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arXiv:1205.3496 · Physica Scripta

Noisy quantum phase transitions: an intuitive approach

Emanuele G Dalla Torre, Eugene Demler, Thierry Giamarchi, Ehud Altman

Published Nov 1, 2012• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Equilibrium thermal noise is known to destroy any quantum phase transition. What are the effects of non-equilibrium noise? In two recent papers we have considered the specific case of a resistively-shunted Josephson junction driven by $1/f$ charge noise. At equilibrium, this system undergoes a sharp quantum phase transition at a critical value of the shunt resistance. By applying a real-time renormalization group (RG) approach, we found that the noise has three main effects: It shifts the phase transition, renormalizes the resistance, and generates an effective temperature. In this paper we explain how to understand these effects using simpler arguments, based on Kirchhoff laws and time-dependent perturbation theory. We also show how these effects modify physical observables and especially the current-voltage characteristic of the junction. In the appendix we describe two possible realizations of the model with ultracold atoms confined to one dimension.

DOI
10.1088/0031-8949/2012/t151/014026

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Equilibrium thermal noise is known to destroy any quantum phase transition. What are the effects of non-equilibrium noise? In two recent papers we have considered the specific case of a resistively-shunted Josephson junction driven by 1/f1/f1/f charge noise. At equilibrium, this system undergoes a sharp quantum phase transition at a critical value of the shunt resistance. By applying a real-time renormalization group (RG) approach, we found that the noise has three main effects: It shifts the phase transition, renormalizes the resistance, and generates an effective temperature. In this paper we explain how to understand these effects using simpler arguments, based on Kirchhoff laws and time-dependent perturbation theory. We also show how these effects modify physical observables and especially the current-voltage characteristic of the junction. In the appendix we describe two possible realizations of the model with ultracold atoms confined to one dimension.
We investigate the dynamical properties of low-dimensional systems, driven by external noise sources. Specifically we consider a resistively shunted Josephson junction and a one-dimensional quantum liquid in a commensurate lattice potential, subject to 1/f1/f1/f noise. In absence of nonlinear coupling, we have shown previously that these systems establish a nonequilibrium critical steady state [Dalla Torre, Demler, Giamarchi, and Altman, Nat. Phys. 6, 806 (2010)]. Here, we use this state as the basis for a controlled renormalization group analysis using the Keldysh path integral formulation to treat the nonlinearities: the Josephson coupling and the commensurate lattice. The analysis to first order in the coupling constant indicates transitions between superconducting and localized regimes that are smoothly connected to the respective equilibrium transitions. However, at second order, the back action of the mode coupling on the critical state leads to renormalization of dissipation and emergence of an effective temperature. In the Josephson junction, the temperature is parametrically small allowing to observe a universal crossover between the superconducting and insulating regimes. The I-V characteristics of the junction displays algebraic behavior controlled by the underlying critical state over a wide range. In the noisy one-dimensional liquid, the generated dissipation and effective temperature are not small as in the junction. We find a crossover between a quasilocalized regime dominated by dissipation and another dominated by temperature. However, since in the thermal regime the thermalization rate is parametrically small, signatures of the nonequilibrium critical state may be seen in transient dynamics.
We investigate bias-driven non-equilibrium quantum phase transitions in a paradigmatic quantum-transport setup: an interacting quantum dot coupled to non-interacting metallic leads. Using the Random Phase Approximation, which is exact in the limit of a large number of dot levels, we map out the zero-temperature non-equilibrium phase diagram as a function of interaction strength and applied bias. We focus our analysis on the behavior of the charge susceptibility and the current noise in the vicinity of the transition. Remarkably, despite the intrinsically non-equilibrium nature of the steady state, critical charge fluctuations admit an effective-temperature description, Teff(T,V)T_{\text{eff}}(T,V)Teff​(T,V), that collapses the steady-state behavior onto its equilibrium form. In sharp contrast, current fluctuations exhibit genuinely non-equilibrium features: the fluctuation-dissipation ratio becomes negative in the ordered phase, corresponding to a negative effective temperature for the current degrees of freedom. These results establish current noise as a sensitive probe of critical fluctuations at non-equilibrium quantum phase transitions and open new directions for exploring voltage-driven critical phenomena in quantum transport systems.
We consider quantum fluctuations in a current biased overdamped Josephson junction in the regime when the bias current is larger than the critical current. The fluctuations of the voltage and phase across the junction are assumed to be initiated by equilibrium current fluctuations in the shunting resistor. This corresponds to low enough temperatures, when fluctuations of the normal current in the junction itself can be neglected. Quantum effects are important when the resistor temperature is low compared to the Josephson frequency, even in the case when noise is measured at frequencies lower than the temperature. We used the quantum Langevin equation in terms of random variables related to the limit cycle of the nonlinear Josephson oscillator. This allows to go beyond the perturbation theory and calculate the widths of the Josephson radiation lines.
We theoretically investigate the phase and voltage correlation dynamics, which includes both the deterministic contribution and stochastic fluctuations, under a current noise generated by a resistor including thermal and quantum fluctuations in a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junction. An external current is found to shift and intensify the deterministic contributions in phase and voltage. In addition to effects of external current, we observe the relaxation of autocorrelation functions of phase and voltage, which includes the variances due to the current noise, to finite values in the long-time limit. In particular, we find that the asymptotic correlations depend on the resistance as a consequence of quantum effects. We also find an earlier decay of coherence at a higher temperature in which thermal fluctuations dominate over quantum ones. These theoretical predictions can be tested in the next future experiments.
We theoretically investigate the phase and voltage correlation dynamics, which includes both the deterministic contribution and stochastic fluctuations, under a current noise generated by a resistor including thermal and quantum fluctuations in a resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson (RCSJ) junction. An external current is found to shift and intensify the deterministic contributions in phase and voltage. In addition to effects of external current, we observe the relaxation of autocorrelation functions of phase and voltage, which includes the variances due to the current noise, to finite values in the long-time limit. In particular, we find that the asymptotic correlations depend on the resistance as a consequence of quantum effects. We also find an earlier decay of coherence at a higher temperature in which thermal fluctuations dominate over quantum ones. These theoretical predictions can be tested in next future experiments.