arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P. W. Brouwer.
We study the statistical distribution of the ground state spin for an ensemble of small metallic grains, using a random-matrix toy model. Using the Hartree Fock approximation, we find that already for interaction strengths well below the Stoner criterion there is an appreciable probability that the ground state has a finite, nonzero spin. Possible relations to experiments are discussed.
It is shown that, in the scaling regime, transport properties of quantum wires with off-diagonal disorder are described by a family of scaling equations that depend on two parameters: the mean free path and an additional continuous parameter. The existing scaling equation for quantum wires with off-diagonal disorder [Brouwer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 862 (1998)] is a special point in this family. Both parameters depend on the details of the microscopic model. Since there are two parameters involved, instead of only one, localization in a wire with off-diagonal disorder is not universal. We take a geometric point of view and show that this nonuniversality follows from the fact that the group of transfer matrices is not semi-simple. Our results are illustrated with numerical simulations for a tight-binding model with random hopping amplitudes.
We compute the density of states (d.o.s.) in N coupled chains with random hopping. At zero energy, the d.o.s. shows a singularity that strongly depends on the parity of N. For odd N, the d.o.s. is proportional to 1/(E (\ln |E|)^3), with and without time-reversal symmetry. For even N, the d.o.s. is proportional to \ln |E| in the presence of time-reversal symmetry, while there is a pseudogap, d.o.s. proportional to E \ln |E|, in the absence of time-reversal symmetry.
The random magnetic flux problem on a lattice and in a quasi one-dimensional (wire) geometry is studied both analytically and numerically. The first two moments of the conductance are obtained analytically. Numerical simulations for the average and variance of the conductance agree with the theory. We find that the center of the band $ε=0$ plays a special role. Away from $ε=0$, transport properties are those of a disordered quantum wire in the standard unitary symmetry class. At the band center $ε=0$, the dependence on the wire length of the conductance departs from the standard unitary symmetry class and is governed by a new universality class, the chiral unitary symmetry class. The most remarkable property of this new universality class is the existence of an even-odd effect in the localized regime: Exponential decay of the average conductance for an even number of channels is replaced by algebraic decay for an odd number of channels.
We investigate the suppression of the proximity effect in mesoscopic normal metal/superconductor systems induced by Coulomb interaction. We identify and elucidate the mechanism by which disorder leads to an amplification of this effect. In particular, for strong enough disorder, the proximity effect is shown to vanish. An expression for the tunneling density of states is obtained, and experimental applications are discussed.
We calculate the joint probability distribution of the Wigner-Smith time-delay matrix $Q=-i\hbar S^{-1} \partial S/\partial ε$ and the scattering matrix $S$ for scattering from a chaotic cavity with ideal point contacts. Hereto we prove a conjecture by Wigner about the unitary invariance property of the distribution functional $P[S(ε)]$ of energy dependent scattering matrices $S(ε)$. The distribution of the inverse of the eigenvalues $τ_1,...,τ_N$ of $Q$ is found to be the Laguerre ensemble from random-matrix theory. The eigenvalue density $ρ(τ)$ is computed using the method of orthogonal polynomials. This general theory has applications to the thermopower, magnetoconductance, and capacitance of a quantum dot.
A d.c. current can be pumped through a quantum dot by periodically varying two independent parameters $X_1$ and $X_2$, like a gate voltage or magnetic field. We present a formula that relates the pumped current to the parametric derivatives of the scattering matrix $S(X_1,X_2)$ of the system. As an application we compute the statistical distribution of the pumped current in the case of a chaotic quantum dot.
We reconsider the recently proposed connection between density of states in the so-called ``non-hermitian quantum mechanics'' and the localization length for a particle moving in random potential. We argue that it is indeed possible to find the localization length from the density of states of a non-hermitian random ``Hamiltonian''. However, finding the density of states of a non-hermitian random ``Hamiltonian'' remains an open problem, contrary to previous findings in the literature.
We study the effect of electron-electron interaction on the conductance of open quantum dots. We find that Coulomb interactions (i) do not affect the ensemble averaged conductance if time-reversal symmetry has been broken by a magnetic field, (ii) enhance weak localization and weak anti-localization corrections to in the absence of a magnetic field, (iii) increase conductance fluctuations, and (iv) enhance the effect of short trajectories on the conductivity of quantum dot.
