for small
disorder, in which P(D) goes to delta(D-), and a regime of strong disorder
where the cumulants grow infinitely large and the diffusion process is ill
defined. The boundary between these two regimes is associated with an unstable
fixed-point and a subdiffusive behavior: =Ct**(1-d/2). For the quenched
case (n goes to 0) we find that unphysical operators are generated raisng
doubts on the renormalizability of this model. Implications to other random
systems near their lower critical dimension are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 1 fig. (not included) Use LaTex twic
Strongly Localized Electrons in a Magnetic Field: Exact Results on Quantum Interference and Magnetoconductance
We study quantum interference effects on the transition strength for strongly
localized electrons hopping on 2D square and 3D cubic lattices in a magnetic
field B. In 2D, we obtain closed-form expressions for the tunneling probability
between two arbitrary sites by exactly summing the corresponding phase factors
of all directed paths connecting them. An analytic expression for the
magnetoconductance, as an explicit function of the magnetic flux, is derived.
In the experimentally important 3D case, we show how the interference patterns
and the small-B behavior of the magnetoconductance vary according to the
orientation of B.Comment: 4 pages, RevTe
Magneto-Conductance Anisotropy and Interference Effects in Variable Range Hopping
We investigate the magneto-conductance (MC) anisotropy in the variable range
hopping regime, caused by quantum interference effects in three dimensions.
When no spin-orbit scattering is included, there is an increase in the
localization length (as in two dimensions), producing a large positive MC. By
contrast, with spin-orbit scattering present, there is no change in the
localization length, and only a small increase in the overall tunneling
amplitude. The numerical data for small magnetic fields , and hopping
lengths , can be collapsed by using scaling variables , and
in the perpendicular and parallel field orientations
respectively. This is in agreement with the flux through a `cigar'--shaped
region with a diffusive transverse dimension proportional to . If a
single hop dominates the conductivity of the sample, this leads to a
characteristic orientational `finger print' for the MC anisotropy. However, we
estimate that many hops contribute to conductivity of typical samples, and thus
averaging over critical hop orientations renders the bulk sample isotropic, as
seen experimentally. Anisotropy appears for thin films, when the length of the
hop is comparable to the thickness. The hops are then restricted to align with
the sample plane, leading to different MC behaviors parallel and perpendicular
to it, even after averaging over many hops. We predict the variations of such
anisotropy with both the hop size and the magnetic field strength. An
orientational bias produced by strong electric fields will also lead to MC
anisotropy.Comment: 24 pages, RevTex, 9 postscript figures uuencoded Submitted to PR
Au-Ag template stripped pattern for scanning probe investigations of DNA arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography
We report on DNA arrays produced by Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) on a novel
Au-Ag micro patterned template stripped surface. DNA arrays have been
investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunnelling
microscopy (STM) showing that the patterned template stripped substrate enables
easy retrieval of the DPN-functionalized zone with a standard optical
microscope permitting a multi-instrument and multi-technique local detection
and analysis. Moreover the smooth surface of the Au squares (abput 5-10
angstrom roughness) allows to be sensitive to the hybridization of the
oligonucleotide array with label-free target DNA. Our Au-Ag substrates,
combining the retrieving capabilities of the patterned surface with the
smoothness of the template stripped technique, are candidates for the
investigation of DPN nanostructures and for the development of label free
detection methods for DNA nanoarrays based on the use of scanning probes.Comment: Langmuir (accepted
Quantum site percolation on amenable graphs
We consider the quantum site percolation model on graphs with an amenable
group action. It consists of a random family of Hamiltonians. Basic spectral
properties of these operators are derived: non-randomness of the spectrum and
its components, existence of an self-averaging integrated density of states and
an associated trace-formula.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX 2e, to appear in "Applied Mathematics and Scientific
Computing", Brijuni, June 23-27, 2003. by Kluwer publisher
Equilibrium roughening transition in a 1D modified sine-Gordon model
We present a modified version of the one-dimensional sine-Gordon that
exhibits a thermodynamic, roughening phase transition, in analogy with the 2D
