We study perturbative Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) for the scalar ϕ 4 theory at finite temperature to one loop order in the Schwinger-Keldysh closed-time-path (CTP) formalism. By explicitly integrating out the UV modes, we show how effective interactions coupling the two branches of the CTP contour arise. This provides a microscopic derivation of the type of effective CTP actions used in the literature. While the full effective theory has no critical points, we instead proceed to study critical properties of the RG flow in a reduced space of complex couplings that characterize certain time-ordered correlators and show the existence of two novel fixed points in d = 4 spacetime dimensions. We relate one to the Wilson-Fisher fixed point known to exist only in 4 − ε dimensions, and the other to the standard Gaussian fixed point.
The stability or lack thereof of nonrelativistic fermionic systems to interactions is studied within the renormalization-group (RG) framework, in close analogy with the study of critical phenomena using ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ scalar field theory. A brief introduction to ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory in four dimensions and the path-integral formulation for fermions is given before turning to the problem at hand. As for the latter, the following procedure is used. First, the modes on either side of the Fermi surface within a cutoff $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ are chosen for study, in analogy with the modes near the origin in ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ theory, and a path integral is written to describe them. Next, an RG transformation that eliminates a part of these modes, but preserves the action of the noninteracting system, is identified. Finally the possible perturbations of this free-field fixed point are classified as relevant, irrelevant or marginal. A
d=1 warmup calculation involving a system of fermions shows how, in contrast to mean-field theory, which predicts a charge-density wave for arbitrarily weak repulsion, and superconductivity for arbitrarily weak attraction, the renormalization-group approach correctly yields a scale-invariant system (Luttinger liquid) by taking into account both instabilities. Application of the renormalization group in
d=2and3, for rotationally invariant Fermi surfaces, automatically leads to Landau's Fermi-liquid theory, which appears as a fixed point characterized by an effective mass and a Landau function
F, with the only relevant perturbations being of the superconducting (BCS) type. The functional flow equations for the BCS couplings are derived and separated into an infinite number of flows, one for each angular momentum. It is shown that similar results hold for rotationally noninvariant (but time-reversal-invariant) Fermi surfaces also, with obvious loss of rotational invariance in the parametrization of the fixed-point interactions. A study of a nested Fermi surface shows an additional relevant flow leading to charge-density-wave formation. It is pointed out that, for small $\frac{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}{{K}_{F}}$, a
N1 expansion emerges, with $N=\frac{{K}_{F}}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$, which explains why one is able to solve the narrow-cutoff theory. The search for non-Fermi liquids in
d=2 using the RG is discussed. Bringing a variety of phenomena (Landau theory, charge-density waves, BCS instability, nesting, etc.) under the one unifying principle of the RG not only allows us to better understand and unify them, but also paves the way for generalizations and extensions. The article is pedagogical in nature and is expected to be accessible to any serious graduate student. On the other hand, its survey of the vast literature is mostly limited to the RG approach.
The perturbative renormalization of the Ginzburg–Landau model is reconsidered based on the Feynman diagram technique. We derive renormalization group (RG) flow equations, exactly calculating all vertices appearing in the perturbative renormalization of the ' 4 model up to the 3 order of the -expansion. In this case, the ' 2 , ' 4 , ' 6 , and ' 8 vertices appear. All these are relevant in the sense that they do not vanish at the fixed point. We have tested the expected basic properties of the RG flow, such as the semigroup property. Under repeated RG transformation Rs, appropriately represented RG flow on the critical surface converges to certain s–independent fixed point. The Fourier–transformed two–point correlation function G(k) has been considered. Although the -expansion of X(k) = 1=G(k) is well defined on the critical surface, we have revealed a fundamental inconsistency of the perturbative method with the exact rescaling of X(k), represented as an expansion in powers of k at k ! 0. We discuss also certain paradox, related to the -expansion of X(k) above the critical point. Apart from the –expansion, we have tested also a modified approach, where the ' 4 coupling constant u is the expansion parameter at a fixed spatial dimensionality d. Our tests point to some internal inconsistency of such a method.
The perturbative renormalization of the Ginzburg-Landau model is reconsidered based on the Feynman diagram technique. We derive renormalization group (RG) flow equations, exactly calculating all vertices appearing in the perturbative renormalization of the phi^4 model up to the epsilon^3 order of the epsilon-expansion. In this case, the phi^2, phi^4, phi^6, and phi^8 vertices appear. All these vertices are relevant. We have tested the expected basic properties of the RG flow, such as the semigroup property. Under repeated RG transformation R_s, appropriately represented RG flow on the critical surface converges to certain s-independent fixed point. The Fourier-transformed two-point correlation function G(k) has been considered. Although the epsilon-expansion of X(k)=1/G(k) is well defined on the critical surface, we have revealed an inconsistency of the perturbative method with the exact rescaling of X(k), represented as an expansion in powers of k at k --> 0. We have discussed also some aspects of the perturbative renormalization of the two-point correlation function slightly above the critical point. Apart from the epsilon-expansion, we have tested and briefly discussed also a modified approach, where the phi^4 coupling constant u is the expansion parameter at a fixed spatial dimensionality d.
We develop a semianalytical approach beyond the Born-Markov approximation to study the quench dynamics of the spin-boson model in the strong-coupling regime ($\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}1/2$) for the Ohmic bath. The basic idea in our approach is to write an effective time-dependent model for the dynamics of the system coupled to the bosonic bath after integrating out high-frequency bath modes. By applying this procedure to the Heisenberg equations of motion, we derive a set of flow equations for the system parameters as a function of time. The final flow equations look similar to those of the equilibrium renormalization-group theory; however, in our derivation the scaling parameter is set by the real time. We solve the equations of motion with time-dependent renormalized parameters and show that the resulting dynamics is in decent agreement with the exact NRG calculations as well as the noninteracting blip approximation that is a well-known good solution in this limit.
We consider systems of non-relativistic, interacting electrons at finite density and zero temperature in d = 2, 3, ... dimensions. Our main concern is to characterize those systems that, under the renormalization flow, are driven away from the Landau Fermi liquid (LFL) renormalization group fixed point. We are especially interested in understanding under what circumstances such a system is a Marginal Fermi liquid (MFL) when the dimension of space is greater or equal than 2 . The interacting electron system is analyzed by combining renormalization group (RG) methods with bosonization techniques. The RG calculations are organized as a double expansion in the inverse scale parameter,
λ−1, which is proportional to the width of the effective momentum space around the Fermi surface and in the running coupling constant, $ g_λ, $ which measures the strength of electron interactions at corresponding energy scales. Excluding a superconducting instability, the system can be analyzed by means of bosonization. The RG and the underlying perturbation expansion in powers of $ λ^{-1} $ serve to characterize the approximations involved by bosonizing the system. We argue that systems with short-range interactions flow to the LFL fixed point. Within the approximations involved by bosonization, the same holds for systems with long-range, longitudinal, density-density interactions. For electron systems interacting via long-range, transverse, current-current interactions a deviation from LFL behaviour is possible : the results of the bosonization calculation are consistent with a MFL, if the exponent parametrizing the singularity of the interaction potential in momentum space is greater than or equal to d-1.