Quantum fluctuations and glassy behavior: The case of a quantum particle in a random potential

In this paper we expand our previous investigation of a quantum particle subject to the action of a random potential plus a fixed harmonic potential at a finite temperature T. In the classical limit the system reduces to a well-known ``toy'' model for an interface in a random medium. It also applies to a single quantum particle like an an electron subject to random interactions, where the harmonic potential can be tuned to mimic the effect of a finite box. Using the variational approximation, or alternatively, the limit of large spatial dimensions, together with the use the replica method, and are able to solve the model and obtain its phase diagram in the $T - (\hbar^2/m)$ plane, where $m$ is the particle's mass. The phase diagram is similar to that of a quantum spin-glass in a transverse field, where the variable $\hbar^2/m$ plays the role of the transverse field. The glassy phase is characterized by replica-symmetry-breaking. The quantum transition at zero temperature is also discussed.Comment: revised version, 23 pages, revtex, 5 postscript figures in a separate file figures.u

Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a particle in a random potential

In this paper we carry out Quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a quantum particle in a one-dimensional random potential (plus a fixed harmonic potential) at a finite temperature. This is the simplest model of an interface in a disordered medium and may also pertain to an electron in a dirty metal. We compare with previous analytical results, and also derive an expression for the sample to sample fluctuations of the mean square displacement from the origin which is a measure of the glassiness of the system. This quantity as well as the mean square displacement of the particle are measured in the simulation. The similarity to the quantum spin glass in a transverse field is noted. The effect of quantum fluctuations on the glassy behavior is discussed.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures included as eps files, uses RevTeX. Accepted for publication in J. of Physics A: Mathematical and Genera

Manifolds in random media: A variational approach to the spatial probability distribution

We develop a new variational scheme to approximate the position dependent spatial probability distribution of a zero dimensional manifold in a random medium. This celebrated 'toy-model' is associated via a mapping with directed polymers in 1+1 dimension, and also describes features of the commensurate-incommensurate phase transition. It consists of a pointlike 'interface' in one dimension subject to a combination of a harmonic potential plus a random potential with long range spatial correlations. The variational approach we develop gives far better results for the tail of the spatial distribution than the hamiltonian version, developed by Mezard and Parisi, as compared with numerical simulations for a range of temperatures. This is because the variational parameters are determined as functions of position. The replica method is utilized, and solutions for the variational parameters are presented. In this paper we limit ourselves to the replica symmetric solution.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures available on request, Revte

Localization of polymers in a finite medium with fixed random obstacles

In this paper we investigate the conformation statistics of a Gaussian chain embedded in a medium of finite size, in the presence of quenched random obstacles. The similarities and differences between the case of random obstacles and the case of a Gaussian random potential are elucidated. The connection with the density of states of electrons in a metal with random repulsive impurities of finite range is discussed. We also interpret the results obtained in some previous numerical simulations.Comment: 23 pages, 3 figures, revte

Polymers with self-avoiding interaction in random media: a localization-delocalization transition

In this paper we investigate the problem of a long self-avoiding polymer chain immersed in a random medium. We find that in the limit of a very long chain and when the self-avoiding interaction is weak, the conformation of the chain consists of many ``blobs'' with connecting segments. The blobs are sections of the molecule curled up in regions of low potential in the case of a Gaussian distributed random potential or in regions of relatively low density of obstacles in the case of randomly distributed hard obstacles. We find that as the strength of the self-avoiding interaction is increased the chain undergoes a delocalization transition in the sense that the appropriate free energy per monomer is no longer negative. The chain is then no longer bound to a particular location in the medium but can easily wander around under the influence of a small perturbation. For a localized chain we estimate quantitatively the expected number of monomers in the ``blobs'' and in the connecting segments.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, revtex

Large time dynamics and aging of a polymer chain in a random potential

We study the out-of-equilibrium large time dynamics of a gaussian polymer chain in a quenched random potential. The dynamics studied is a simple Langevin dynamics commonly referred to as the Rouse model. The equations for the two-time correlation and response function are derived within the gaussian variational approximation. In order to implement this approximation faithfully, we employ the supersymmetric representation of the Martin-Siggia-Rose dynamical action. For a short ranged correlated random potential the equations are solved analytically in the limit of large times using certain assumptions concerning the asymptotic behavior. Two possible dynamical behaviors are identified depending upon the time separation- a stationary regime and an aging regime. In the stationary regime time translation invariance holds and so is the fluctuation dissipation theorem. The aging regime which occurs for large time separations of the two-time correlation functions is characterized by history dependence and the breakdown of certain equilibrium relations. The large time limit of the equations yields equations among the order parameters that are similar to the equations obtained in the statics using replicas. In particular the aging solution corresponds to the broken replica solution. But there is a difference in one equation that leads to important consequences for the solution. The stationary regime corresponds to the motion of the polymer inside a local minimum of the random potential, whereas in the aging regime the polymer hops between different minima. As a byproduct we also solve exactly the dynamics of a chain in a random potential with quadratic correlations.Comment: 21 pages, RevTeX

Replica field theory for a polymer in random media

In this paper we revisit the problem of a (non self-avoiding) polymer chain in a random medium which was previously investigated by Edwards and Muthukumar (EM). As noticed by Cates and Ball (CB) there is a discrepancy between the predictions of the replica calculation of EM and the expectation that in an infinite medium the quenched and annealed results should coincide (for a chain that is free to move) and a long polymer should always collapse. CB argued that only in a finite volume one might see a ``localization transition'' (or crossover) from a stretched to a collapsed chain in three spatial dimensions. Here we carry out the replica calculation in the presence of an additional confining harmonic potential that mimics the effect of a finite volume. Using a variational scheme with five variational parameters we derive analytically for d<4 the result R~(g |ln \mu|)^{-1/(4-d)} ~(g lnV)^{-1/(4-d)}, where R is the radius of gyration, g is the strength of the disorder, \mu is the spring constant associated with the confining potential and V is the associated effective volume of the system. Thus the EM result is recovered with their constant replaced by ln(V) as argued by CB. We see that in the strict infinite volume limit the polymer always collapses, but for finite volume a transition from a stretched to a collapsed form might be observed as a function of the strength of the disorder. For d<2 and for large V>V'~exp[g^(2/(2-d))L^((4-d)/(2-d))] the annealed results are recovered and R~(Lg)^(1/(d-2)), where L is the length of the polymer. Hence the polymer also collapses in the large L limit. The 1-step replica symmetry breaking solution is crucial for obtaining the above results.Comment: Revtex, 32 page

Localization of a polymer in random media: Relation to the localization of a quantum particle

In this paper we consider in detail the connection between the problem of a polymer in a random medium and that of a quantum particle in a random potential. We are interested in a system of finite volume where the polymer is known to be {\it localized} inside a low minimum of the potential. We show how the end-to-end distance of a polymer which is free to move can be obtained from the density of states of the quantum particle using extreme value statistics. We give a physical interpretation to the recently discovered one-step replica-symmetry-breaking solution for the polymer (Phys. Rev. E{\bf 61}, 1729 (2000)) in terms of the statistics of localized tail states. Numerical solutions of the variational equations for chains of different length are performed and compared with quenched averages computed directly by using the eigenfunctions and eigenenergies of the Schr\"odinger equation for a particle in a one-dimensional random potential. The quantities investigated are the radius of gyration of a free gaussian chain, its mean square distance from the origin and the end-to-end distance of a tethered chain. The probability distribution for the position of the chain is also investigated. The glassiness of the system is explained and is estimated from the variance of the measured quantities.Comment: RevTex, 44 pages, 13 figure