arXiv subjects

Paul E. Lammert

Publications and source records attributed to Paul E. Lammert.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Coarse-grained spin density-functional theory: infinite-volume limit via the hyperfinite

Coarse-grained spin density functional theory (SDFT) is a version of SDFT which works with number/spin densities specified to a limited resolution --- averages over cells of a regular spatial partition --- and external potentials constant on the cells. This coarse-grained setting facilitates a rigorous investigation of the mathematical foundations which goes well beyond what is currently possible in the conventional formualation. Problems of existence, uniqueness and regularity of representing potentials in the coarse-grained SDFT setting are here studied using techniques of (Robinsonian) nonstandard analysis. Every density which is nowhere spin-saturated is V-representable, and the set of representing potentials is the functional derivative, in an appropriate generalized sense, of the Lieb interal energy functional. Quasi-continuity and closure properties of the set-valued representing potentials map are also established. The extent of possible non-uniqueness is similar to that found in non-rigorous studies of the conventional theory, namely non-uniqueness can occur for states of collinear magnetization which are eigenstates of $S_z$.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2014

Kinematic matrix theory and universalities in self-propellers and active swimmers

We describe an efficient and parsimonious matrix-based theory for studying the ensemble behavior of self-propellers and active swimmers, such as nanomotors or motile bacteria, that are typically studied by differential-equation-based Langevin or Fokker-Planck formalisms. The kinematic effects for elementary processes of motion are incorporated into a matrix, called the "kinematrix", from which we immediately obtain correlators and the mean and variance of angular and position variables (and thus effective diffusivity) by simple matrix algebra. The kinematrix formalism enables us recast the behaviors of a diverse range of self-propellers into a unified form, revealing universalities in their ensemble behavior in terms of new emergent time scales. Active fluctuations and hydrodynamic interactions can be expressed as an additive composition of separate self-propellers.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2014

Gaussian Memory in Kinematic Matrix Theory for Self-Propellers

We extend the kinematic matrix ("kinematrix") formalism [Phys. Rev. E 89, 062304 (2014)], which via simple matrix algebra accesses ensemble properties of self-propellers influenced by uncorrelated noise, to treat Gaussian correlated noises. This extension brings into reach many real-world biological and biomimetic self-propellers for which inertia is significant. Applying the formalism, we analyze in detail ensemble behaviors of a 2D self-propeller with velocity fluctuations and orientation evolution driven by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. On the basis of exact results, a variety of dynamical regimes determined by the inertial, speed-fluctuation, orientational diffusion, and emergent disorientation time scales are delineated and discussed.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2012

Perpendicular Magnetization and Generic Realization of the Ising Model in Artificial Spin Ice

We have studied frustrated kagome arrays and unfrustrated honeycomb arrays of magnetostatically-interacting single-domain ferromagnetic islands with magnetization normal to the plane. The measured pairwise spin correlations of both lattices can be reproduced by models based solely on nearest-neighbor correlations. The kagome array has qualitatively different magnetostatics but identical lattice topology to previously-studied 'artificial spin ice' systems composed of in-plane moments. The two systems show striking similarities in the development of moment pair correlations, demonstrating a universality in artificial spin ice behavior independent of specific realization in a particular material system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Direct entropy determination and application to artificial spin ice

From thermodynamic origins, the concept of entropy has expanded to a range of statistical measures of uncertainty, which may still be thermodynamically significant. However, laboratory measurements of entropy continue to rely on direct measurements of heat. New technologies that can map out myriads of microscopic degrees of freedom suggest direct determination of configurational entropy by counting in systems where it is thermodynamically inaccessible, such as granular and colloidal materials, proteins and lithographically fabricated nanometre-scale arrays. Here, we demonstrate a conditional-probability technique to calculate entropy densities of translation-invariant states on lattices using limited configuration data on small clusters, and apply it to arrays of interacting nanometre-scale magnetic islands (artificial spin ice). Models for statistically disordered systems can be assessed by applying the method to relative entropy densities. For artificial spin ice, this analysis shows that nearest-neighbour correlations drive longer-range ones.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2011

