arXiv subjects

Gilles Montambaux

Publications and source records attributed to Gilles Montambaux.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Quantum oscillations in mesoscopic rings and anomalous diffusion

We consider the weak localization correction to the conductance of a ring connected to a network. We analyze the harmonics content of the Al'tshuler-Aronov-Spivak (AAS) oscillations and we show that the presence of wires connected to the ring is responsible for a behaviour different from the one predicted by AAS. The physical origin of this behaviour is the anomalous diffusion of Brownian trajectories around the ring, due to the diffusion in the wires. We show that this problem is related to the anomalous diffusion along the skeleton of a comb. We study in detail the winding properties of Brownian curves around a ring connected to an arbitrary network. Our analysis is based on the spectral determinant and on the introduction of an effective perimeter probing the different time scales. A general expression of this length is derived for arbitrary networks. More specifically we consider the case of a ring connected to wires, to a square network, and to a Bethe lattice.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

How to increase a transmission with weak localization ? A geometrical effect

We study the quantum transport in multiterminal networks of quasi-one-dimensional diffusive wires. When calculating the weak localization correction to the conductances, we show that the Cooperon must be properly weighted over each wire. This can even change the sign of the weak localization correction in certain geometries.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Non-exponential relaxations in disordered conductors

We show that, in low dimensional conductors, the quasiparticle decay and the relaxation of the phase are not exponential processes. In quasi-one dimension, they scale as $e^{- (t/τ_N)^{3/2}}$ where the characteristic time $τ_{in}$, identical for both processes, is a power $T^{2/3}$ of the temperature. This result implies a distribution of relaxation times.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Weak localization in multiterminal networks of diffusive wires

We study the quantum transport through networks of diffusive wires connected to reservoirs in the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. The elements of the conductance matrix are computed by the diagrammatic method. We recover the combination of classical resistances and obtain the weak localization corrections. For arbitrary networks, we show how the cooperon must be properly weighted over the different wires. Its nonlocality is clearly analyzed. We predict a new geometrical effect that may change the sign of the weak localization correction in multiterminal geometries.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Universal Scrambling Properties of Spectra and Wave functions in Disordered Interacting Systems

Recent experiments on quantum dots in the Coulomb Blockade regime have shown how adding successive electrons into a dot modifies the energy spectrum and the wave functions of the electrons already present in the dot. Using a microscopic model, we study the importance of electron-electron interaction on these ``scrambling'' effects. We compute the Hartree-Fock single particle properties as function of the number $p$ of added electrons. We define parametric correlation functions that characterize the scrambling properties of the Hartree-Fock wave functions and energy spectra. We find that each of these correlation functions exhibit a universal behavior in terms of the ratio $p/p^{\ast}$ where $p^{\ast}$ is a characteristic number that decreases with increasing either the interaction strength, the disorder strength or the system size

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Scattering theory on graphs

We consider the scattering theory for the Schrödinger operator $-\Dc_x^2+V(x)$ on graphs made of one-dimensional wires connected to external leads. We derive two expressions for the scattering matrix on arbitrary graphs. One involves matrices that couple arcs (oriented bonds), the other involves matrices that couple vertices. We discuss a simple way to tune the coupling between the graph and the leads. The efficiency of the formalism is demonstrated on a few known examples.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Boundary Conditions, the Critical Conductance Distribution, and One-Parameter Scaling

We study the influence of boundary conditions transverse to the transport direction for disordered mesoscopic conductors both at the Anderson metal-insulator transition and in the metallic regime. We show that the boundary conditions strongly influence the conductance distribution exactly at the metal-insulator transition and we discuss implications for the standard picture of one-parameter scaling. We show in particular that the scaling function that describes the change of conductance with system size depends on the boundary conditions from the metallic regime up to the metal-insulator transition. An experiment is proposed that might test the correctness of the one-parameter scaling theory.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

A Few Properties of Disordered Conductors

In this brief tutorial review, I show how phase coherent properties of disordered conductors can be described in a simple and unified way. These properties include transport properties like weak-localization correction and universal conductance fluctuations, and thermodynamic properties like orbital magnetism and persistent currents. They can be related to the classical return probability for a diffusive particle. For a network with $N$ nodes, the return probability can be related to the determinant of a $N \times N$ "connectivity" matrix $M$ so that the magnetization and the transport quantities can be {\it directly} written in term of $\det M$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Landau diamagnetism and magnetization of interacting diffusive conductors

We show how the orbital magnetization of an interacting disordered diffusive electron gas can be simply related to the magnetization of the non-interacting system having the same geometry. This result is applied to the persistent current of a mesoscopic ring and to the relation between Landau diamagnetism and the interaction correction to the magnetization of diffusive systems. The field dependence of this interaction contribution can be deduced directly from the de Haas-van Alphen oscillations of the free electron gas. Known results for the free orbital magnetism of finite systems can be used to derive the interaction contribution in the diffusive regime in various geometries.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Spectral determinant on quantum graphs

