3,326 research outputs found
Are current-induced forces conservative?
The expression for the force on an ion in the presence of current can be
derived from first principles without any assumption about its conservative
character. However, energy functionals have been constructed that indicate that
this force can be written as the derivative of a potential function. On the
other hand, there exist compelling specific arguments that strongly suggest the
contrary. We propose physical mechanisms that invalidate such arguments and
demonstrate their existence with first-principles calculations. While our
results do not constitute a formal resolution to the fundamental question of
whether current-induced forces are conservative, they represent a substantial
step forward in this direction.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Figures, submitted to PR
Infinite dimensional Lie algebras in 4D conformal quantum field theory
The concept of global conformal invariance (GCI) opens the way of applying
algebraic techniques, developed in the context of 2-dimensional chiral
conformal field theory, to a higher (even) dimensional space-time. In
particular, a system of GCI scalar fields of conformal dimension two gives rise
to a Lie algebra of harmonic bilocal fields, V_m(x,y), where the m span a
finite dimensional real matrix algebra M closed under transposition. The
associative algebra M is irreducible iff its commutant M' coincides with one of
the three real division rings. The Lie algebra of (the modes of) the bilocal
fields is in each case an infinite dimensional Lie algebra: a central extension
of sp(infty,R) corresponding to the field R of reals, of u(infty,infty)
associated to the field C of complex numbers, and of so*(4 infty) related to
the algebra H of quaternions. They give rise to quantum field theory models
with superselection sectors governed by the (global) gauge groups O(N), U(N),
and U(N,H)=Sp(2N), respectively.Comment: 16 pages, with minor improvements as to appear in J. Phys.
Gauging kinematical and internal symmetry groups for extended systems: the Galilean one-time and two-times harmonic oscillators
The possible external couplings of an extended non-relativistic classical
system are characterized by gauging its maximal dynamical symmetry group at the
center-of-mass. The Galilean one-time and two-times harmonic oscillators are
exploited as models. The following remarkable results are then obtained: 1) a
peculiar form of interaction of the system as a whole with the external gauge
fields; 2) a modification of the dynamical part of the symmetry
transformations, which is needed to take into account the alteration of the
dynamics itself, induced by the {\it gauge} fields. In particular, the
Yang-Mills fields associated to the internal rotations have the effect of
modifying the time derivative of the internal variables in a scheme of minimal
coupling (introduction of an internal covariant derivative); 3) given their
dynamical effect, the Yang-Mills fields associated to the internal rotations
apparently define a sort of Galilean spin connection, while the Yang-Mills
fields associated to the quadrupole momentum and to the internal energy have
the effect of introducing a sort of dynamically induced internal metric in the
relative space.Comment: 32 pages, LaTex using the IOP preprint macro package (ioplppt.sty
available at: http://www.iop.org/). The file is available at:
http://www.fis.unipr.it/papers/1995.html The file is a uuencoded tar gzip
file with the IOP preprint style include
Spatial Current Patterns, Dephasing and Current Imaging in Graphene Nanoribbons
Using the non-equilibrium Keldysh Green's function formalism, we investigate
the local, non-equilibrium charge transport in graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). In
particular, we demonstrate that the spatial current patterns associated with
discrete transmission resonances sensitively depend on the GNRs' geometry,
size, and aspect ratio, the location and number of leads, and the presence of
dephasing. We identify a relation between the spatial form of the current
patterns, and the number of degenerate energy states participating in the
charge transport. Furthermore, we demonstrate a principle of superposition for
the conductance and spatial current patterns in multiple-lead configurations.
