The time dependent mean field method and the interacting Boson Model

Jaromir Panas, Anna Kauch, J. Kuneš +2 more

We calculate the momentum dependent spectral function of the Bose-Hubbard model on a simple cubic lattice in three dimensions within the bosonic dynamical mean-field theory (B-DMFT). The continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo method is used to solve the self-consistent B-DMFT equations together with the maximum entropy method for the analytic continuation to real frequencies. Results for weak, intermediate, and strong interactions are presented. In the limit of weak and strong interactions very good agreement with results obtained by perturbation theory is found. By contrast, at intermediate interactions the results differ significantly, indicating that in this regime perturbative methods fail to describe the dynamics of interacting bosons.

M. C. Cambiaggio, G.G. Dussel, J. A. Ramirez

Camille Lévêque, Lars Bojer Madsen

We develop an ab initio time-dependent wavefunction based theory for the description of a many-body system of cold interacting bosons. Like the multi-configurational time-dependent Hartree method for bosons (MCTDHB), the theory is based on a configurational interaction Ansatz for the many-body wavefunction with time-dependent self-consistent-field orbitals. The theory generalizes the MCTDHB method by incorporating restrictions on the active space of the orbital excitations. The restrictions are specified based on the physical situation at hand. The equations of motion of this time-dependent restricted-active-space self-consistent-field (TD-RASSCF) theory are derived. The similarity between the formal development of the theory for bosons and fermions is discussed. The restrictions on the active space allow the theory to be evaluated under conditions where other wavefunction based methods due to exponential scaling in the numerical effort cannot, and to clearly identify the excitations that are important for an accurate description, significantly beyond the mean-field approach. For ground state calculations we find it to be important to allow a few particles to have the freedom to move in many orbitals, an insight facilitated by the flexibility of the restricted-active-space Ansatz . Moreover, we find that a high accuracy can be obtained by including only even excitations in the many-body self-consistent-field wavefunction. Time-dependent simulations of harmonically trapped bosons subject to a quenching of their noncontact interaction, show failure of the mean-field Gross-Pitaevskii approach within a fraction of a harmonic oscillation period. The TD-RASSCF theory remains accurate at much reduced computational cost compared to the MCTDHB method. Exploring the effect of changes of the restricted-active-space allows us to identify that even self-consistent-field excitations are mainly responsible for the accuracy of the method.

Abraham Klein

M. C. Cambiaggio, G.G. Dussel, A. M. Szyferman

The thermal mean-field (Hartree-Bose-Bogoliubov) approximation is applied to a simple bosonic model that is related to the phase transition from spherical to deformed nuclei. Similarities and differences with the time-dependent approach are discussed, in particular, the sensitivity of each method for the detection of the phase transition.