This book belongs to a series of online books summarizing the recent state Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) and its applications. TGD can be regarded as a unified theory of fundamental interactions but is not the kind of unified theory as so called GUTs constructed by graduate students at seventies and eighties using detailed recipes for how to reduce everything to group theory. Nowadays this activity has been completely computerized and it probably takes only a few hours to print out the predictions of this kind of unified theory as an article in the desired format. TGD is something different and I am not ashamed to confess that I have devoted the last 32 years of my life to this enterprise and am still unable to write The Rules. I got the basic idea of Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) during autumn 1978, perhaps it was October. What I realized was that the representability of physical space-times as 4-dimensional surfaces of some higher-dimensional space-time obtained by replacing the points of Minkowski space with some very small compact internal space could resolve the conceptual difficulties of general relativity related to the definition of the notion of energy. This belief was too optimistic and only with the advent of what I call zero energy ontology the understanding of the notion of Poincare invariance has become satisfactory.
This book belongs to a series of online books summarizing the recent state Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) and its applications. TGD can be regarded as a unified theory of fundamental interactions but is not the kind of unified theory as so called GUTs constructed by graduate students at seventies and eighties using detailed recipes for how to reduce everything to group theory. Nowadays this activity has been completely computerized and it probably takes only a few hours to print out the predictions of this kind of unified theory as an article in the desired format. TGD is something different and I am not ashamed to confess that I have devoted the last 32 years of my life to this enterprise and am still unable to write The Rules. I got the basic idea of Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD) during autumn 1978, perhaps it was October. What I realized was that the representability of physical space-times as 4-dimensional surfaces of some higher-dimensional space-time obtained by replacing the points of Minkowski space with some very small compact internal space could resolve the conceptual difficulties of general relativity related to the definition of the notion of energy. This belief was too optimistic and only with the advent of what I call zero energy ontology the understanding of the notion of Poincare invariance has become satisfactory.
To a casual ostrich the world of quantum physics in one dimension may sound a little one-dimensional, suitable perhaps for those with an unhealthy obsession for the esoteric. Nothing of course could be further from the truth. The field is remarkably rich and broad, and for more than fifty years has thrown up innumerable challenges. Theorists, realising that the role of interactions in 1D is special and that well known paradigms of higher dimensions (Fermi liquid theory for example) no longer apply, took up the challenge of developing new concepts and techniques to understand the undoubted pecularities of one-dimensional systems. And experimentalists have succeeded in turning pipe dreams into reality, producing an impressive and ever increasing array of experimental realizations of 1D systems, from the molecular to the mesoscopic---spin and ladder compounds, organic superconductors, carbon nanotubes, quantum wires, Josephson junction arrays and so on. Many books on the theory of one-dimensional systems are however written by experts for experts, and tend as such to leave the non-specialist a touch bewildered. This is understandable on both fronts, for the underlying theoretical techniques are unquestionably sophisticated and not usually part of standard courses in many-body theory. A brave author it is then who aims to produce a well rounded, if necessarily partial, overview of quantum physics in one dimension, accessible to a beginner yet taking them to the edge of current research, and providing en route a thorough grounding in the fundamental ideas, basic methods and essential phenomenology of the field. It is of course the brave who succeed in this world, and Thierry Giamarchi does just that with this excellent book, written by an expert for the uninitiated. Aimed in particular at graduate students in theoretical condensed matter physics, and assumimg little theoretical background on the part of the reader (well just a little), Giamarchi writes in a refreshingly relaxed style with infectious enthusiasm for his subject, and readily combines formal instruction with physical insight. The result is a serious, pedagogical yet comprehensive guide to the fascinating and important field of one-dimensional quantum systems, for