Quantum phase transitions from topology in momentum space

Many quantum condensed matter systems are strongly correlated and strongly interacting fermionic systems, which cannot be treated perturbatively. However, physics which emerges in the low-energy corner does not depend on the complicated details of the system and is relatively simple. It is determined by the nodes in the fermionic spectrum, which are protected by topology in momentum space (in some cases, in combination with the vacuum symmetry). Close to the nodes the behavior of the system becomes universal; and the universality classes are determined by the toplogical invariants in momentum space. When one changes the parameters of the system, the transitions are expected to occur between the vacua with the same symmetry but which belong to different universality classes. Different types of quantum phase transitions governed by topology in momentum space are discussed in this Chapter. They involve Fermi surfaces, Fermi points, Fermi lines, and also the topological transitions between the fully gapped states. The consideration based on the momentum space topology of the Green's function is general and is applicable to the vacua of relativistic quantum fields. This is illustrated by the possible quantum phase transition governed by topology of nodes in the spectrum of elementary particles of Standard Model.Comment: 45 pages, 17 figures, 83 references, Chapter for the book "Quantum Simulations via Analogues: From Phase Transitions to Black Holes", to appear in Springer lecture notes in physics (LNP

Quasiparticle spectrum of d-wave superconductors in the mixed state: a large Fermi-velocity anisotropy study

The quasiparticle spectrum of a two-dimensional d-wave superconductor in the mixed state, H_c1 << H << H_c2, is studied for large values of the ``anisotropy ratio'' alpha_D = v_F/v_Delta. For a square vortex lattice rotated by 45 degrees from the quasiparticle anisotropy axes (and the usual choice of Franz--Tesanovic singular gauge transformation) we determine essential features of the band structure asymptotically for large alpha_D, using an effective one-dimensional model, and compare them to numerical calculations. We find that several features of the band structure decay to zero exponentially fast for large alpha_D. Using a different choice of singular gauge transformation, we obtain a different band structure, but still find qualitative agreement between the 1D and full 2D calculations. Finally, we distort the square lattice into a non-Bravais lattice. Both the one- and two-dimensional numerical calculations of the energy spectra show a gap around zero-energy, with our gauge choice, and the two excitation spectra agree reasonably well.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, revte

Spontaneous symmetry breaking and the p→0p \to 0 limit

We point out a basic ambiguity in the $p \to 0$ limit of the connected propagator in a spontaneously broken phase. This may represent an indication that the conventional singlet Higgs boson, rather than being a purely massive field, might have a gap-less branch. This would dominate the energy spectrum for ${\bf{p}} \to 0$ and give rise to a very weak, long-range force. The natural interpretation is in terms of density fluctuations of the `Higgs condensate': in the region of very long wavelengths, infinitely larger than the Fermi scale, it cannot be treated as a purely classical c-number field.Comment: 17 pages, LaTex, small changes and some comments adde

Electronic state around vortex in a two-band superconductor

Based on the quasiclassical theory, we investigate the vortex state in a two-band superconductor with a small gap on a three dimensional Fermi surface and a large gap on a quasi-two dimensional one, as in MgB_2. The field dependence of zero-energy density of states is compared for fields parallel and perpendicular to the ab plane, and the anisotropy of the vortex core shape is discussed for a parallel field. The Fermi surface geometry of two-bands, combining the effect of the normal-like electronic state on the small gap band at high fields, produces characteristic behavior in the anisotropy of c- and ab-directions.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

