Quantum Monte Carlo Methods in Statistical Mechanics

This paper deals with the optimization of trial states for the computation of dominant eigenvalues of operators and very large matrices. In addition to preliminary results for the energy spectrum of van der Waals clusters, we review results of the application of this method to the computation of relaxation times of independent relaxation modes at the Ising critical point in two dimensions.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Composite Fermions and Landau Level Mixing in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

The reduction of the energy gap due to Landau level mixing, characterized by the dimensionless parameter $\lambda = (e^2/\epsilon l_0)/\hbar\omega_c$, has been calculated by variational Monte Carlo for the fractional quantum Hall effect at filling fractions $\nu=1/3$ and 1/5 using a modified version of Jain's composite fermion wave functions. These wave functions exploit the Landau level mixing already present in composite fermion wave functions by introducing a partial Landau level projection operator. Results for the energy gaps are consistent with experimental observations in $n$-type GaAs, but we conclude that Landau level mixing alone cannot account for the significantly smaller energy gaps observed in $p$-type systems.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex, 2 figures in compressed tar .ps forma

Skyrmion Physics Beyond the Lowest Landau Level Approximation

The effects of Landau level mixing and finite thickness of the two-dimensional electron gas on the relative stability of skyrmion and single spin-flip excitations at Landau level filling factor $\nu=1$ have been investigated. Landau level mixing is studied by fixed-phase diffusion Monte Carlo and finite thickness is included by modifying the effective Coulomb interaction. Both Landau level mixing and finite thickness lower skyrmion excitation energies and favor skyrmions with fewer spin flips. However, the two effects do not work `coherently'. When finite thickness is included the effect of Landau level mixing is strongly suppressed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Masses of composite fermions carrying two and four flux quanta: Differences and similarities

This study provides a theoretical rationalization for the intriguing experimental observation regarding the equality of the normalized masses of composite fermions carrying two and four flux quanta, and also demonstrates that the mass of the latter type of composite fermion has a substantial filling factor dependence in the filling factor range $4/17 > \nu > 1/5$, in agreement with experiment, originating from the relatively strong inter-composite fermion interactions here.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Quantum Hall Fluids on the Haldane Sphere: A Diffusion Monte Carlo Study

A generalized diffusion Monte Carlo method for solving the many-body Schr\"odinger equation on curved manifolds is introduced and used to perform a `fixed-phase' simulation of the fractional quantum Hall effect on the Haldane sphere. This new method is used to study the effect of Landau level mixing on the $\nu=1/3$ energy gap and the relative stability of spin-polarized and spin-reversed quasielectron excitations.Comment: 13 pages, Revtex + psfig, figures include

Optimization of ground and excited state wavefunctions and van der Waals clusters

A quantum Monte Carlo method is introduced to optimize excited state trial wavefunctions. The method is applied in a correlation function Monte Carlo calculation to compute ground and excited state energies of bosonic van der Waals clusters of upto seven particles. The calculations are performed using trial wavefunctions with general three-body correlations

Edge reconstruction in the fractional quantum Hall regime

The interplay of electron-electron interaction and confining potential can lead to the reconstruction of fractional quantum Hall edges. We have performed exact diagonalization studies on microscopic models of fractional quantum Hall liquids, in finite size systems with disk geometry, and found numerical evidence of edge reconstruction under rather general conditions. In the present work we have taken into account effects like layer thickness and Landau level mixing, which are found to be of quantitative importance in edge physics. Due to edge reconstruction, additional nonchiral edge modes arise for both incompressible and compressible states. These additional modes couple to electromagnetic fields and thus can be detected in microwave conductivity measurements. They are also expected to affect the exponent of electron Green's function, which has been measured in tunneling experiments. We have studied in this work the electric dipole spectral function that is directly related to the microwave conductivity measurement. Our results are consistent with the enhanced microwave conductivity observed in experiments performed on samples with an array of antidots at low temperatures, and its suppression at higher temperatures. We also discuss the effects of the edge reconstruction on the single electron spectral function at the edge.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure