Scaling and Decoherence in the Out-of-Equilibrium Kondo Model

We study the Kondo effect in quantum dots in an out-of-equilibrium state due to an applied dc-voltage bias. Using the method of infinitesimal unitary transformations (flow equations), we develop a perturbative scaling picture that naturally contains both equilibrium coherent and non-equilibrium decoherence effects. This framework allows one to study the competition between Kondo effect and current-induced decoherence, and it establishes a large regime dominated by single-channel Kondo physics for asymmetrically coupled quantum dots.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; v2: minor changes (typos corrected, esp. in Eqs. (3), (4), references updated, improved layout for figures

Quantum first order phase transitions

The scaling theory of critical phenomena has been successfully extended for classical first order transitions even though the correlation length does not diverge in these transitions. In this paper we apply the scaling ideas to quantum first order transitions. The usefulness of this approach is illustrated treating the problems of a superconductor coupled to a gauge field and of a biquadratic Heisenberg chain, at zero temperature. In both cases there is a latent energy associated with their discontinuous quantum transitions. We discuss the effects of disorder and give a general criterion for it's relevance in these transitions.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, misprints corrected and a reference added. Version published in PHYSICA

The phase diagram of magnetic ladders constructed from a composite-spin model

White's density matrix renormalization group ({DMRG}) method has been applied to an $S= 1/2 + 1/2$ composite-spin model, which can also be considered as a two-leg ladder model. By appropriate choices of the coupling constants this model allows not only to study how the gap is opened around the gapless integrable models, but also to interpolate continuously between models with different spin lengths. We have found indications for the existence of several different massive phases.Comment: 30 pages, 8 Postscript figure

Phase Transitions Between Topologically Distinct Gapped Phases in Isotropic Spin Ladders

We consider various two-leg ladder models exhibiting gapped phases. All of these phases have short-ranged valence bond ground states, and they all exhibit string order. However, we show that short-ranged valence bond ground states divide into two topologically distinct classes, and as a consequence, there exist two topologically distinct types of string order. Therefore, not all gapped phases belong to the same universality class. We show that phase transitions occur when we interpolate between models belonging to different topological classes, and we study the nature of these transitions.Comment: 11 pages, 16 postscript figure

Stability of the Haldane phase in anisotropic magnetic ladders

We have considered the properties of anisotropic two-leg ladder models with S=1/2 or S=1 spins on the rungs, using White's density matrix renormalization group method. We have generalized the method by taking into account the symmetries of the model in order to reduce the dimensions of the matrix to be diagonalized, thereby making possible to consider more states. The boundaries in the parameter space of the extended region, where the Haldane phase exists, are estimated.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

Nonequilibrium Current in the One Dimensional Hubbard Model at Half-Filling

Nonlinear transport in the one dimensional Hubbard model at half-filling under a finite bias voltage is investigated by the adaptive time-dependent density matrix renormalization group method. For repulsive on-site interaction, dielectric breakdown of the Mott insulating ground state to a current-carrying nonequilibrium steady state is clearly observed when the voltage exceeds the charge gap. It is found that by increasing the voltage further the current-voltage characteristics are scaled only by the charge gap and the scaling curve exhibits almost linear dependence on the voltage whose slope is suppressed by the electron correlation. In the case of attractive interaction the linear conductance is the perfect one $2e^2/h$ which agrees with the prediction by the Luttinger liquid theory.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Spectral sum rules for the Tomonaga-Luttinger model

In connection with recent publications we discuss spectral sum rules for the Tomonaga-Luttinger model without using the explicit result for the one-electron Green's function. They are usefull in the interpretation of recent high resolution photoemission spectra of quasi-one-dimensional conductors. It is shown that the limit of infinite frequency and band cut\-off do not commute. Our result for arbitrary shape of the interaction potential generalizes an earlier discussion by Suzumura. A general analytical expression for the spectral function for wave vectors far from the Fermi wave vector $k_{F}$ is presented. Numerical spectra are shown to illustrate the sum rules.Comment: 9 pages, REVTEX 3.0, 2 figures added as postscript file

Boundary effects on one-particle spectra of Luttinger liquids

We calculate one-particle spectra for a variety of models of Luttinger liquids with open boundary conditions. For the repulsive Hubbard model the spectral weight close to the boundary is enhanced in a large energy range around the chemical potential. A power law suppression, previously predicted by bosonization, only occurs after a crossover at energies very close to the chemical potential. Our comparison with exact spectra shows that the effects of boundaries can partly be understood within the Hartree-Fock approximation.Comment: 4 pages including 4 figures, revised version, to be published in Phys. Rev. B, January 200

Flow equation solution for the weak to strong-coupling crossover in the sine-Gordon model

A continuous sequence of infinitesimal unitary transformations, combined with an operator product expansion for vertex operators, is used to diagonalize the quantum sine-Gordon model for 2 pi < beta^2 < infinity. The leading order of this approximation already gives very accurate results for the single-particle gap in the strong-coupling phase. This approach can be understood as an extension of perturbative scaling theory since it links weak to strong-coupling behavior in a systematic expansion. The approach should also be useful for other strong-coupling problems that can be formulated in terms of vertex operators.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, minor changes (typo in Eq. (3) corrected, references added), published versio

Search for the Nondimerized Quantum Nematic Phase in the Spin-1 Chain

Chubukov's proposal concerning the possibility of a nondimerized quantum nematic phase in the ground-state phase diagram of the bilinear-biquadratic spin-1 chain is studied numerically. Our results do not support the existence of this phase, but they rather indicate a direct transition from the ferromagnetic into the dimerized phase.Comment: REVTEX, 14 pages +8 PostScript figure