ℏ\hbar as parameter of Minkowski metric in effective theory

With the proper choice of the dimensionality of the metric components, the action for all fields becomes dimensionless. Such quantities as the vacuum speed of light c, the Planck constant \hbar, the electric charge e, the particle mass m, the Newton constant G never enter equations written in the covariant form, i.e., via the metric g^{\mu\nu}. The speed of light c and the Planck constant are parameters of a particular two-parametric family of solutions of general relativity equations describing the flat isotropic Minkowski vacuum in effective theory emerging at low energy: g^{\mu\nu}=diag(-\hbar^2, (\hbar c)^2, (\hbar c)^2, (\hbar c)^2). They parametrize the equilibrium quantum vacuum state. The physical quantities which enter the covariant equations are dimensionless quantities and dimensionful quantities of dimension of rest energy M or its power. Dimensionless quantities include the running coupling `constants' \alpha_i; topological and geometric quantum numbers (angular momentum quantum number j, weak charge, electric charge q, hypercharge, baryonic and leptonic charges, number of atoms N, etc). Dimensionful parameters include the rest energies of particles M_n (or/and mass matrices); the gravitational coupling K with dimension of M^2; cosmological constant with dimension M^4; etc. In effective theory, the interval s has the dimension of 1/M; it characterizes the dynamics of particles in the quantum vacuum rather than geometry of space-time. We discuss the effective action, and the measured physical quantities resulting from the action, including parameters which enter the Josepson effect, quantum Hall effect, etc.Comment: 18 pages, no figures, extended version of the paper accepted in JETP Letter

Zel'dovich-Starobinsky Effect in Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates: Analogy to Kerr Black Hole

We consider circular motion of a heavy object in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) at $T=0{\rm K}$. Even if the linear velocity of the object is smaller than the Landau critical velocity, the object may radiate quasiparticles and thus experience the quantum friction. The radiation process is similar to Zel'dovich-Starobinskii (ZS) effect -- the radiation by a rotating black hole. This analogy emerges when one introduces the effective acoustic metric for quasiparticles. In the rotating frame this metric has an ergosurface, which is similar to the ergosurface in the metric of a rotating black hole. In a finite size BEC, the quasiparticle creation takes place when the ergosurface is within the condensate and occurs via quantum tunneling from the object into the ergoregion. The dependence of the radiation rate on the position of the ergosurface is investigated.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures,submitted to JLT

Cosmology, Particle Physics and Superfluid 3He

Many direct parallels connect superfluid 3He with the field theories describing the physical vacuum, gauge fields and elementary fermions. Superfluid $^3$He exhibits a variety of topological defects which can be detected with single-defect sensitivity. Modern scenarios of defect-mediated baryogenesis can be simulated by the interaction of the 3He vortices and domain walls with fermionic quasiparticles. Formation of defects in a symmetry-breaking phase transition in the early Universe, which could be responsible for large-scale structure formation and for microwave-background anisotropy, also may be modelled in the laboratory. This is supported by the recent observation of vortex formation in neutron-irradiated 3He-B where the "primordial fireball" is formed in an exothermic nuclear reaction.Comment: Invited talk at LT-21 Conference, 20 pages, 3 figures available at request, compressed ps file of the camera-ready format with 3 figures is at ftp://boojum.hut.fi/pub/publications/lowtemp/LTL-96006.ps.g

Vortex with Fractional Quantum Numbers in Chiral p-Wave Superconductor

We show that a vortex in a chiral p-wave superconductor, which has the p_{x}+ i p_{y}-wave pairing state and breaks U(1), parity and time reversal symmetry simultaneously, has fractional charge -{n e}/{4} and fractional angular momentum -n^{2}/{16} (n; vorticity). This suggests that the vortex could be anyon and could obey fractional statistics. Electromagnetic property of the vortex is also discussed and we find that an electric field is induced near the vortex core.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Wavefunction topology of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric superconductors

We discuss the topology of the wavefunctions of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric superconductors. We consider (a) the planar state, (b) a system with broken up-down reflection symmetry, and (c) a system with general spin-orbit interaction. We show explicitly how the relative sign of the order parameter on the two Fermi surfaces affects this topology, and clarify the meaning of the $Z_2$ classification for these topological states.Comment: only the Introduction has been modified from v

Singular current response from isolated impurities in d-wave superconductors

The current response of a d-wave superconductor containing a single impurity is calculated and shown to be singular in the low-temperature limit, leading in the case of strong scattering to a 1/T term in the penetration depth $\lambda(T)$ similar to that induced by Andreev surface bound states. For a small number of such impurities, we argue this low-$T$ upturn could be observable in cuprate superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 2 .eps figures. Minor changes to match the published versio