Effect of spin on electron motion in a random magnetic field

We consider properties of a two-dimensional electron system in a random magnetic field. It is assumed that the magnetic field not only influences orbital electron motion but also acts on the electron spin. For calculations, we suggest a new trick replacing the initial Hamiltonian by a Dirac Hamiltonian. This allows us to do easily a perturbation theory and derive a supermatrix sigma model, which takes a form of the conventional sigma model with the unitary symmetry. Using this sigma model we calculate several correlation functions including a spin-spin correlation function. As compared to the model without spin, we get different expressions for the single-particle lifetime and the transport time. The diffusion constant turns out to be 2 times smaller than the one for spinless particles.Comment: 7 pages, revtex, result of the spin correlation function corrected, Appendix adde

Comment on "Antilocalization in a 2D Electron Gas in a Random Magnetic Field"

In a recent Letter, Taras-Semchuk and Efetov reconsider the problem of electron localization in a random magnetic field in two dimensions. They claim that due to the long-range nature of the vector potential correlations an additional term appears in the effective field theory ($\sigma$-model) of the problem, leading to delocalization at the one-loop level. This calls into question the results of earlier analytical studies, where the random magnetic field problem was mapped onto the conventional unitary-class $\sigma$-model, implying that the leading quantum correction is of two-loop order and of a localizing nature. We show in this Comment, however, that the new term in fact does not exist and was erroneously obtained by Taras-Semchuk and Efetov because of an inconsistent treatment violating gauge invariance.Comment: 1 page, 2 figure

Current correlations and quantum localization in 2D disordered systems with broken time-reversal invariance

We study long-range correlations of equilibrium current densities in a two-dimensional mesoscopic system with the time reversal invariance broken by a random or homogeneous magnetic field. Our result is universal, i.e. it does not depend on the type (random potential or random magnetic field) or correlation length of disorder. This contradicts recent sigma-model calculations of Taras-Semchuk and Efetov (TS&E) for the current correlation function, as well as for the renormalization of the conductivity. We show explicitly that the new term in the sigma-model derived by TS&E and claimed to lead to delocalization does not exist. The error in the derivation of TS&E is traced to an incorrect ultraviolet regularization procedure violating current conservation and gauge invariance.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Det-Det Correlations for Quantum Maps: Dual Pair and Saddle-Point Analyses

An attempt is made to clarify the ballistic non-linear sigma model formalism recently proposed for quantum chaotic systems, by the spectral determinant Z(s)=Det(1-sU) of a quantized map U element of U(N). More precisely, we study the correlator omega_U(s)= (averaging t over the unit circle). Identifying the group U(N) as one member of a dual pair acting in the spinor representation of Spin(4N), omega_U(s) is expanded in terms of irreducible characters of U(N). In close analogy with the ballistic non-linear sigma model, a coherent-state integral representation of omega_U(s) is developed. We show that the leading-order saddle-point approximation reproduces omega_U(s) exactly, up to a constant factor; this miracle can be explained by interpreting omega_U(s) as a character of U(2N), for which the saddle-point expansion yields the Weyl character formula. Unfortunately, this decomposition behaves non-smoothly in the semiclassical limit, and to make further progress some averaging over U needs to be introduced. Several averaging schemes are investigated. In general, a direct application of the saddle-point approximation to these schemes is demonstrated to give incorrect results; this is not the case for a `semiclassical averaging scheme', for which all loop corrections vanish identically. As a side product of the dual pair decomposition, we compute a crossover between the Poisson and CUE ensembles for omega_U(s)

Ballistic electron motion in a random magnetic field

Using a new scheme of the derivation of the non-linear $\sigma$-model we consider the electron motion in a random magnetic field (RMF) in two dimensions. The derivation is based on writing quasiclassical equations and representing their solutions in terms of a functional integral over supermatrices $Q$ with the constraint $Q^2=1$. Contrary to the standard scheme, neither singling out slow modes nor saddle-point approximation are used. The $\sigma$-model obtained is applicable at the length scale down to the electron wavelength. We show that this model differs from the model with a random potential (RP).However, after averaging over fluctuations in the Lyapunov region the standard $\sigma$-model is obtained leading to the conventional localization behavior.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, to be submitted in PRB v2: Section IV is remove

Ehrenfest time dependent suppression of weak localization

The Ehrenfest time dependence of the suppression of the weak localization correction to the conductance of a {\em clean} chaotic cavity is calculated. Unlike in earlier work, no impurity scattering is invoked to imitate diffraction effects. The calculation extends the semiclassical theory of K. Richter and M. Sieber [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 89}, 206801 (2002)] to include the effect of a finite Ehrenfest time.Comment: 3 Pages, 1 Figure, RevTe

Universal spectral statistics of Andreev billiards: semiclassical approach

The classification of universality classes of random-matrix theory has recently been extended beyond the Wigner-Dyson ensembles. Several of the novel ensembles can be discussed naturally in the context of superconducting-normal hybrid systems. In this paper, we give a semiclassical interpretation of their spectral form factors for both quantum graphs and Andreev billiards.Comment: final improved version (to be published in Physical Review E), 6 pages, revtex

Field Theory of Mesoscopic Fluctuations in Superconductor/Normal-Metal Systems

Thermodynamic and transport properties of normal disordered conductors are strongly influenced by the proximity of a superconductor. A cooperation between mesoscopic coherence and Andreev scattering of particles from the superconductor generates new types of interference phenomena. We introduce a field theoretic approach capable of exploring both averaged properties and mesoscopic fluctuations of superconductor/normal-metal systems. As an example the method is applied to the study of the level statistics of a SNS-junction.Comment: 4 pages, REVTEX, two eps-figures included; submitted to JETP letter

Weak Localization and Integer Quantum Hall Effect in a Periodic Potential

We consider magnetotransport in a disordered two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of a periodic modulation in one direction. Existing quasiclassical and quantum approaches to this problem account for Weiss oscillations in the resistivity tensor at moderate magnetic fields, as well as a strong modulation-induced modification of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations at higher magnetic fields. They do not account, however, for the operation at even higher magnetic fields of the integer quantum Hall effect, for which quantum interference processes are responsible. We then introduce a field-theory approach, based on a nonlinear sigma model, which encompasses naturally both the quasiclassical and quantum-mechanical approaches, as well as providing a consistent means of extending them to include quantum interference corrections. A perturbative renormalization-group analysis of the field theory shows how weak localization corrections to the conductivity tensor may be described by a modification of the usual one-parameter scaling, such as to accommodate the anisotropy of the bare conductivity tensor. We also show how the two-parameter scaling, conjectured as a model for the quantum Hall effect in unmodulated systems, may be generalized similarly for the modulated system. Within this model we illustrate the operation of the quantum Hall effect in modulated systems for parameters that are realistic for current experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, ReVTeX; revised version with condensed introduction; two figures taken out; reference adde