Magneto-optical Kerr Effect Studies of Square Artificial Spin Ice

We report a magneto-optical Kerr effect study of the collective magnetic response of artificial square spin ice, a lithographically-defined array of single-domain ferromagnetic islands. We find that the anisotropic inter-island interactions lead to a non-monotonic angular dependence of the array coercive field. Comparisons with micromagnetic simulations indicate that the two perpendicular sublattices exhibit distinct responses to island edge roughness, which clearly influence the magnetization reversal process. Furthermore, such comparisons demonstrate that disorder associated with roughness in the island edges plays a hitherto unrecognized but essential role in the collective behavior of these systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Ignoring your neighbors: Moment correlations dominated by indirect or distant interactions in an ordered nanomagnet array

We have studied the moment correlations within triangular lattice arrays of single-domain co-aligned nanoscale ferromagnetic islands. Independent variation of lattice spacing along and perpendicular to the island axis tunes the magnetostatic interactions between islands through a broad range of relative strengths. For certain lattice parameters, the sign of the correlations between near-neighbor island moments is opposite to that favored by the pair-wise interaction. This finding, supported by analysis of the total correlation in terms of direct and convoluted indirect contributions across multiple pairwise interactions, indicates that indirect interactions and/or those mediated by further neighbors can be tuned to be dominant, with implications for the wide range of systems composed of interacting nanomagnets.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Taming Density Functional Theory by Coarse-Graining

The standard (``fine-grained'') interpretation of quantum density functional theory, in which densities are specified with infinitely-fine spatial resolution, is mathematically unruly. Here, a coarse-grained version of DFT, featuring limited spatial resolution, and its relation to the fine-grained theory in the $L^1\cap L^3$ formulation of Lieb, is studied, with the object of showing it to be not only mathematically well-behaved, but consonant with the spirit of DFT, practically (computationally) adequate and sufficiently close to the standard interpretation as to accurately reflect its non-pathological properties. The coarse-grained interpretation is shown to be a good model of formal DFT in the sense that: all densities are (ensemble)-V-representable; the intrinsic energy functional $F$ is a continuous function of the density and the representing external potential is the (directional) functional derivative of the intrinsic energy. Also, the representing potential $v[ρ]$ is quasi-continuous, in that $v[ρ]ρ$ is continuous as a function of $ρ$. The limit of coarse-graining scale going to zero is studied to see if convergence to the non-pathological aspects of the fine-grained theory is adequate to justify regarding coarse-graining as a good approximation. Suitable limiting behaviors or intrinsic energy, densities and representing potentials are found. Intrinsic energy converges monotonically, coarse-grained densities converge uniformly strongly to their low-intrinsic-energy fine-grainings, and $L^{3/2}+L^\infty$ representability of a density is equivalent to the existence of a convergent sequence of coarse-grained potential/ground-state density pairs.

math-ph↗

arXiv2010

Annealing a Magnetic Cactus into Phyllotaxis

The appearance of mathematical regularities in the disposition of leaves on a stem, scales on a pine-cone and spines on a cactus has puzzled scholars for millennia; similar so-called phyllotactic patterns are seen in self-organized growth, polypeptides, convection, magnetic flux lattices and ion beams. Levitov showed that a cylindrical lattice of repulsive particles can reproduce phyllotaxis under the (unproved) assumption that minimum of energy would be achieved by 2-D Bravais lattices. Here we provide experimental and numerical evidence that the Phyllotactic lattice is actually a ground state. When mechanically annealed, our experimental "magnetic cactus" precisely reproduces botanical phyllotaxis, along with domain boundaries (called transitions in Botany) between different phyllotactic patterns. We employ a structural genetic algorithm to explore the more general axially unconstrained case, which reveals multijugate (multiple spirals) as well as monojugate (single spiral) phyllotaxis.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2009

Static and Dynamical Phyllotaxis in a Magnetic Cactus

While the statics of many simple physical systems reproduce the striking number-theoretical patterns found in the phyllotaxis of living beings, their dynamics reveal unusual excitations: multiple classical rotons and a large family of interconverting topological solitons. As we introduce those, we also demonstrate experimentally for the first time Levitov's celebrated model for phyllotaxis. Applications at different scales and in different areas of physics are proposed and discussed.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2008

Energy minimization and AC demagnetization in a nanomagnet array

We study AC demagnetization in frustrated arrays of single-domain ferromagnetic islands, exhaustively resolving every (Ising-like) magnetic degree of freedom in the systems. Although the net moment of the arrays is brought near zero by a protocol with sufficiently small step size, the final magnetostatic energy of the demagnetized array continues to decrease for finer-stepped protocols and does not extrapolate to the ground state energy. The resulting complex disordered magnetic state can be described by a maximum-entropy ensemble constrained to satisfy just nearest-neighbor correlations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Carbon Nanostructures as an Electromechanical Bicontinuum