which many a graduate student (and not a few oldies) will be grateful. The first half of the book, chapters 1--5, is devoted to a coherent presentation of the essential concepts and theoretical methods of the field. After a basic introduction to the unique behaviour of interacting electrons in one dimension, and to early fermionic approaches to the problem, Giamarchi turns to the technique of bosonization, introducing chapter 3 with a Marxist quote: `A child of five would understand this. Send for a child of five.' This most powerful technique is presented in a step by step fashion, and serious perusal of the chapter will benefit all ages since bosonization is used extensively throughout the rest of the book. The same is true of chapter 3 where a phenomenological and physically insightful introduction is given to the Luttinger liquid---the key concept in the low-energy physics of one-dimensional systems, analogous to the Fermi liquid in higher dimensions. Chapter 4 deals with what the author calls `refinements', or complications of the sort theorists in particular welcome; such as how the Luttinger liquid description is modified by the presence of long-ranged interactions, the Mott transition (`we forgot the lattice Gromit'), and the effects of breaking spin rotational invariance on application of a magnetic field. Finally chapter 5 describes various microscopic methods for one dimension, including a brief discussion of numerical techniques but focussing primarily on the Bethe ansatz---the famous one-dimensional technique others seek to emulate but whose well known complexity necessitates a relatively brief discussion, confined in practice to the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model. In the second half of the book, chapters 6--11, a range of different physical realizations of one-dimensional quantum physics are discussed. According to taste and interest, these chapters can be read in essentially any order. Spin systems are considered in chapter 6, beginning with spin chains---Jordan--Wigner, the bosonization solution---before moving to frustration, the spin-Peierls transition, and spin ladders; and including experimental examples of both spin chain and ladder materials. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with interacting lattice fermions, the former with single chain problems, notably the Hubbard, t-J and related models; and the latter with coupled fermionic chains, from finite to infinite, including a fulsome discussion of Bechgaard salts (organic conductors) as exemplars of Luttinger liquid behaviour. The effect of disorder in fermionic systems is taken up in chapter 9, and here the reader may react: interacting systems are tough enough, why make life harder? But disorder is always present to some degree in real systems---quantum wires, for example, discussed briefly in the chapter---and its effects particularly acute in one dimension. It simply cannot be avoided, even if the problem of interacting, disordered one-dimensional systems is still a long way off being solved. The penultimate chapter deals with the topical issues of boundaries, isolated impurities and constrictions, with a primary focus on mesoscopic examples of Luttinger liquids, notably carbon nanotubes and edge states in the quantum Hall effect. Finally `significant other' examples of Luttinger liquids, namely interacting one-dimensional bosons, are considered in chapter 11; which concludes with a discussion of bosonization techniques in the context of quantum impurities in Fermi liquids---the x-ray, Kondo and multichannel Kondo problems. The quality of the product attests to the fact that writing this impressive tome was a labour of love for the author. Anyone with a serious interest in getting to grips with one-dimensional quantum systems simply needs the book on their shelves---and will have great fun reading it too.
Topological Phases of Matter are an exceptionally dynamic field of research: several of the most exciting recent experimental discoveries and conceptual advances in modern physics have originated in this field. These have generated new, topological, notions of order, interactions and excitations. This text provides an accessible, unified and comprehensive introduction to the phenomena surrounding topological matter, with detailed expositions of the underlying theoretical tools and conceptual framework, alongside accounts of the central experimental breakthroughs. Among the systems covered are topological insulators, magnets, semimetals, and superconductors. The emergence of new particles with remarkable properties such as fractional charge and statistics is discussed alongside possible applications such as fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Suitable as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate students, or as a reference for more experienced researchers, the book assumes little prior background, providing self-contained introductions to topics as varied as phase transitions, superconductivity, and localisation.
