Lattice-induced double-valley degeneracy lifting in graphene by a magnetic field

We show that the recently discovered double-valley splitting of the Landau levels in the quantum Hall effect in graphene can be explained as the perturbative orbital interaction of intravalley and intervalley microscopic orbital currents with a magnetic field. This effect is facilitated by the translationally noninvariant terms that correspond to graphene's crystallographic honeycomb symmetry but do not exist in the relativistic theory of massless Dirac fermions in quantum electrodynamics. We discuss recent data in view of these findings.     

Fermion helicity flip in higher-derivative electromagnetism

It is shown that massive fermions have their helicity flipped on account of their interaction with an electromagnetic field described by Podolsky’s generalized electrodynamics. Massless fermions, in turn, seem to be unaffected by the electromagnetic field as far as their helicity is concerned.     

Quantum electrodynamics with anisotropic scaling: Heisenberg-Euler action and Schwinger pair production in the bilayer graphene

We discuss quantum electrodynamics emerging in the vacua with anisotropic scaling. Systems with anisotropic scaling were suggested by Hořava in relation to the quantum theory of gravity. In such vacua, the space and time are not equivalent, and moreover they obey different scaling laws, called the anisotropic scaling. Such anisotropic scaling takes place for fermions in bilayer graphene, where if one neglects the trigonal warping effects the massless Dirac fermions have quadratic dispersion. This results in the anisotropic quantum electrodynamics, in which electric and magnetic fields obey different scaling laws. Here we discuss the Heisenberg-Euler action and Schwinger pair production in such anisotropic QED.     

Mapping nonlinear gravity into General Relativity with nonlinear electrodynamics

We show that families of nonlinear gravity theories formulated in a metric-affine approach and coupled to a nonlinear theory of electrodynamics can be mapped into general relativity (GR) coupled to another nonlinear theory of electrodynamics. This allows to generate solutions of the former from those of the latter using purely algebraic transformations. This correspondence is explicitly illustrated with the Eddington-inspired Born–Infeld theory of gravity, for which we consider a family of nonlinear electrodynamics and show that, under the map, preserve their algebraic structure. For the particular case of Maxwell electrodynamics coupled to Born–Infeld gravity we find, via this correspondence, a Born–Infeld-type nonlinear electrodynamics on the GR side. Solving the spherically symmetric electrovacuum case for the latter, we show how the map provides directly the right solutions for the former. This procedure opens a new door to explore astrophysical and cosmological scenarios in nonlinear gravity theories by exploiting the full power of the analytical and numerical methods developed within the framework of GR.     

Slow light in degenerate fermi gases

We investigate the effect of slow light propagating in a degenerate atomic Fermi gas. In particular we use slow light with an orbital angular momentum. We present a microscopic theory for the interplay between light and matter and show how the slow light can provide an effective magnetic field acting on the electrically neutral fermions, a direct analogy of the free electron gas in an uniform magnetic field. As an example we illustrate how the corresponding de Haas-van Alphen effect can be seen in a gas of neutral atomic fermions.     

Quantisation of $\theta$-expanded non-commutative QED

We analyse two new versions of -expanded non-commutative quantum electrodynamics up to first order in and first loop order. In the first version we expand the bosonic sector using the Seiberg-Witten map, leaving the fermions unexpanded. In the second version we leave both bosons and fermions unexpanded. The analysis shows that the Seiberg-Witten map is a field redefinition at first order in . However, at higher order in the Seiberg-Witten map cannot be regarded as a field redefinition. We find that the initial action of any -expanded massless non-commutative QED must include one extra term proportional to which we identify by loop calculations. Received: 3 July 2002 / Published online: 7 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a" e-mail: jesper@hep.itp.tuwien.ac.at Work supported by The Danish Research Agency. RID="b" ID="b" e-mail: raimar.wulkenhaar@mis.mpg.de Schloe?mann fellow     

Deformation Quantization for Systems with Fermions

Deformation quantization, which achieves the passage from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics by the replacement of the pointwise multiplication of functions on phase space by the star product, is a powerful tool for treating systems involving bosonic degrees of freedom, both in quantum mechanics and in quantum field theory. In the present paper we show how these methods may be naturally extended to systems involving fermions. In particular we show how supersymmetric quantum mechanics can be formulated in this approach and consider examples involving both non-relativistic and relativistic systems.     

Permanent confinement in the compact QED3 with fermionic matter

We argue that the compact three dimensional electrodynamics with massless relativistic fermions is always in the confined phase, in spite of the bare interaction between the magnetic monopoles being rendered logarithmic by fermions. The effect is caused by screening by other dipoles, which transforms the logarithmic back into the Coulomb interaction at large distances. Possible implications for the chiral symmetry breaking for fermions are discussed, and the global phase diagram of the theory is proposed.     

I. The isotopic Foldy-Wouthuysen representation and chiral symmetry

The paper introduces the isotopic Foldy-Wouthuysen representation. This representation was used to derive equations for massive interacting fermion fields. When the interaction Hamiltonian commutes with the matrix γ⁵, these equations possess chiral invariance irrespective of whether fermions have mass or are massless. The isotopic Foldy-Wouthuysen representation preserves the vector and axial currents irrespective of the fermion mass value. In the Dirac representation, the axial current is preserved only for massless fermions. In the isotopic Foldy-Wouthuysen representation, the ground state of fermions (vacuum) turns out to be degenerate, and therefore there is the possibility of spontaneously breaking parity (P — symmetry). This study considers the example of constructing a chirally symmetric quantum electrodynamics framework in the isotopic Foldy-Wouthuysen representation. A number of physical processes are calculated in the lowest orders of the perturbation theory. Final results of the calculations agree with the results of the standard quantum electrodynamics.     

Fractional charges and fractional spins for composite fermions in quantum electrodynamics

By using the Faddeev-Senjanovic path integral quantization method, we quantize the composite fermions in quantum electrodynamics (QED). In the sense of Dirac’s conjecture, we deduce all the constraints and give Dirac’s gauge transformations (DGT). According to that the effective action is invariant under the DGT, we obtain the Noether theorem at the quantum level, which shows the fractional charges for the composite fermions in QED. This result is better than the one deduced from the equations of motion for the statistical potentials, because this result contains both odd and even fractional numbers. Furthermore, we deduce the Noether theorem from the invariance of the effective action under the rotational transformations in 2-dimensional (x, y) plane. The result shows that the composite fermions have fractional spins and fractional statistics. These anomalous properties are given by the constraints for the statistical gauge potential.     

Quantenphysikalischer Ursprung der Eichidee

The Quantum Physical Origin of the Gauge Idea To consider quantum physics as an interplay of creation and annihilation processes has the consequence that gauge field theories are not only possible but necessary. Since the complex conjugate phase factors of each pair of fermion creators and annihilators can be arbitrary chosen, quantum field theories must be completely phase invariant. Unfortunately, even globally the Dirac equation for systems of free fermions is not phase invariant. The Dirac matrices are namely transformed, if we multiply the spinor components by different constant phase factors. The Dirac equations before and after the transformation are however physically equivalent. We may therefore say: Systems of free fermions will be completely described, only if we consider the class of all equivalent Dirac equations. Since Dirac's commutation relations are unitarily invariant, the class equivalent Dirac equations is invariant under all transformations of the group U 4. Unitary diagonal matrices yield arbitrary phase transformations. Hence, gauge fields of the group U 4 are compatible with the postulate of general phase invariance. These gauge file are so similar to the QED that we may speak of an “extended quantum electrodynamics”, EQE. Here, we will show that EQE exists. The invariant subgroup U 1 U 4 yields QED. The complementary subgroup SU 4 includes four subgroups SU 3, there subgroups O 4, and six subgroups SU 2. The latter ones may yield three pairs of quarks and three pairs of leptons, where the quarks form a group SU 3. More than two times three pairs of elementary fermions does not exist in in EQE Probably, EQE is different from the United EQD and QCD. However, it should be a promising version of a field theory in elementary particle physics, because it follows from an existing symmetry of the empirically wel founded Dirac theory. EQE is therefore free from hypothesis in the Newtonian sense of the word. Whatever it will finally mean, it cannot be rejected, since phase invariance must be required. The invention of new symmetries and the acception of a bie number of independent spinor components is dispensable or must be postponed at least.     

