Causality vs. Ward identity in disordered electron systems

We address the problem of fulfilling consistency conditions in solutions for disordered noninteracting electrons. We prove that if we assume the existence of the diffusion pole in an electron-hole symmetric theory we cannot achieve a solution with a causal self-energy that would fully fit the Ward identity. Since the self-energy must be causal, we conclude that the Ward identity is partly violated in the diffusive transport regime of disordered electrons. We explain this violation in physical terms and discuss its consequences.Comment: 4 pages, REVTeX, 6 EPS figure

Quantum diffusion in a random potential: A consistent perturbation theory

We scrutinize the diagrammatic perturbation theory of noninteracting electrons in a random potential with the aim to accomplish a consistent comprehensive theory of quantum diffusion. Ward identity between the one-electron self-energy and the two-particle irreducible vertex is generally not guaranteed in the perturbation theory with only elastic scatterings. We show how the Ward identity can be established in practical approximations and how the functions from the perturbation expansion should be used to obtain a fully consistent conserving theory. We derive the low-energy asymptotics of the conserving full two-particle vertex from which we find an exact representation of the diffusion pole and of the static diffusion constant in terms of Green functions of the perturbation expansion. We illustrate the construction on the leading vertex corrections to the mean-field diffusion due to maximally-crossed diagrams responsible for weak localization.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Spin-symmetric solution of an interacting quantum dot attached to superconducting leads: Andreev states and the 0−π0-\pi transition

Behavior of Andreev gap states in a quantum dot with Coulomb repulsion symmetrically attached to superconducting leads is studied via the perturbation expansion in the interaction strength. We find the exact asymptotic form of the spin-symmetric solution for the Andreev states continuously approaching the Fermi level. We thereby derive a critical interaction at which the Andreev states at zero temperature merge at the Fermi energy, being the upper bound for the $0-\pi$ transition. We show that the spin-symmetric solution becomes degenerate beyond this interaction, in the $\pi$ phase, and the Andreev states do not split unless the degeneracy is lifted. We further demonstrate that the degeneracy of the spin-symmetric state extends also into the $0$ phase in which the solutions with zero and non-zero frequencies of the Andreev states may coexist.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Analytic impurity solver with the Kondo strong-coupling asymptotics

We present an analytic universal impurity solver for strongly correlated electrons. We extend the many-body perturbation expansion via suitable two-particle renormalizations from the Fermi-liquid regime to the critical region of the metal-insulator transition. The reliability of the approximation in the strong-coupling limit is demonstrated by reproducing the Kondo scale in the single-impurity Anderson model. We disclose the origin of the Kondo resonance in terms of Feynman diagrams and find criteria for the existence of the proper Kondo asymptotic behavior in approximate theories.Comment: 7 pages REVTeX4, 5 EPS figures, extended versio

Universality of vertex corrections to the electrical conductivity in models with elastically scattered electrons

We study quantum coherence of elastically scattered lattice fermions. We calculate vertex corrections to the electrical conductivity of electrons scattered either on thermally equilibrated or statically distributed random impurities. We demonstrate that the sign of the vertex corrections to the Drude conductivity is in both cases negative. Quantum coherence due to elastic back-scatterings always leads to diminution of diffusion.Comment: ReVTEX, 9 pages, 8 EPS figure

Linked Cluster Expansion Around Mean-Field Theories of Interacting Electrons

A general expansion scheme based on the concept of linked cluster expansion from the theory of classical spin systems is constructed for models of interacting electrons. It is shown that with a suitable variational formulation of mean-field theories at weak (Hartree-Fock) and strong (Hubbard-III) coupling the expansion represents a universal and comprehensive tool for systematic improvements of static mean-field theories. As an example of the general formalism we investigate in detail an analytically tractable series of ring diagrams that correctly capture dynamical fluctuations at weak coupling. We introduce renormalizations of the diagrammatic expansion at various levels and show how the resultant theories are related to other approximations of similar origin. We demonstrate that only fully self-consistent approximations produce global and thermodynamically consistent extensions of static mean field theories. A fully self-consistent theory for the ring diagrams is reached by summing the so-called noncrossing diagrams.Comment: 17 pages, REVTEX, 13 uuencoded postscript figures in 2 separate file

Stability of solutions of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model with respect to replications of the phase space

We use real replicas within the Thouless, Anderson and Palmer construction to investigate stability of solutions with respect to uniform scalings in the phase space of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. We show that the demand of homogeneity of thermodynamic potentials leads in a natural way to a thermodynamically dependent ultrametric hierarchy of order parameters. The derived hierarchical mean-field equations appear equivalent to the discrete Parisi RSB scheme. The number of hierarchical levels in the construction is fixed by the global thermodynamic homogeneity expressed as generalized de Almeida Thouless conditions. A physical interpretation of a hierarchical structure of the order parameters is gained.Comment: REVTeX4, 22 pages, second extended version to be published in Phys. Rev.

A mean-field theory of Anderson localization

Anderson model of noninteracting disordered electrons is studied in high spatial dimensions. We find that off-diagonal one- and two-particle propagators behave as gaussian random variables w.r.t. momentum summations. With this simplification and with the electron-hole symmetry we reduce the parquet equations for two-particle irreducible vertices to a single algebraic equation for a local vertex. We find a disorder-driven bifurcation point in this equation signalling vanishing of diffusion and onset of Anderson localization. There is no bifurcation in $d=1,2$ where all states are localized. A natural order parameter for Anderson localization pops up in the construction.Comment: REVTeX4, 4 pages, 2 EPS figure

Mean-field theories for disordered electrons: Diffusion pole and Anderson localization

We discuss conditions to be put on mean-field-like theories to be able to describe fundamental physical phenomena in disordered electron systems. In particular, we investigate options for a consistent mean-field theory of electron localization and for a reliable description of transport properties. We argue that a mean-field theory for the Anderson localization transition must be electron-hole symmetric and self-consistent at the two-particle (vertex) level. We show that such a theory with local equations can be derived from the asymptotic limit to high spatial dimensions. The weight of the diffusion pole, i. e., the number of diffusive states at the Fermi energy, in this mean-field theory decreases with the increasing disorder strength and vanishes in the localized phase. Consequences of the disclosed behavior for our understanding of vanishing of electron diffusion are discussed.Comment: REVTeX4, 11 pages, no figure