Scaling of von Neumann entropy at the Anderson transition

Extensive body of work has shown that for the model of a non-interacting electron in a random potential there is a quantum critical point for dimensions greater than two---a metal-insulator transition. This model also plays an important role in the plateau-to-plateu transition in the integer quantum Hall effect, which is also correctly captured by a scaling theory. Yet, in neither of these cases the ground state energy shows any non-analyticity as a function of a suitable tuning parameter, typically considered to be a hallmark of a quantum phase transition, similar to the non-analyticity of the free energy in a classical phase transition. Here we show that von Neumann entropy (entanglement entropy) is non-analytic at these phase transitions and can track the fundamental changes in the internal correlations of the ground state wave function. In particular, it summarizes the spatially wildly fluctuating intensities of the wave function close to the criticality of the Anderson transition. It is likely that all quantum phase transitions can be similarly described.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, submitted as a chapter in the book "50 years of Anderson localization

High temperature superconductivity: from complexity to simplicity

I discuss the recent quantum oscillation experiments in the underdoped high temperature superconductors.Comment: An edited shorter version is published in Scienc

Do electrons change their c-axis kinetic energy upon entering the superconducting state?

The interlayer tunneling mechanism of the cuprate high temperature superconductors involves a conversion of the confinement kinetic energy of the electrons perpendicular to the CuO-planes ($c$-axis) in the normal state to the pair binding energy in the superconducting state. This mechanism is discussed and the arguments are presented from the point of view of general principles. It is shown that recent measurements of the $c$-axis properties support the idea that the electrons substantially lower their $c$-axis kinetic energy upon entering the superconducting state, a change that is nearly impossible in any conventional mechanism. The proper use of a $c$-axis conductivity sum rule is shown to resolve puzzles involving the penetration depth and the optical measurements.Comment: A few typos are corrected and the footnote 11 expande