The discovery of the geometric phase is one of the most interesting and intriguing findings of the last few decades. It led to a deeper understanding of the concept of phase in quantum mechanics and motivated a surge of interest in fundamental quantum mechanical issues, disclosing unexpected applications in very diverse fields of physics. Although the key ideas underlying the existence of a purely geometrical phase had already been proposed in 1956 by Pancharatnam, it was Michael Berry who revived this issue 30 years later. The clarity of Berry's seminal paper, in 1984, was extraordinary. Research on the topic flourished at such a pace that it became difficult for non-experts to follow the many different theoretical ideas and experimental proposals which ensued. Diverse concepts in independent areas of mathematics, physics and chemistry were being applied, for what was (and can still be considered) a nascent arena for theory, experiments and technology. Although collections of papers by different authors appeared in the literature, sometimes with ample introductions, surprisingly, to the best of my knowledge, no specific and exhaustive book has ever been written on this subject. The Geometric Phase in Quantum Systems is the first thorough book on geometric phases and fills an important gap in the physical literature. Other books on the subject will undoubtedly follow. But it will take a fairly long time before other authors can cover that same variety of concepts in such a comprehensive manner. The book is enjoyable. The choice of topics presented is well balanced and appropriate. The appendices are well written, understandable and exhaustive - three rare qualities. I also find it praiseworthy that the authors decided to explicitly carry out most of the calculations, avoiding, as much as possible, the use of the joke `after a straightforward calculation, one finds...' This was one of the sentences I used to dislike most during my undergraduate studies. A student is inexperienced in such matters and needs to look at details. This book is addressed to graduate physics and chemistry students and was written thinking of students. However, I would recommend it also to young and mature physicists, even those who are already `into' the subject. It is a comprehensive work, jointly written by five researchers. After a simple introduction to the subject, the book gradually provides deeper concepts, more advanced theory and finally an interesting introduction and explanation of recent experiments. For its multidisciplinary features, this work could not have been written by one single author. The collaborative effort is undoubtedly one of its most interesting qualities. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more on the geometric phase, a topic that is both beautiful and intruiguing.
Abstract / Description: This volume explores the application of Topological Geometrodynamics (M5) to several foundational concepts in quantum mechanics and particle physics. Book VIII: Use Cases III models wave functions as continuous spatial boundaries navigating a multi-sheeted Riemann mapping space. By treating fundamental particles as fractionally orientable Möbius knots within this manifold, the text offers geometric interpretations for phenomena typically described via probabilistic or algebraic methods. Key physical models explored in this volume include: The 22.0μg Mass Limit: Calculates a specific mass boundary where the spatial requirements of quantum continuity intersect with geometric saturation constraints, proposing this collision as a geometric mechanism for macroscopic phase-lock and wave function collapse. Interpretations of the Dirac Equation: Offers a topological perspective on Zitterbewegung and negative energy states, modeling them as mathematical consequences of mapping a physically restricted 5D geometry onto a complete 6π complex topological space. The Geometry of Spin: Investigates the fractional spin quantum number (s=1/2) as a geometric consequence of a wave function navigating a phase-canceling Möbius helicoid topology. Quantum Tunneling: Models tunneling as the mathematical generation of a conjugate knot that algebraically resolves the structural impedance of a macroscopic barrier, framing the phenomenon in deterministic terms. New Additions in Version 212.0: This manuscript incorporates two new chapters detailing the M5 parametric engine and its application to hadronic stability and decay: The Deterministic Spectrum of Stable Prime-Resonant Geometries (Chapter 18): Explores the hypothesis that stable matter configurations are quantized by the topology of a 3D bipartite grid. The chapter outlines a Universal Parametric Sieve to map allowed geometric states—from a 137-knot base model of the electron up to higher-mass isomers—suggesting that the gaps between particle generations correspond to mathematical configurations that fail to resolve into prime-number boundaries. The Geometric Mechanism of Beta Decay (Chapter 17): Proposes a topological model for the instability of the neutron. The text models the neutron's asymmetric (u,d,d) configuration as a structure that generates a "Topological Parity Violation". Beta decay is described as a geometric relaxation process, wherein the internal lattice sheds excess knot-volume to resolve into the stable prime-number configuration of the proton.
Nonlocality seems to be a basic aspect of what it is to be living. Living system is elementary particle-like coherent unit. The phenomenon of memory suggests temporal nonlocality. Also, remote mental interactions, if real, suggest nonlocality. In fact, nonlocality, both spatial and temporal, is the basic element of entire quantum TGD and, in particular, its applications in quantum biology, neuroscience, theory of consciousness and remote mental interactions. In this series of articles, I suggest pictures in Topological Geometrodynamics (TGD). I will begin from empirical findings related to nonlocality rather than problems of General Relativity or of particle physics. The hope is that this could make the basic ideas of TGD easier to grasp. Further, the mathematical framework and its interpretation in current state of TGD are briefly described and some applications of TGD inspired theory of consciousness and quantum biology are discussed.This is Part I of a two-part article.