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arXiv:1003.2237 · Physical Review B

Nonperturbative quantum dynamics of the order parameter in the BCS pairing model

Victor M. Galitski

Published Aug 10, 2010• 14 citations
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Abstract

We consider quantum dynamics of the order parameter in the discrete pairing model (Richardson model) in thermodynamic equilibrium. The integrable Richardson Hamiltonian is represented as a direct sum of Hamiltonians acting in different Hilbert spaces of single-particle and paired/empty states. This allows us to factorize the full thermodynamic partition function into a combination of simple terms associated with real spins on singly occupied states and the partition function of the quantum $XY$ model for Anderson pseudospins associated with the paired/empty states. Using coherent-state path integral, we calculate the effects of superconducting phase fluctuations exactly. The contribution of superconducting amplitude fluctuations to the partition function in the broken-symmetry phase is shown to follow from the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations in imaginary time. These equations in turn allow several interesting mappings, e.g., they are shown to be in a one-to-one correspondence with the one-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation in supersymmetric quantum mechanics. However, the most practically useful approach to calculate functional determinants is found to be via an analytical continuation of the quantum order parameter to real time, $\ensuremath{\Delta}(\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}it)$, such that the problem maps onto that of a driven two-level system. The contribution of a particular dynamic order parameter, $\ensuremath{\Delta}(\ensuremath{\tau})$, to the partition function is shown to correspond to the sum of the Berry phase and dynamic phase accumulated by the pseudospin. We also examine a family of exact solutions for two-level-system dynamics on a class of elliptic functions and suggest a compact expression to estimate the functional determinants on such trajectories. The possibility of having quantum soliton solutions coexisting with classical BCS mean field is discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.82.054511

