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arXiv:cond-mat/0007255 · Physical review. B, Condensed matter

Absence of a metallic phase in random-bond Ising models in two dimensions: Applications to disordered superconductors and paired quantum Hall states

N. Read, Andreas W. W. Ludwig

Published Dec 11, 2000• 86 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

When the two-dimensional random-bond Ising model is represented as a noninteracting fermion problem, it has the same symmetries as an ensemble of random matrices known as class D. A nonlinear $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ model analysis of the latter in two dimensions has previously led to the prediction of a metallic phase, in which the fermion eigenstates at zero energy are extended. In this paper we argue that such behavior cannot occur in the random-bond Ising model, by showing that the Ising spin correlations in the metallic phase violate the bound on such correlations that results from the reality of the Ising couplings. Some types of disorder in spinless or spin-polarized p-wave superconductors and paired fractional quantum Hall states allow a mapping onto an Ising model with real but correlated bonds, and hence a metallic phase is not possible there either. It is further argued that vortex disorder, which is generic in the fractional quantum Hall applications, destroys the ordered or weak-pairing phase, in which non-Abelian statistics is obtained in the pure case.

DOI
10.1103/physrevb.63.024404

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When the two-dimensional random-bond Ising model is represented as a noninteracting fermion problem, it has the same symmetries as an ensemble of random matrices known as class D. A nonlinear \ensuremathσ\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremathσ model analysis of the latter in two dimensions has previously led to the prediction of a metallic phase, in which the fermion eigenstates at zero energy are extended. In this paper we argue that such behavior cannot occur in the random-bond Ising model, by showing that the Ising spin correlations in the metallic phase violate the bound on such correlations that results from the reality of the Ising couplings. Some types of disorder in spinless or spin-polarized p-wave superconductors and paired fractional quantum Hall states allow a mapping onto an Ising model with real but correlated bonds, and hence a metallic phase is not possible there either. It is further argued that vortex disorder, which is generic in the fractional quantum Hall applications, destroys the ordered or weak-pairing phase, in which non-Abelian statistics is obtained in the pure case.
We develop a recently proposed mapping of the two-dimensional Ising model with random exchange (RBIM) via the transfer matrix, to a network model for a disordered system of noninteracting fermions. The RBIM transforms in this way to a localization problem belonging to one of a set of nonstandard symmetry classes, known as class D; the transition between paramagnet and ferromagnet is equivalent to a delocalization transition between an insulator and a quantum Hall conductor. We establish the mapping as an exact and efficient tool for numerical analysis: using it, the computational effort required to study a system of width M is proportional to M3,{M}^{3},M3, and not exponential in M as with conventional algorithms. We show how the approach may be used to calculate for the RBIM the free energy, typical correlation lengths in quasi-one dimension for both the spin and the disorder operators, and the even powers of spin-spin correlation functions and their disorder averages. We examine in detail the square-lattice, nearest-neighbor $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J$ RBIM, in which bonds are independently antiferromagnetic with probability p, and ferromagnetic with probability $1\ensuremath{-}p.$ Studying temperatures T> 0.4J,T>~0.4J,T> 0.4J, we obtain precise coordinates in the $p\ensuremath{-}T$ plane for points on the phase boundary between ferromagnet and paramagnet, and for the multicritical (Nishimori) point. We demonstrate scaling flow towards the pure Ising fixed point at small p, and determine critical exponents at the multicritical point.
We study the symmetry class for localization which arises from models of noninteracting quasiparticles in disordered superconductors that have neither time-reversal nor spin-rotation invariance. Twodimensional systems in this category, which is known as class D, can display phases with three different types of quasiparticle dynamics: metallic, localized, or with a quantized (thermal) Hall conductance. Correspondingly, they can show a variety of delocalization transitions. We illustrate this behavior by investigating numerically the phase diagrams of network models with the appropriate symmetry and show the appearance of the metallic phase. We also study level statistics for this symmetry class and find that the nearest neighbor spacing distribution (NNSD) at the critical energy follows the Wigner’s surmise for Gaussian Unitary Ensembles (GUE), reflecting therefore only basic discrete symmetries of the system (time reversal violation) and ignoring particle-hole symmetries and other finer details (criticality). In the localized regime level repulsion is suppressed.
The two-dimensional (2D) random-bond Ising model has a novel multicritical point on the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase boundary. This random phase transition is one of the simplest examples of a 2D critical point occurring at both finite temperatures and disorder strength. We study the associated critical properties, by mapping the random 2D Ising model onto a network model. The model closely resembles network models of quantum Hall plateau transitions, but has different symmetries. Numerical transfer matrix calculations enable us to obtain estimates for the critical exponents at the random Ising phase transition. The values are consistent with recent estimates obtained from high-temperature series.
The self-consistent approach to the two-dimensional Ising model with quenched random bonds is extended to the full lattice theory described by four real fermions. A calculation of the averaged spin-spin correlation function for large separation of the spins in the disorder-dominated phase indicates an exponential decay of this quantity and therefore a vanishing spontaneous magnetization. The corresponding correlation length is proportional to 1/ eta 2 , where eta denotes the order parameter of the new phase introduced by Ziegler (1990).