We study the spectral determinant of the Laplacian on finite graphs characterized by their number of vertices V and of bonds B. We present a path integral derivation which leads to two equivalent expressions of the spectral determinant of the Laplacian either in terms of a V x V vertex matrix or a 2B x 2B link matrix that couples the arcs (oriented bonds) together. This latter expression allows us to rewrite the spectral determinant as an infinite product of contributions of periodic orbits on the graph. We also present a diagrammatic method that permits us to write the spectral determinant in terms of a finite number of periodic orbit contributions. These results are generalized to the case of graphs in a magnetic field. Several examples illustrating this formalism are presented and its application to the thermodynamic and transport properties of weakly disordered and coherent mesoscopic networks is discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Coulomb Blockade Fluctuations in Disordered Quantum Dots

We discuss some recent results on the statistics of the Coulomb Blockade in disordered quantum dots containing spinless interacting fermions using the self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation. We concentrate on the regime r_s >~1, with finite dimensionless conductance g. We present significantly different results for the cases of a Coulomb and a nearest-neighbour bare interaction. We show that neglecting rearrangements when the particle number is changed (Koopmans' approximation) can lead to large errors, and show how the spectral statistics of the self-consistent single particle orbitals evolve with the interaction strength.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

The Addition Spectrum and Koopmans' Theorem for Disordered Quantum Dots

We investigate the addition spectrum of disordered quantum dots containing spinless interacting fermions using the self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation. We concentrate on the regime r_s >~1, with finite dimensionless conductance g. We find that in this approximation the peak spacing fluctuations do not scale with the mean single particle level spacing for either Coulomb or nearest neighbour interactions when r_s >~1. We also show that Koopmans' approximation to the addition spectrum can lead to errors that are of order the mean level spacing or larger, both in the mean addition spectrum peak spacings, and in the peak spacing fluctuations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Density Modulations and Addition Spectra of Interacting Electrons in Disordered Quantum Dots

We analyse the ground state of spinless fermions on a lattice in a weakly disordered potential, interacting via a nearest neighbour interaction, by applying the self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation. We find that charge density modulations emerge progressively when r_s >1, even away from half-filling, with only short-range density correlations. Classical geometry dependent "magic numbers" can show up in the addition spectrum which are remarkably robust against quantum fluctuations and disorder averaging.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1998

Mesoscopic Charge Density Wave in a Magnetic Flux

The stability of a Charge Density Wave (CDW) in a one-dimensional ring pierced by a Aharonov-Bohm flux is studied in a mean-field picture. It is found that the stability depends on the parity of the number $N$ of electrons. When the size of the ring becomes as small as the coherence length $ξ$, the CDW gap increases for even $N$ and decreases for odd $N$. Then when $N$ is even, the CDW gap decreases with flux but it increases when $N$ is odd. The variation of the BCS ratio with size and flux is also calculated. We derive the harmonics expansion of the persistent current in a presence of a finite gap.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1998

Thermodynamics and Transport in Mesoscopic Disordered Networks

We describe the effects of phase coherence on transport and thermodynamic properties of a disordered conducting network. In analogy with weak-localization correction, we calculate the phase coherence contribution to the magnetic response of mesoscopic metallic isolated networks. It is related to the return probability for a diffusive particle on the corresponding network. By solving the diffusion equation on various types of networks, including a ring with arms, an infinite square network or a chain of connected rings, we deduce the magnetic response. As it is the case for transport properties --weak-localization corrections or universal conductance fluctuations-- the magnetic response can be written in term of a single function S called spectral function which is related to the spatial average of the return probability on the network. We have found that the magnetization of an ensemble of CONNECTED rings is of the same order of magnitude as if the rings were disconnected.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1997

Spectral Fluctuations in Disordered Metals

This is a review of the properties of spectral fluctations in disordered metals, their relation with Random Matrix Theory and semiclassical picture. We also review the physics of persistent currents in mesoscopic isolated rings, the parametric correlations and curvature distributions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1997

Spectral statistics of disordered metals in the presence of several Aharonov-Bohm fluxes

The form factor for spectral correlations in a diffusive metal is calculated in the presence of several Aharonov-Bohm fluxes. When the fluxes $ϕ$ are equal, the correlations are universal functions of $n g^2 ϕ$ where $g$ is the dimensionless conductance and $n$ is the number of applied fluxes. This explains recent flux dependence of the correlations found numerically at the metal-insulator transition.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1996

Density Waves in a Transverse Electric Field

In a quasi-one-dimensional conductor with an open Fermi surface, a Charge or a Spin Density Wave phase can be destroyed by an electric field perpendicular to the direction of high conductivity. This mechanism, due to the breakdown of electron-hole symmetry, is very similar to the orbital destruction of superconductivity by a magnetic field, due to time-reversal symmetry.

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