A note on the Guerra and Talagrand theorems for Mean Field Spin Glasses: the simple case of spherical models

The aim of this paper is to discuss the main ideas of the Talagrand proof of the Parisi Ansatz for the free-energy of Mean Field Spin Glasses with a physicist's approach. We consider the case of the spherical $p$-spin model, which has the following advantages: 1) the Parisi Ansatz takes the simple ``one step replica symmetry breaking form'', 2) the replica free-energy as a function of the order parameters is simple enough to allow for numerical maximization with arbitrary precision. We present the essential ideas of the proof, we stress its connections with the theory of effective potentials for glassy systems, and we reduce the technically more difficult part of the Talagrand's analysis to an explicit evaluation of the solution of a variational problem.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. Added references and minor language correction

Off-Equilibrium Effective Temperature in Monatomic Lennard-Jones Glass

The off-equilibrium dynamics of a monatomic Lennard-Jones glass is investigated after sudden isothermal density jumps (crunch) from well equilibrated liquid configurations towards the glassy state. The generalized fluctuation-dissipation relation has been studied and the temperature dependence of the violation factor m is found in agreement with the one step replica symmetry breaking scenario, i.e. at low temperature m(T) is found proportional to T up to an off-equilibrium effective temperature T_eff, where m(T_eff)=1. We report T_eff as a function of the density and compare it with the glass transition temperatures T_g as determined by equilibrium calculations.Comment: 4 pages,4 figure

Relaxation processes and entropic traps in the Backgammon model

We examine the density-density correlation function in a model recently proposed to study the effect of entropy barriers in glassy dynamics. We find that the relaxation proceeds in two steps with a fast beta process followed by alpha relaxation. The results are physically interpreted in the context of an adiabatic approximation which allows to separate the two processes, and to define an effective temperature in the off-equilibrium dynamics of the model. We investigate the behavior of the response function associated to the density, and find violations of the fluctuation dissipation theorem.Comment: 4 Pages including 3 Figures, Revte

Quasiparticle interference patterns as a test for the nature of the pseudogap phase in the cuprate superconductors

Electrons, when scattered by static random disorder, form standing waves that can be imaged using scanning tunneling microscopy. Such interference patterns, observable by the recently developed technique of Fourier transform scanning tunneling spectroscopy (FT-STS), are shown to carry unique fingerprints characteristic of the electronic order present in a material. We exploit this feature of the FT-STS technique to propose a test for the nature of the enigmatic pseudogap phase in the high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors. Through their sensitivity to the quasiparticle spectra and coherence factors, the FT-STS patterns in principle carry enough information to unambiguously determine the nature of the condensate responsible for the pseudogap phenomenon. We argue that the next generation of FT-STS experiments, currently underway, should be able to distinguish between the pseudogap dominated by the remnants of superconducting order from the pseudogap dominated by some competing order in the particle-hole channel. Using general arguments and detailed numerical calculations, we point to certain fundamental differences between the two scenarios and discuss the prospects for future experiments.Comment: 15 pages REVTeX + 9 ps figures. For related work and info visit http://www.physics.ubc.ca/~franz; version 2 to appear in IJMP

Glassy Mean-Field Dynamics of the Backgammon model

In this paper we present an exact study of the relaxation dynamics of the backgammon model. This is a model of a gas of particles in a discrete space which presents glassy phenomena as a result of {\it entropy barriers} in configuration space. The model is simple enough to allow for a complete analytical treatment of the dynamics in infinite dimensions. We first derive a closed equation describing the evolution of the occupation number probabilities, then we generalize the analysis to the study the autocorrelation function. We also consider possible variants of the model which allow to study the effect of energy barriers.Comment: 21 pages, revtex, 4 uuencoded figure

Structural Properties of the Disordered Spherical and other Mean Field Spin Models

We extend the approach of Aizenman, Sims and Starr for the SK-type models to their spherical versions. Such an extension has already been performed for diluted spin glasses. The factorization property of the optimal structures found by Guerra for the SK model, which holds for diluted models as well, is verified also in the case of spherical systems, with the due modifications. Hence we show that there are some common structural features in various mean field spin models. These similarities seem to be quite paradigmatic, and we summarize the various techniques typically used to prove the structural analogies and to tackle the computation of the free energy per spin in the thermodynamic limit.Comment: 24 page

Testing replica predictions in experiments

We review the predictions of the replica approach both for the statics and for the off-equilibrium dynamics. We stress the importance of the Cugliandolo-Kurchan off-equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relation in providing a bridge between the statics and the dynamics. We present numerical evidence for the correctness of these relations. This approach allows an experimental determination of the basic parameters of the replica theory.Comment: To appear in Chiarotti's Festschrift Volume (8 Pages, 3 figures

How glasses explore configuration space

We review a statistical picture of the glassy state derived from the analysis of the off-equilibrium fluctuation-dissipation relations. We define an ultra-long time limit where ``one time quantities'' are close to equilibrium while response and correlation can still display aging. In this limit it is possible to relate the fluctuation-response relation to static breaking of ergodicity. The resulting picture suggests that even far from that limit, the fluctuation-dissipation ratio relates to the rate of growth of the configurational entropy with free-energy density.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the "3rd workshop on non-equilibrium phenomena in supercooled fluids, glasses and amorphous materials" Pisa 22-27 September 200

Phase diagram of glassy systems in an external field

We study the mean-field phase diagram of glassy systems in a field pointing in the direction of a metastable state. We find competition among a ``magnetized'' and a ``disordered'' phase, that are separated by a coexistence line as in ordinary first order phase transitions. The coexistence line terminates in a critical point, which in principle can be observed in numerical simulations of glassy models.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Local overlaps, heterogeneities and the local fluctuation dissipation relations

In this paper I introduce the probability distribution of the local overlap in spin glasses. The properties of the local overlaps are studied in details. These quantities are related to the recently proposed local version of the fluctuation dissipation relations: using the general principle of stochastic stability these local fluctuation dissipation relations can be proved in a way that is very similar to the usual proof of the fluctuation dissipation relations for intensive quantities. The local overlap and its probability distribution play a crucial role in this proof. Similar arguments can be used to prove that all sites in an aging experiment stay at the same effective temperature at the same time.Comment: 14 pages, no figure