We study the two-band model of spinless fermions in one dimension for weak repulsive interactions. In this case, the model is equivalent to the weakly interacting spinless two-leg ladder. We obtain nonuniversal analytic expressions for the power-law decays $\ensuremath{\propto}{x}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ of the charge-density and $\ensuremath{\propto}{x}^{\ensuremath{-}1/\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ of the superconducting pairing correlation functions. To leading order in the doping $\ensuremath{\delta}$ away from half filling and ${t}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}/t,$ we find $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1+({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{/8)(t}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}{/t)}^{2}{\ensuremath{\delta}}^{2}$ (t(t(t and ${t}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ are the hopping terms along and between the chains), such that superconducting pairing correlations dominate. We furthermore show that the transition from the superconducting phase to the usual one-dimensional (Luttinger) metal occurs via a mixed phase, where superconducting pairs are formed in the bonding band only. We give the phase diagram as a function of temperature and doping.
Many of the most vexing phenomena observed in condensed matter physics involve strongly correlated systems near quantum critical points in two spatial dimensions. Examples range from the sharing of critical exponents (superuniversality) among quantum Hall plateau transitions to the emergence of a charge-vortex symmetry near the field-tuned superconductor-insulator transition in thin films to the appearance of “anomalous” metallic states which evade localization. These problems elude theoretical understanding because they lack small parameters; standard perturbative approaches constitute poor, often uncontrolled approximations. This thesis concerns itself with the development of techniques reaching beyond the perturbative paradigm, focusing especially on duality, the idea that two seemingly different theories are actually one and the same. While a duality is most useful when it relates a strongly interacting theory to a weakly interacting one, even dualities between strongly coupled theories can reveal emergent symmetries and exotic gapped phases that may be obscure in one theory but not its dual. Recently, starting from a relativistic analogue of flux attachment, an entire web of quantum field theory dualities was proposed connecting a wide variety of quantum critical states in two spatial dimensions. This web of dualities has led to a surge of progress on a wide variety of condensed matter problems, several examples of which are presented in this thesis. One of the major challenges that comes with the proposal of new dualities is to “derive” them. In Chapter 2, we construct simple, explicit derivations of many members of the web of dualities in (particle-hole symmetric) models of relativistic current loops. In relativistic theories, flux attachment necessarily involves transmutation of both statistics and spin, an operation which can be made precise in the context of loop models. We further show that while non-relativistic theories are invariant under attachment of even numbers of flux quanta due to the periodicity of statistics, this symmetry is completely lost in relativistic theories due to the presence of spin, clarifying the interpretation of earlier loop models in which this symmetry appeared to be present. Motivated in part by this lack of statistical periodicity in relativistic flux attachment, in Chapter 3 we turn our attention to the metallic, “composite Fermi liquid” states occuring in quantum Hall systems at filling fraction ν = 1/2n. Famously, the state at ν = 1/2 is known to display particle-hole symmetry, which has recently led to the proposal of a manifestly particle-hole symmetric theory of relativistic, or Dirac, composite fermions that features prominently in the web of dualities. Surprisingly, however, an analogous “reflection symmetry” has also been observed in transport experiments about ν = 1/4. To explain this symmetry, we propose a series of relativistic composite fermion theories for the compressible states at ν = 1/2n, in which the reflection symmetry is incorporated as a mean field time-reversal symmetry of the composite fermions. These theories consist of electrically neutral Dirac fermions attached to 2n flux quanta via an emergent Chern-Simons gauge field. 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In particular, we obtain the bosonic Read-Rezayi sequence at fillings ν = k/(kM +2) by starting from k layers of bosons at ν = 1/2 with M Abelian fluxes attached and then condensing k-clusters of the dual non-Abelian bosons. We further extend this constructions to obtain generalizations of the Read-Rezayi states with emergent global symmetries. In Chapter 5, we describe a context in which non-perturbative ideas from duality and perturbative results in the language of the renormalization group (RG) can inform one another: the interplay of quenched disorder and strong interaction effects near quantum critical points. In particular, we focus on the problem of quenched disorder at the superfluid-insulator transition of the O(N) model in the large-N limit. While a random mass is strongly relevant at the free fixed point, its effect is screened by the strong interactions of the Wilson-Fisher fixed point in this model, enabling a perturbative RG study of the interplay of disorder and interactions about this fixed point. In contrast to the spiralling flows obtained in earlier double-ε expansions, we show that the theory flows directly to a quantum critical point characterized by finite disorder and interactions, with critical exponents in remarkable agreement with numerical studies of the superfluid-Mott glass transition. With these results in hand, we apply duality to discuss the possible implications of this result for the dual Abelian Higgs and Chern-Simons-Dirac fermion theories when N = 1.