We demonstrate that scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can be employed to
image spatial current paths in GNR with atomic resolution, providing important
insight into the form of local charge transport. Finally, we investigate the
effects of dephasing on the spatial current patterns, and show that with
decreasing dephasing time, the current patterns evolve smoothly from those of a
ballistic quantum network to those of classical resistor network.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure
High-bias stability of monatomic chains
For the metals Au, Pt and Ir it is possible to form freely suspended
monatomic chains between bulk electrodes. The atomic chains sustain very large
current densities, but finally fail at high bias. We investigate the breaking
mechanism, that involves current-induced heating of the atomic wires and
electromigration forces. We find good agreement of the observations for Au
based on models due to Todorov and coworkers. The high-bias breaking of atomic
chains for Pt can also be described by the models, although here the parameters
have not been obtained independently. In the limit of long chains the breaking
voltage decreases inversely proportional to the length.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Four Dimensional CFT Models with Rational Correlation Functions
Recently established rationality of correlation functions in a globally
conformal invariant quantum field theory satisfying Wightman axioms is used to
construct a family of soluble models in 4-dimensional Minkowski space-time. We
consider in detail a model of a neutral scalar field of dimension 2. It
depends on a positive real parameter c, an analogue of the Virasoro central
charge, and admits for all (finite) c an infinite number of conserved symmetric
tensor currents. The operator product algebra of is shown to coincide
with a simpler one, generated by a bilocal scalar field of
dimension (1,1). The modes of V together with the unit operator span an
infinite dimensional Lie algebra whose vacuum (i.e. zero energy lowest
weight) representations only depend on the central charge c. Wightman
positivity (i.e. unitarity of the representations of ) is proven to be
equivalent to .Comment: 28 pages, LATEX, amsfonts, latexsym. Proposition 2.3, and Conjecture
in Sec. 6 are revised. Minor errors are correcte
Continuity of the four-point function of massive -theory above threshold
In this paper we prove that the four-point function of massive
\vp_4^4-theory is continuous as a function of its independent external
momenta when posing the renormalization condition for the (physical) mass
on-shell. The proof is based on integral representations derived inductively
from the perturbative flow equations of the renormalization group. It closes a
longstanding loophole in rigorous renormalization theory in so far as it shows
the feasibility of a physical definition of the renormalized coupling.Comment: 23 pages; to appear in Rev. Math. Physics few corrections, two
explanatory paragraphs adde
Modular Structure and Duality in Conformal Quantum Field Theory
Making use of a recent result of Borchers, an algebraic version of the
Bisognano-Wichmann theorem is given for conformal quantum field theories, i.e.
the Tomita-Takesaki modular group associated with the von Neumann algebra of a
wedge region and the vacuum vector concides with the evolution given by the
rescaled pure Lorentz transformations preserving the wedge. A similar geometric
description is valid for the algebras associated with double cones. Moreover
essential duality holds on the Minkowski space , and Haag duality for double
cones holds provided the net of local algebras is extended to a pre-cosheaf on
the superworld , i.e. the universal covering of the Dirac-Weyl
compactification of . As a consequence a PCT symmetry exists for any
algebraic conformal field theory in even space-time dimension. Analogous
results hold for a Poincar\'e covariant theory provided the modular groups
corresponding to wedge algebras have the expected geometrical meaning and the
split property is satisfied. In particular the Poincar\'e representation is
unique in this case.Comment: 23 pages, plain TeX, TVM26-12-199
Nonlinear current-induced forces in Si atomic wires
We report first-principles calculations of current-induced forces in Si
atomic wires as a function of bias and wire length. We find that these forces
are strongly nonlinear as a function of bias due to the competition between the
force originating from the scattering states and the force due to bound states.
We also find that the average force in the wire is larger the shorter the wire,
suggesting that atomic wires are more difficult to break under current flow
with increasing length. The last finding is in agreement with recent
experimental data.Comment: 4 figure
Resistivity of a Metal between the Boltzmann Transport Regime and the Anderson Transition
We study the transport properties of a finite three dimensional disordered
conductor, for both weak and strong scattering on impurities, employing the
real-space Green function technique and related Landauer-type formula. The
dirty metal is described by a nearest neighbor tight-binding Hamiltonian with a
single s-orbital per site and random on-site potential (Anderson model). We
compute exactly the zero-temperature conductance of a finite size sample placed
between two semi-infinite disorder-free leads. The resistivity is found from
the coefficient of linear scaling of the disorder averaged resistance with
sample length. This ``quantum'' resistivity is compared to the semiclassical
Boltzmann expression computed in both Born approximation and multiple
scattering approximation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 embedded EPS figure
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