Ordered spectral statistics in 1D disordered supersymmetric quantum mechanics and Sinai diffusion with dilute absorbers

Some results on the ordered statistics of eigenvalues for one-dimensional random Schr\"odinger Hamiltonians are reviewed. In the case of supersymmetric quantum mechanics with disorder, the existence of low energy delocalized states induces eigenvalue correlations and makes the ordered statistics problem nontrivial. The resulting distributions are used to analyze the problem of classical diffusion in a random force field (Sinai problem) in the presence of weakly concentrated absorbers. It is shown that the slowly decaying averaged return probability of the Sinai problem, \mean{P(x,t|x,0)}\sim \ln^{-2}t, is converted into a power law decay, \mean{P(x,t|x,0)}\sim t^{-\sqrt{2\rho/g}}, where $g$ is the strength of the random force field and $\rho$ the density of absorbers.Comment: 10 pages ; LaTeX ; 4 pdf figures ; Proceedings of the meeting "Fundations and Applications of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics", Nordita, Stockholm, october 2011 ; v2: appendix added ; v3: figure 2.left adde

One-dimensional classical diffusion in a random force field with weakly concentrated absorbers

A one-dimensional model of classical diffusion in a random force field with a weak concentration $\rho$ of absorbers is studied. The force field is taken as a Gaussian white noise with \mean{\phi(x)}=0 and \mean{\phi(x)\phi(x')}=g \delta(x-x'). Our analysis relies on the relation between the Fokker-Planck operator and a quantum Hamiltonian in which absorption leads to breaking of supersymmetry. Using a Lifshits argument, it is shown that the average return probability is a power law \smean{P(x,t|x,0)}\sim{}t^{-\sqrt{2\rho/g}} (to be compared with the usual Lifshits exponential decay $\exp{-(\rho^2t)^{1/3}}$ in the absence of the random force field). The localisation properties of the underlying quantum Hamiltonian are discussed as well.Comment: 6 pages, LaTeX, 5 eps figure

Sinai model in presence of dilute absorbers

We study the Sinai model for the diffusion of a particle in a one dimension random potential in presence of a small concentration $\rho$ of perfect absorbers using the asymptotically exact real space renormalization method. We compute the survival probability, the averaged diffusion front and return probability, the two particle meeting probability, the distribution of total distance traveled before absorption and the averaged Green's function of the associated Schrodinger operator. Our work confirms some recent results of Texier and Hagendorf obtained by Dyson-Schmidt methods, and extends them to other observables and in presence of a drift. In particular the power law density of states is found to hold in all cases. Irrespective of the drift, the asymptotic rescaled diffusion front of surviving particles is found to be a symmetric step distribution, uniform for $|x| < {1/2} \xi(t)$, where $\xi(t)$ is a new, survival length scale ($\xi(t)=T \ln t/\sqrt{\rho}$ in the absence of drift). Survival outside this sharp region is found to decay with a larger exponent, continuously varying with the rescaled distance $x/\xi(t)$. A simple physical picture based on a saddle point is given, and universality is discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure

Lyapunov exponents, one-dimensional Anderson localisation and products of random matrices

The concept of Lyapunov exponent has long occupied a central place in the theory of Anderson localisation; its interest in this particular context is that it provides a reasonable measure of the localisation length. The Lyapunov exponent also features prominently in the theory of products of random matrices pioneered by Furstenberg. After a brief historical survey, we describe some recent work that exploits the close connections between these topics. We review the known solvable cases of disordered quantum mechanics involving random point scatterers and discuss a new solvable case. Finally, we point out some limitations of the Lyapunov exponent as a means of studying localisation properties.Comment: LaTeX, 23 pages, 3 pdf figures ; review for a special issue on "Lyapunov analysis" ; v2 : typo corrected in eq.(3) & minor change

Breaking supersymmetry in a one-dimensional random Hamiltonian

The one-dimensional supersymmetric random Hamiltonian $H_{susy}=-\frac{d^2}{dx^2}+\phi^2+\phi'$, where $\phi(x)$ is a Gaussian white noise of zero mean and variance $g$, presents particular spectral and localization properties at low energy: a Dyson singularity in the integrated density of states (IDoS) $N(E)\sim1/\ln^2E$ and a delocalization transition related to the behaviour of the Lyapunov exponent (inverse localization length) vanishing like $\gamma(E)\sim1/|\ln{}E|$ as $E\to0$. We study how this picture is affected by breaking supersymmetry with a scalar random potential: $H=H_{susy}+V(x)$ where $V(x)$ is a Gaussian white noise of variance $\sigma$. In the limit $\sigma\ll{g}^3$, a fraction of states $N(0)\sim{g}/\ln^2(g^3/\sigma)$ migrate to the negative spectrum and the Lyapunov exponent reaches a finite value $\gamma(0)\sim{g}/\ln(g^3/\sigma)$ at E=0. Exponential (Lifshits) tail of the IDoS for $E\to-\infty$ is studied in detail and is shown to involve a competition between the two noises $\phi$ and $V$ whatever the larger is. This analysis relies on analytic results for $N(E)$ and $\gamma(E)$ obtained by two different methods: a stochastic method and the replica method. The problem of extreme value statistics of eigenvalues is also considered (distribution of the n-th excited state energy). The results are analyzed in the context of classical diffusion in a random force field in the presence of random annihilation/creation local rates.Comment: 33 pages, LaTeX, 13 eps figures ; 2nd version : refs. adde