A two-field model provides an unifying framework for elasticity, lattice dynamics and electromechanical coupling in graphene and carbon nanotubes, describes optical phonons, nontrivial acoustic branches, strain-induced gap opening, gap-induced phonon softening, doping-induced deformations, and even the hexagonal graphenic Brillouin zone, and thus explains and extends a previously disparate accumulation of analytical and computational results.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Ground state lost but degeneracy found: the effective thermodynamics of artificial spin ice

We analyze the rotational demagnetization of artificial spin ice, a recently realized array of nanoscale single-domain ferromagnetic islands. Demagnetization does not anneal this model system into its anti-ferromagnetic ground state: the moments have a static disordered configuration similar to the frozen state of the spin ice materials. We demonstrate that this athermal system has an effective extensive degeneracy and we introduce a formalism that can predict the populations of local states in this ice-like system with no adjustable parameters.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2007

Coarse-grained V-representability

The unsolved problem of determining which densities are ground state densities of an interacting electron system in some external potential is important to the foundations of density functional theory. A coarse-grained version of this ensemble V-representability problem is shown to be thoroughly tractable. Averaging the density of an interacting electron system over the cells of a regular partition of space produces a coarse-grained density. It is proved that every strictly positive coarse-grained density is coarse-grained ensemble V-representable: there is a unique potential, constant over each cell of the partition, which has a ground state with the prescribed coarse-grained density. For a system confined to a box, the (coarse-grained) Lieb [Intl. J. Quantum Chem. 24, 243 (1983)] functional is also shown to be Gateaux differentiable. All results extend to open systems.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Graphene

Unlike regular electron spin, the pseudospin degeneracy of Fermi points in graphene does not couple directly to magnetic field. Therefore, graphene provides a natural vehicle to observe the integral and fractional quantum Hall physics in an elusive limit analogous to zero Zeeman splitting in GaAs systems. This limit can exhibit new integral plateaus arising from interactions, large pseudoskyrmions, fractional sequences, even/odd numerator effects, composite-fermion pseudoskyrmions, and a pseudospin-singlet composite-fermion Fermi sea. The Dirac nature of the B=0 spectrum, which induces qualitative changes in the overall spectrum, has no bearing on the fractional quantum Hall effect in the $n=0$ Landau level of graphene. The second Landau level of graphene is predicted to show more robust fractional quantum Hall effect than the second Landau level of GaAs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Stochastic Heterostructures in B/N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are one-dimensional and very narrow. These obvious facts imply that under doping with boron and nitrogen, microscopic doping inhomogeneity is much more important than for bulk semiconductors. We consider the possibility of exploiting such fluctuations to create interesting devices. Using self-consistent tight-binding (SCTB), we study heavily doped highly compensated nanotubes, revealing the spontaneous formation of structures resembling chains of random quantum dots, or nano-scale diode-like elements in series. We also consider truly isolated impurities, revealing simple scaling properties of bound state sizes and energies.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

How Much Phase Coherence Does a Pseudogap Need?

It has been suggested that the ``pseudogap'' regime in cuprate superconductors, extending up to hudreds of degrees into the normal phase, reflects an incoherent d-wave pairing, with local superconducting order coherent over a finite length scale $ξ$, insufficient to establish superconductivity. We calculate the single-particle spectral density in such a state from a minimal phenomenological disordered BCS model. When the phase-coherence length exceeds the Cooper pair size, a clear pseudogap appears. The pseudogap regime, however, is found only over a relatively narrow range of phase stiffnesses, hence is not expected to extend more than about 20% above $T_c$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1995

Topology and Nematic Ordering I: A Gauge Theory

We consider the weakly first order phase transition between the isotropic and ordered phases of nematics in terms of the behavior of topological line defects. Analytical and Monte Carlo results are presented for a new coarse-grained lattice theory of nematics which incorporates nematic inversion symmetry as a local gauge invariance. The nematic-isotropic transition becomes more weakly first order as disclination core energy is increased, eventually splitting into two continuous transitions involving the unbinding and condensation of defects, respectively. These transitions are shown to be in the Ising and Heisenberg universality classes. A novel isotropic phase with topological order occurs between them.

cond-mat↗