arXiv subjects

Yoseph Imry

Publications and source records attributed to Yoseph Imry.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv1999

The problem of phase breaking in the electronic conduction in mesoscopic systems: a linear-response theory approach

We study the problem of electronic conduction in mesoscopic systems when the electrons are allowed to interact not only with static impurities, but also with a scatterer (a phase breaker(PB)) that possesses internal degrees of freedom. We first analyze the role of the PB in reducing the coherent interference effects in a one-electron quantum-mechanical system. In the many-electron system we can make a number of quite general statements within the framework of linear-response theory and the random-phase approximation. We cannot calculate the conductivity tensor in full generality: we thus resort to a model, in which that tensor can be expressed entirely in a single-electron picture. The resulting zero-temperature conductance can be written in terms of the total transmission coefficient at the Fermi energy, containing an additional trace over the states of the PB.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Low-Temperature Dephasing in Disordered Conductors: the Effect of ``1/f'' Fluctuations

Electronic quantum effects in disordered conductors are controlled by the dephasing rate of conduction electrons. This rate is expected to vanish with the temperature. We consider the very intriguing recently reported apparent saturation of this dephasing rate in several systems at very low temperatures. We show that the ``standard model'' of a conductor with static defects can {\em not} have such an effect. However, allowing some dynamics of the defects may produce it.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1998

Dephasing at Low Temperatures

We discuss the significance and the calculation of dephasing at low temperatures. The particle is moving diffusively due to a static disorder configuration, while the interference between classical paths is suppressed due to the interaction with a dynamical environment. At high temperatures we may use the `white noise approximation' (WNA), while at low temperatures we distinguish the contribution of `zero point fluctuations' (ZPF) from the `thermal noise contribution' (TNC). We study the limitations of the above semiclassical approach and suggest the required modifications. In particular we find that the ZPF contribution becomes irrelevant for thermal motion.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1998

Mesoscopic Physics and the Fundamentals of Quantum Mechanics

We start by reviewing some interesting results in mesoscopic physics illustrating nontrivial insights on Quantum Mechanics. We then review the general principles of dephasing (sometimes called "decoherence") of Quantum-Mechanical interference by coupling to the environment degrees of freedom. A particular recent example of dephasing by a current-carrying (nonequilibrium) system is then discussed in some detail. This system is itself a manifestly Quantum Mechanical one and this is another illustration of detection without the need for "classical observers" etc. We conclude by describing briefly a recent problem having to do with the orbital magnetic response of conduction electrons (another manifestly Quantum Mechanical property): The magnetic response of a normal layer (N) coating a superconducting cylinder (S). Some recent very intriguing experimental results on a giant paramagnetic component of this response are explained using special states in the normal layer. It is hoped that these discussions illustrate not only the vitality and interest of mesoscopic physics\cite{book} but also its extreme relevance to fundamental issues in Quantum Mechanics.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1997

Thouless numbers for few-particle systems with disorder and interactions

Considering N spinless Fermions in a random potential, we study how a short range pairwise interaction delocalizes the N-body states in the basis of the one-particle Slater determinants, and the spectral rigidity of the N-body spectrum. The maximum number g_N of consecutive levels exhibiting the universal Wigner-Dyson rigidity (the Thouless number) is given as a function of the strength U of the interaction for the bulk of the spectrum. In the dilute limit, one finds two thresholds: When U<U_{c1}, there is a perturbative mixing between a few Slater determinants (Rabi oscillations) and g_N \propto |U|^P <1, where P=N/2 (even N) or (N+1)/2 (odd N). When U=U_{c1}, the level spacing distribution exhibits a crossover from Poisson to Wigner, related to the crossover between weak perturbative mixing and effective golden-rule decay, and g_N \approx 1. Moreover, we show that the same U_{c1} signifies also the breakdown of the perturbation theory in U. For U_{c1}<U<U_{c2}, the states are extended over the energetically nearby Slater determinants with a non-ergodic hierarchical structure related to the sparse form of the Hamiltonian. Above a second threshold U_{c2}, the sparsity becomes irrelevant, and the states are extended more or less ergodically over g_N consecutive Slater determinants. A self-consistent argument gives g_N ~ U^{N/(N-1)}. We compare our predictions to a numerical study of three spinless Fermions in a disordered cubic lattice. Implications for the interaction-induced N-particle delocalization in real space are discussed. The applicability of Fermi's golden rule for decay in this dilute gas of "real" particles is compared with the one characterizing a finite-density Fermi gas. The latter is related to the recently suggested Anderson transition in Fock space.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1994

Magnetic-Field Dependence of the Localization Length in Anderson Insulators

Using the conventional scaling approach as well as the renormalization group analysis in $d=2+ε$ dimensions, we calculate the localization length $ξ(B)$ in the presence of a magnetic field $B$. For the quasi 1D case the results are consistent with a universal increase of $ξ(B)$ by a numerical factor when the magnetic field is in the range $\ell\ll{\ell_{\!{_H}}}\altξ(0)$, $\ell$ is the mean free path, ${\ell_{\!{_H}}}$ is the magnetic length $\sqrt{\hbar c/eB}$. However, for $d\ge 2$ where the magnetic field does cause delocalization there is no universal relation between $ξ(B)$ and $ξ(0)$. The effect of spin-orbit interaction is briefly considered as well.

cond-mat↗