Random gap model for graphene and graphene bilayers

The effect of a randomly fluctuating gap, created by a random staggered potential, is studied in a monolayer and a bilayer of graphene. The density of states, the one-particle scattering rate and transport properties (diffusion coefficient and conductivity) are calculated at the neutrality point. All these quantities vanish at a critical value of the average staggered potential, signaling a continuous transition to an insulating behavior. The calculations are based on the self-consistent Born approximation for the one-particle scattering rate and a massless mode of the two-particle Green's function which is created by spontaneous symmetry breaking. Transport quantities are directly linked to the one-particle scattering rate. Moreover, the effect of disorder is very weak in the case of a monolayer but much stronger in bilayer graphene.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Circular edge states in photonic crystals with a Dirac node

Edge states are studied for the two-dimensional Dirac equation in a circular geometry. The properties of the two-component electromagnetic field are discussed in terms of the three-component polarization field, which can form a vortex structure near the Dirac node with a vorticity changing with the sign of the Dirac mass. The Berry curvature of the polarization field is related to the Berry curvature of the Dirac spinor state. This quantity is sensitive to a change of boundary conditions. In particular, it vanishes for a geometry with a single boundary but not for a geometry with two boundaries. This effect is robust against the creation of a step-like edge inside the sample.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Zero mode protection at particle-hole symmetry: a geometric interpretation

The properties of zero modes in particle-hole symmetric systems are analyzed in the presence of strong random scattering by a disordered environment. The study is based on the calculation of the time-averaged density distribution on a lattice. In particular, a flat distribution is found for strong random scattering. This result is compared with a decaying distribution for weak random scattering by an analysis of the scattering paths. In the calculation we consider the invariant measure of the average two-particle Green's function, which is related to lattice-covering self-avoiding (LCSA) strings. In particular, strong scattering is associated with LCSA loops, whereas weaker scattering is associated with open LCSA strings. Our results are a generalization of the delocalized state observed at the band center of a one-dimensional tight-binding model with random hopping by Dyson in 1953.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Controlling dynamical entanglement in a Josephson tunneling junction

We analyze the evolution of an entangled many-body state in a Josephson tunneling junction. A N00N state, which is a superposition of two complementary Fock states, appears in the evolution with sufficient probability only for a moderate many-body interaction on an intermediate time scale. This time scale is inversely proportional to the tunneling rate. Interaction between particles supports entanglement: The probability for creating an entangled state decays exponentially with the number of non-interacting particles, whereas it decays only like the inverse square root of the number of interacting particles.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Quantum diffusion in two-dimensional random systems with particle-hole symmetry

We study the scattering dynamics of an $n$-component spinor wavefunction in a random environment on a two-dimensional lattice. In the presence of particle-hole symmetry we find diffusion on large scales. The latter is described by a non-interacting Grassmann field, indicating a special kind of asymptotic freedom in $d=2$.Comment: 9 pages, no figures, extended versio

Short note on the Rabi model

The spectral density of the Rabi model is calculated exactly within a continued fraction approach. It is shown that the method yields a convergent solution.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur