We apply field theoretical renormalization group (RG) methods to describe the Tomonaga–Luttinger model as an important test ground to deal with spin–charge separation effects in higher spatial dimensions. We calculate the RG equations for the renormalized forward couplings g 2 R and g 4 R up to two-loop order and demonstrate that they do not flow in the vicinities of the Fermi points (FPs). We solve the Callan–Symanzik equation for G ( a ) R in the vicinities of the FPs. We calculate the related spectral function and the momentum distribution function at p = k F , p 0 = ω. We compute the renormalized one-particle irreducible function Γ (2) (+) R ( p , p 0 = 0; Λ) and show that it carries important spin–charge separation effects in agreement with well-known results. Finally, we discuss the implementation of the RG scheme taking into account the important simplifications produced by the Ward identities.
In one-dimensional quantum wires the interplay of electron correlations and impurities strongly influences the low-energy physics. The diversity of energy scales and the competition of correlations in interacting Fermi systems can be treated very efficiently with the functional renormalization group (fRG), describing the gradual evolution from a microscopic model Hamiltonian to the effective low-energy action as a function of a continuously decreasing energy cutoff. The fRG provides the universal low-energy asymptotics as well as nonuniversal properties, and in particular an answer to the important question at what scale the ultimate asymptotics sets in. We investigate the influence of impurities on spectral and transport properties of fermionic lattice models with short-range interactions. The results capture relevant energy scales and crossover phenomena, in addition to the universal low-energy asymptotics. For weak and intermediate impurity strengths the asymptotic behavior is approached only at rather low energy scales, accessible only for very large systems. For spin-1/2 systems two-particle backscattering leads to striking effects, which are not captured if the bulk system is approximated by its low-energy fixed point, the Luttinger model. In particular, the expected decrease of spectral weight near the impurity and of the conductance at low energy scales is often preceded by a pronounced increase, and the asymptotic power laws are modified by logarithmic corrections.
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.
Numerous correlated electron systems exhibit a strongly scale-dependent behavior. Upon lowering the energy scale, collective phenomena, bound states, and new effective degrees of freedom emerge. Typical examples include (i) competing magnetic, charge, and pairing instabilities in two-dimensional electron systems; (ii) the interplay of electronic excitations and order parameter fluctuations near thermal and quantum phase transitions in metals; and (iii) correlation effects such as Luttinger liquid behavior and the Kondo effect showing up in linear and nonequilibrium transport through quantum wires and quantum dots. The functional renormalization group is a flexible and unbiased tool for dealing with such scale-dependent behavior. Its starting point is an exact functional flow equation, which yields the gradual evolution from a microscopic model action to the final effective action as a function of a continuously decreasing energy scale. Expanding in powers of the fields one obtains an exact hierarchy of flow equations for vertex functions. Truncations of this hierarchy have led to powerful new approximation schemes. This review is a comprehensive introduction to the functional renormalization group method for interacting Fermi systems. A self-contained derivation of the exact flow equations is presented and frequently used truncation schemes are described. Reviewing selected applications it is shown how approximations based on the functional renormalization group can be fruitfully used to improve our understanding of correlated fermion systems.
The functional renormalization group is an ideal tool for dealing with the diversity of energy scales and competition of correlations in interacting Fermi systems. Starting point is an exact hierarchy of flow equations which yields the gradual evolution from a microscopic model Hamiltonian to the effective action as a function of a continuously decreasing energy cutoff. Suitable truncations of the hierarchy have recently led to powerful new approximation schemes. I review applications of the functional renormalization group to the two-dimensional Hubbard model and to one-dimensional Luttinger liquids with impurities.
We develop a new formulation of the functional renormalization group (RG) for interacting fermions. Our approach unifies the purely fermionic formulation based on the Grassmannian functional integral, which has been used in recent years by many authors, with the traditional Wilsonian RG approach to quantum systems pioneered by Hertz [Phys. Rev. B 14, 1165 (1976)], which attempts to describe the infrared behavior of the system in terms of an effective bosonic theory associated with the soft modes of the underlying fermionic problem. In our approach, we decouple the interaction by means of a suitable Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation (following the Hertz approach), but do not eliminate the fermions; instead, we derive an exact hierarchy of RG flow equations for the irreducible vertices of the resulting coupled field theory involving both fermionic and bosonic fields. The freedom of choosing a momentum transfer cutoff for the bosonic soft modes in addition to the usual band cutoff for the fermions opens the possibility of new RG schemes. In particular, we show how the exact solution of the Tomonaga-Luttinger model (i.e., one-dimensional fermions with linear energy dispersion and interactions involving only small momentum transfers) emerges from the functional RG if one works with a momentum transfer cutoff. Then the Ward identities associated with the local particle conservation at each Fermi point are valid at every stage of the RG flow and provide a solution of an infinite hierarchy of flow equations for the irreducible vertices. The RG flow equation for the irreducible single-particle self-energy can then be closed and can be reduced to a linear integrodifferential equation, the solution of which yields the result familiar from bosonization. We suggest new truncation schemes of the exact hierarchy of flow equations, which might be useful even outside the weak coupling regime.