Few-particle Green's functions for strongly correlated systems on infinite lattices

We show how few-particle Green's functions can be calculated efficiently for models with nearest-neighbor hopping, for infinite lattices in any dimension. As an example, for one-dimensional spinless fermions with both nearest-neighbor and second-nearest-neighbor interactions, we investigate the ground states for up to 5?fermions. This allows us not only to find the stability region of various bound complexes, but also to infer the phase diagram at small but finite concentrations.     

On the independent particle approximation of gauge theories

In this work the independent particle model formulation is studied as a mean-field approximation of gauge theories using the path integral approach in the framework of quantum electrodynamics in 1+1 dimensions. It is shown how a mean-field approximation scheme can be applied to fit an effective potential to an independent particle model, building a straightforward relation between the model and the associated gauge field theory. An example is made considering the problem of massive Dirac fermions on a line, the so called massive Schwinger model. An interesting result is found, indicating a behaviour of screening of the charges in the relativistic limit of strong coupling. A forthcoming application of the method developed to confining potentials in independent quark models for QCD is in view and is briefly discussed.     

Glueballs in 3D QED with and without dynamical fermions

Measurements are presented of the glueball spectrum in 3D compact electrodynamics with and without dynamical fermions. The expected weak coupling behaviour of the pure gauge theory is observed for β > 1.5. In the coupling range studied, the predominant effect of dynamical fermions is accounted for by a shift in β of order 0.15 relative to the pure gauge theory. There is no evidence of dramatic mixing effects when light fermions are included in the glueball-mass calculations. Evidence is also presented for spontaneous breaking of a chiral symmetry in the quenched theory. In the full dynamical theory less convincing evidence is found. The relative efficiency of Langevin, microcanonical and Metropolis algorithms for generating independent configurations are discussed and two methods for extracting glueball masses are compared.     

Exact results for strongly correlated fermions in 2 + 1 dimensions

We derive exact results for a model of strongly interacting spinless fermions hopping on a two-dimensional lattice. By exploiting supersymmetry, we find the number and type of ground states exactly. Exploring various lattices and limits, we show how the ground states can be frustrated, quantum critical, or combine frustration with a Wigner crystal. We show that on generic lattices the model is in an exotic "superfrustrated" state characterized by an extensive ground-state entropy.     

Exotic phases of finite temperature gauge theories

We calculate the phase diagrams at high temperature of SU(N) gauge theories with massive fermions by minimizing the one-loop effective potential. Considering fermions in the adjoint (Adj) representation at various N we observe a variety of phases when N_f2 Majorana flavours and periodic boundary conditions are applied to fermions. Also the confined phase is perturbatively accessible. For N=3, we add Fundamental (F) representation fermions with antiperiodic boundary conditions to adjoint QCD to show how the Z(3)-symmetry breaks in the confined phase.     

Running flavor number and asymptotic freedom in the normal phase of QED

In the normal phase (where no dynamical fermion mass generation occurs) of the D-dimensional quantum electrodynamics with N_f flavors of fermions, we derive an integral equation which should be satisfied by (the inverse of) the wave function renormalization of the fermion in the Landau gauge. For this we use the inverse Landau-Khalatnikov transformation connecting the nonlocal gauge with the Landau gauge. This leads to a similar equation for the running flavor number in the framework of the 1/N_f resumed Schwinger-Dyson equation. Solving the equation analytically and numerically, we study the infrared behavior and the critical exponent of the 3-dimensional QED (QED₃). This confirms that the flavor number in QED₃ runs according to the β function which is consistent with the asymptotic freedom as that in 4-dimensional QCD.     

Evolution operator and quark structure of states in two-dimensional massless electrodynamics

In the two-dimensional electrodynamics of massless fermions (quarks) the time evolution operator is constructed. Its diagonalization permits one to find the physical states of the model in the terms of quarks. The existence of charge and chiral states is discussed. It is shown that such states can be found only with vanishing momentum, i.e., as vacuum states. The quark structure of physical particles is obtained in the infinite momentum frame.