A weakly disordered quasi-one-dimensional tight-binding hopping model with $N$ rows is considered. The probability distribution of the Landauer conductance is calculated exactly in the middle of the band, $ε=0$, and it is shown that a delocalization transition at this energy takes place if and only if $N$ is odd. This even-odd effect is explained by level repulsion of the transmission eigenvalues.
Full distributions of conductance through quantum dots with single-mode leads are reported for both broken and unbroken time-reversal symmetry. Distributions are nongaussian and agree well with random matrix theory calculations that account for a finite dephasing time, $τ_ϕ$, once broadening due to finite temperature $T$ is also included. Full distributions of the derivatives of conductance with respect to gate voltage $P(dg/dV_g)$ are also investigated.
We compute the statistical distribution of the transmittance of a random waveguide with absorption in the limit of many propagating channels. We consider the average and fluctuations of the conductance T = tr t^{\dagger} t, where t is the transmission matrix, the density of transmission eigenvalues τ(the eigenvalues of t^{\dagger} t), and the distribution of the plane-wave transmittances T_a and T_{ab}. For weak absorption (length L smaller than the exponential absorption length ξ_a), we compute moments of the distributions, while for strong absorption (L >> ξ_a), we can find the complete distributions. Our findings explain recent experiments on the transmittance of random waveguides by Stoytchev and Genack [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 309 (1997)].
This is a theoretical study of the interplay of optical phase-conjugation and multiple scattering. We calculate the intensity of light reflected by a phase-conjugating mirror when it is placed behind a disordered medium. We compare the results of a fully phase-coherent theory with those from the theory of radiative transfer. Both methods are equivalent if the dwell time τ_{dwell} of a photon in the disordered medium is much larger than the inverse of the frequency shift 2Δωacquired at the phase-conjugating mirror. When τ_{dwell} Δω< 1, in contrast, phase coherence drastically affects the reflected intensity. In particular, a minimum in the dependence of the reflectance on the disorder strength disappears when Δωis reduced below 1/τ_{dwell}. The analogies and differences with Andreev reflection of electrons at the interface between a normal metal and a superconductor are discussed.
The spontaneous emission rate Γof a two-level atom inside a chaotic cavity fluctuates strongly from one point to another because of fluctuations in the local density of modes. For a cavity with perfectly conducting walls and an opening containing N wavechannels, the distribution of Γis given by P(Γ) \propto Γ^{N/2-1}(Γ+Γ_0)^{-N-1}, where Γ_0 is the free-space rate. For small N the most probable value of Γis much smaller than the mean value Γ_0.
We calculate the probability distribution of the matrix Q = -i \hbar S^{-1} dS/dE for a chaotic system with scattering matrix S at energy E. The eigenvalues τ_j of Q are the so-called proper delay times, introduced by E. P. Wigner and F. T. Smith to describe the time-dependence of a scattering process. The distribution of the inverse delay times turns out to be given by the Laguerre ensemble from random-matrix theory.
We present an analytical solution of the delocalization transition that is induced by an imaginary vector potential in a disordered chain [N. Hatano and D. R. Nelson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 570 (1996), cond-mat/9603165]. We compute the relation between the real and imaginary parts of the energy in the thermodynamic limit, as well as finite-size effects. The results are in good agreement with numerical simulations for weak disorder (mean free path large compared to the wavelength).
The conductance G of a quantum dot with single-mode ballistic point contacts depends sensitively on external parameters X, such as gate voltage and magnetic field. We calculate the joint distribution of G and dG/dX by relating it to the distribution of the Wigner-Smith time-delay matrix of a chaotic system. The distribution of dG/dX has a singularity at zero and algebraic tails. While G and dG/dX are correlated, the ratio of dG/dX and $\sqrt{G(1-G)}$ is independent of G. Coulomb interactions change the distribution of dG/dX, by inducing a transition from the grand-canonical to the canonical ensemble. All these predictions can be tested in semiconductor microstructures or microwave cavities.
We consider the admittance of a chaotic quantum dot, capacitively coupled to a gate and connected to two electron reservoirs by multichannel ballistic point contacts. For a dot in the regime of weak-localization and universal conductance fluctuations, we calculate the average and variance of the admittance using random-matrix theory. We find that the admittance is governed by two time-scales: the classical admittance depends on the RC-time of the quantum dot, but the relevant time scale for the weak-localization correction and the admittance fluctuations is the dwell time. An extension of the circular ensemble is used for a statistical description of the energy dependence of the scattering matrix.