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We consider quantum dynamics of the order parameter in the discrete pairing model (Richardson model) in thermodynamic equilibrium. The integrable Richardson Hamiltonian is represented as a direct sum of Hamiltonians acting in different Hilbert spaces of single-particle and paired/empty states. This allows us to factorize the full thermodynamic partition function into a combination of simple terms associated with real spins on singly occupied states and the partition function of the quantum XYXYXY model for Anderson pseudospins associated with the paired/empty states. Using coherent-state path integral, we calculate the effects of superconducting phase fluctuations exactly. The contribution of superconducting amplitude fluctuations to the partition function in the broken-symmetry phase is shown to follow from the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations in imaginary time. These equations in turn allow several interesting mappings, e.g., they are shown to be in a one-to-one correspondence with the one-dimensional Schr"odinger equation in supersymmetric quantum mechanics. However, the most practically useful approach to calculate functional determinants is found to be via an analytical continuation of the quantum order parameter to real time, \ensuremathΔ(\ensuremathτ\ensuremath→it)\ensuremath{\Delta}(\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}it)\ensuremathΔ(\ensuremathτ\ensuremath→it), such that the problem maps onto that of a driven two-level system. The contribution of a particular dynamic order parameter, \ensuremathΔ(\ensuremathτ)\ensuremath{\Delta}(\ensuremath{\tau})\ensuremathΔ(\ensuremathτ), to the partition function is shown to correspond to the sum of the Berry phase and dynamic phase accumulated by the pseudospin. We also examine a family of exact solutions for two-level-system dynamics on a class of elliptic functions and suggest a compact expression to estimate the functional determinants on such trajectories. The possibility of having quantum soliton solutions coexisting with classical BCS mean field is discussed.
The use of exactly solvable Richardson-Gaudin models to describe the physics of systems with strong pair correlations is reviewed. The article begins with a brief discussion of Richardson's early work, which demonstrated the exact solvability of the pure pairing model, and then shows how that work has evolved recently into a much richer class of exactly solvable models. The Richardson solution leads naturally to an exact analogy between these quantum models and classical electrostatic problems in two dimensions. This analogy is then used to demonstrate formally how BCS theory emerges as the large-NNN limit of the pure pairing Hamiltonian. Several applications to problems of relevance to condensed-matter physics, nuclear physics, and the physics of confined systems are considered. Some of the interesting effects that are discussed in the context of these exactly solvable models include (i) the crossover from superconductivity to a fluctuation-dominated regime in small metallic grains; (ii) the role of the nucleon Pauli principle in suppressing the effects of high-spin bosons in interacting boson models of nuclei, and (iii) the possibility of fragmentation in confined boson systems. Interesting insight is also provided into the origin of the superconducting phase transition both in two-dimensional electronic systems and in atomic nuclei, based on the electrostatic image of the corresponding exactly solvable quantum pairing models.
The canonical operator exp [−β(H − μN)] associated with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) model Hamiltonian of superconductivity is represented as a functional integral by the use of Feynman's ordering parameter. General properties of the partition function in this representation are discussed. Taking the inverse volume of the system as an expansion parameter, it is possible to calculate the thermodynamic potential including terms independent of the volume. This yields a new proof that the BCS variational value is asymptotically exact. The behavior of the canonical operator for large volume is described and related to the state of free quasiparticles. A study of the terms of the thermodynamic potential which are of smaller order in the volume in the low-temperature limit, shows that the ground state energy is nondegenerate and belongs to a number eigenstate.
BCS superconductivity is explained by a simple Hamiltonian describing an attractive pairing interaction between pairs of electrons. The Hamiltonian may be treated using a mean-field method, which is adequate to study equilibrium properties and a variety of nonequilibrium effects. Nevertheless, in certain nonequilibrium situations, even in a macroscopic rather than a microscopic superconductor, the application of mean-field theory may not be valid. In such cases, one may resort to the full solution of the Hamiltonian, as given by Richardson in the 1960s. The relevance of Richardson's solution to macroscopic nonequilibrium superconductors was pointed out recently based on the existence of quantum instabilities out of equilibrium. It is then of interest to obtain analytical expressions for expectation values between exact eigenvalues of the pairing Hamiltonian within the Richardson approach for macroscopic systems. We undertake this task in the current paper. It should be noted that Richardson's approach yields the full set of eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian, while BCS theory yields only a subset. The results obtained here, then, generalize the familiar BCS expressions (e.g., for the electron occupation or pairing correlations) to cases where the spectrum of excitations diverges from BCS theory (e.g., in cases where the spectrum exhibits multiple gaps).
Extensions of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory are worked out which are tailored for, (i) the consistent evaluation of fluctuations and correlations and (ii) the restoration through projection of broken symmetries. For both purposes we rely on a single variational principle which optimizes the characteristic function. The Bloch equation is used as a constraint to define the equilibrium state, and the trial quantities are a density operator and a Lagrangian multiplier matrix which is akin to an observable. The conditions of stationarity are respectively a Schrödinger-like equation and a Heisenberg-- like equation with an imaginary time running backwards. General conditions for the trial spaces are stated that warrant the preservation of thermodynamic relations. When the trial spaces are chosen to be of the independent-quasi-particle type, the ensuing coupled equations provide an extension of the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approximation, which optimizes the characteristic function. Variational expressions for thermodynamic quantities or characteristic functions are also obtained with projected trial states, whether an invariance symmetry is broken or not. In particular, the projection on even or odd particle number is worked out for a pairing Hamiltonian, which leads to new equations replacing the BCS ones. Qualitative differences between even and odd systems, depending on the temperature TTT, the level density and the strength of the pairing force, are investigated analytically and numerically.
It is known that solutions of Richardson equations can be represented as stationary points of the 'energy' of classical free charges on the plane. We suggest considering the 'probabilities' of the system of charges occupying certain states in the configurational space at the effective temperature given by the interaction constant, which goes to zero in the thermodynamical limit. It is quite remarkable that the expression of 'probability' has similarities with the square of the Laughlin wavefunction. Next, we introduce the 'partition function', from which the ground state energy of the initial quantum-mechanical system can be determined. The 'partition function' is given by a multidimensional integral, which is similar to the Selberg integrals appearing in conformal field theory and random-matrix models. As a first application of this approach, we consider a system with the constant density of energy states at arbitrary filling of the energy interval where potential acts. In this case, the 'partition function' is rather easily evaluated using properties of the Vandermonde matrix. Our approach thus yields a quite simple and short way to find the ground state energy, which is shown to be described by a single expression all over from the dilute to the dense regime of pairs. It also provides additional insight into the physics of Cooper-paired states.
This thesis investigates the dynamical properties of equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems, both quantum and classical, under the guise of a thermodynamic formalism. Large deviation functions associated with the generating functions of time-integrated observables play the role of dynamical free energies and thus determine the trajectory phase structure of a system. The 1d Glauber-Ising chain is studied using the time-integrated energy as the dynamical order parameter and a whole curve of second order trajectory transitions are uncovered in the complex counting field plane. The leading dynamical Lee-Yang zeros of the associated generating function are extracted directly from the time dependent high order cumulants. Resolving the cumulants into constituent contributions the motion of each contribution’s leading Lee-Yang zeros pair allows one to infer the positions of the trajectory transition points. Contrastingly if one uses the full cumulants only the positions of those closest to the origin, in the limit of low temperatures, can be inferred. Motivated by homodyne detection schemes this thermodynamic approach to trajectories is extended to the quadrature trajectories of light emitted from open quantum systems. Using this dynamical observable the trajectory phases of a simple “blinking” 3-level system, two weakly coupled 2-level systems and the micromaser are studied. The trajectory phases of this observable are found to either carry as much information as the photon emission trajectories or in some cases capture extra dynamically features of the system (the second example). Finally, the statistics of the time-integrated longitudinal and transverse magnetization in the 1d transverse field quantum Ising model are explored. In both cases no large deviation function exists but the generating functions are still calculable. From the singularities of these generating functions new transition lines emerge. These were shown to be linked to: (a) the survival probability of an associated open system, (b) PT-symmetry, (c) the temporal scaling of the cumulants and (d) the topology of an associated set of states.