usual sine-Gordon model. The model is suited to study the crystalline growth
over an impenetrable substrate and to describe the wetting transition of a
liquid that forms layers. We use the transfer integral technique to write down
the pseudo-Schr\"odinger equation for the model, which allows to obtain some
analytical insight, and to compute numerically the free energy from the exact
transfer operator. We compare the results with Monte Carlo simulations of the
model, finding a perfect agreement between both procedures. We thus establish
that the model shows a phase transition between a low temperature flat phase
and a high temperature rough one. The fact that the model is one dimensional
and that it has a true phase transition makes it an ideal framework for further
studies of roughening phase transitions.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review
Extremal statistics in the energetics of domain walls
We study at T=0 the minimum energy of a domain wall and its gap to the first
excited state concentrating on two-dimensional random-bond Ising magnets. The
average gap scales as , where , is the energy fluctuation exponent, length scale, and
the number of energy valleys. The logarithmic scaling is due to extremal
statistics, which is illustrated by mapping the problem into the
Kardar-Parisi-Zhang roughening process. It follows that the susceptibility of
domain walls has also a logarithmic dependence on system size.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Ground-State Roughness of the Disordered Substrate and Flux Line in d=2
We apply optimization algorithms to the problem of finding ground states for
crystalline surfaces and flux lines arrays in presence of disorder. The
algorithms provide ground states in polynomial time, which provides for a more
precise study of the interface widths than from Monte Carlo simulations at
finite temperature. Using systems up to size , with a minimum of
realizations at each size, we find very strong evidence for a
super-rough state at low temperatures.Comment: 10 pages, 3 PS figures, to appear in PR
Analytical results on quantum interference and magnetoconductance for strongly localized electrons in a magnetic field: Exact summation of forward-scattering paths
We study quantum interference effects on the transition strength for strongly
localized electrons hopping on 2D square and 3D cubic lattices in the presence
of a magnetic field B. These effects arise from the interference between phase
factors associated with different electron paths connecting two distinct sites.
For electrons confined on a square lattice, with and without disorder, we
obtain closed-form expressions for the tunneling probability, which determines
the conductivity, between two arbitrary sites by exactly summing the
corresponding phase factors of all forward-scattering paths connecting them. An
analytic field-dependent expression, valid in any dimension, for the
magnetoconductance (MC) is derived. A positive MC is clearly observed when
turning on the magnetic field. In 2D, when the strength of B reaches a certain
value, which is inversely proportional to twice the hopping length, the MC is
increased by a factor of two compared to that at zero field. We also
investigate transport on the much less-studied and experimentally important 3D
cubic lattice case, where it is shown how the interference patterns and the
small-field behavior of the MC vary according to the orientation of B. The
effect on the low-flux MC due to the randomness of the angles between the
hopping direction and the orientation of B is also examined analytically.Comment: 24 pages, RevTeX, 8 figures include
Directed paths on hierarchical lattices with random sign weights
We study sums of directed paths on a hierarchical lattice where each bond has
either a positive or negative sign with a probability . Such path sums
have been used to model interference effects by hopping electrons in the
strongly localized regime. The advantage of hierarchical lattices is that they
include path crossings, ignored by mean field approaches, while still
permitting analytical treatment. Here, we perform a scaling analysis of the
controversial ``sign transition'' using Monte Carlo sampling, and conclude that
the transition exists and is second order. Furthermore, we make use of exact
moment recursion relations to find that the moments always determine,
uniquely, the probability distribution $P(J)$. We also derive, exactly, the
moment behavior as a function of $p$ in the thermodynamic limit. Extrapolations
($n\to 0$) to obtain for odd and even moments yield a new signal for
the transition that coincides with Monte Carlo simulations. Analysis of high
moments yield interesting ``solitonic'' structures that propagate as a function
of . Finally, we derive the exact probability distribution for path sums
up to length L=64 for all sign probabilities.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figure
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