Non-Hermitian Luttinger Liquids and Vortex Physics

As a model of two thermally excited flux liquids connected by a weak link, we study the effect of a single line defect on vortex filaments oriented parallel to the surface of a thin planar superconductor. When the applied field is tilted relative to the line defect, the physics is described by a nonhermitian Luttinger liquid of interacting quantum bosons in one spatial dimension with a point defect. We analyze this problem using a combination of analytic and numerical density matrix renormalization group methods, uncovering a delicate interplay between enhancement of pinning due to Luttinger liquid effects and depinning due to the tilted magnetic field. Interactions dramatically improve the ability of a single columnar pin to suppress vortex tilt when the Luttinger liquid parameter g is less than or equal to one.Comment: 4 pages, 5 eps figures, minor changes made, one reference adde

On a Renormalization Group Approach to Dimensional Crossover

A recently proposed renormalization group approach to dimensional crossover in quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets is improved and then shown to give identical results, in some cases, to those obtained earlier.Comment: 8 pages, Rev Tex, no figure

Finite-size scaling for the S=1/2 Heisenberg Antiferromagnetic Chain

Corrections to the asymptotic correlation function in a Heisenberg spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic spin chain are known to vanish slowly (logarithmically) as a function of the distance r or the chain size L. This leads to significant differences with numerical results. We calculate the sub-leading logarithmic corrections to the finite-size correlation function, using renormalization group improved perturbation theory, and compare the result with numerical data.Comment: 7 pages Revtex, 3 figure

Boundary Critical Phenomena in SU(3) "Spin" Chains

SU(3)-invariant "spin" chains with a single impurity, such as a modified exchange coupling on one link, are analyzed using boundary conformal field theory techniques. These chains are equivalent to a special case of the "tJV" model, i.e. the t-J model with a nearest neighbour repulsion added. In the continuum limit they are equivalent to two free bosons at a special value of the compactification radii. The SU(3) symmetry, which is made explicit in this formulation, provides insight into the exact solution of a non-trivial boundary critical point found earlier in another formulation of this model as a theory of quantum Brownian motion.Comment: 19 pages, Rev Te

Neel order in doped quasi one-dimensional antiferromagnets

We study the Neel temperature of quasi one-dimensional S=1/2 antiferromagnets containing non-magnetic impurities. We first consider the temperature dependence of the staggered susceptibility of finite chains with open boundary conditions, which shows an interesting difference for even and odd length chains. We then use a mean field theory treatment to incorporate the three dimensional inter-chain couplings. The resulting Neel temperature shows a pronounced drop as a function of doping by up to a factor of 5.Comment: 4 pages in revtex4 format including 2 epsf-embedded figures. The latest version in PDF format is available from http://fy.chalmers.se/~eggert/papers/staggered.pd

Impurities in S=1/2 Heisenberg Antiferromagnetic Chains: Consequences for Neutron Scattering and Knight Shift

Non-magnetic impurities in an S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain are studied using boundary conformal field theory techniques and finite-temperature quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We calculate the static structure function, S_imp(k), measured in neutron scattering and the local susceptibility, chi_i measured in Knight shift experiments. S_imp(k) becomes quite large near the antiferromagnetic wave-vector, and exhibits much stronger temperature dependence than the bulk structure function. \chi_i has a large component which alternates and increases as a function of distance from the impurity.Comment: 8 pages (revtex) + one postscript file with 6 figures. A complete postscript file with all figures + text (10pages) is available from http://fy.chalmers.se/~eggert/struct.ps or by request from [email protected] Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Edge Critical Behaviour of the 2-Dimensional Tri-critical Ising Model

Using previous results from boundary conformal field theory and integrability, a phase diagram is derived for the 2 dimensional Ising model at its bulk tri-critical point as a function of boundary magnetic field and boundary spin-coupling constant. A boundary tri-critical point separates phases where the spins on the boundary are ordered or disordered. In the latter range of coupling constant, there is a non-zero critical field where the magnetization is singular. In the former range, as the temperature is lowered, the boundary undergoes a first order transition while the bulk simultaneously undergoes a second order transition.Comment: 6 pages, RevTex, 3 postscript figure

Non-Fermi liquid behavior in Kondo models

Despite the fact that the low energy behavior of the basic Kondo model cannot be studied perturbatively it was eventually shown by Wilson, Anderson, Nozieres and others to have a simple "local Fermi liquid theory" description. That is, electronic degrees of freedom become effectively non-interacting in the zero energy limit. However, generalized versions of the Kondo model involving more than one channel or impurity may exhibit low energy behavior of a less trivial sort which can, nonetheless, be solved exactly using either Bethe ansatz or conformal field theory and bosonization techniques. Now the low energy limit exhibits interacting many body behavior. For example, processes in which a single electron scatters off the impurity into a multi electron-hole state have a non-vanishing (and sometimes large) amplitude at zero energy. This corresponds to a rare solveable example of non-Fermi liquid behavior. Essential features of these phenomena are reviewed.Comment: A brief review submitted to the special issue of J. Phys. Soc. of Japan, "Kondo effect -- 40 years after the discovery

Exact Correlation Amplitude for the S=1/2 Heisenberg Antiferromagnetic Chain

The exact amplitude for the asymptotic correlation function in the S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain is determined: goes to (-1)^r delta^{ab}(ln r)^{1/2}/[(2 pi)^{3/2}r]. The behaviour of the correlation functions for small xxz anisotropy and the form of finite-size corrections to the correlation function are also analysed.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, added reference and discussio

Critical phenomena and quantum phase transition in long range Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains

Antiferromagnetic Hamiltonians with short-range, non-frustrating interactions are well-known to exhibit long range magnetic order in dimensions, $d\geq 2$ but exhibit only quasi long range order, with power law decay of correlations, in d=1 (for half-integer spin). On the other hand, non-frustrating long range interactions can induce long range order in d=1. We study Hamiltonians in which the long range interactions have an adjustable amplitude lambda, as well as an adjustable power-law $1/|x|^\alpha$, using a combination of quantum Monte Carlo and analytic methods: spin-wave, large-N non-linear sigma model, and renormalization group methods. We map out the phase diagram in the lambda-alpha plane and study the nature of the critical line separating the phases with long range and quasi long range order. We find that this corresponds to a novel line of critical points with continuously varying critical exponents and a dynamical exponent, z<1.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures. RG flow added. Final version to appear in JSTA