Hidden symmetry breaking and the Haldane phase inS=1 quantum spin chains

We study the phase diagram ofS=1 antiferromagnetic chains with particular emphasis on the Haldane phase. The hidden symmetry breaking measured by the string order parameter of den Nijs and Rommelse can be transformed into an explicit breaking of aZ ₂×Z ₂ symmetry by a nonlocal unitary transformation of the chain. For a particular class of Hamiltonians which includes the usual Heisenberg Hamiltonian, we prove that the usual Néel order parameter is always less than or equal to the string order parameter. We give a general treatment of rigorous perturbation theory for the ground state of quantum spin systems which are small perturbations of diagonal Hamiltonians. We then extend this rigorous perturbation theory to a class of diagonally dominant Hamiltonians. Using this theory we prove the existence of the Haldane phase in an open subset of the parameter space of a particular class of Hamiltonians by showing that the string order parameter does not vanish and the hiddenZ ₂×Z ₂ symmetry is completely broken. While this open subset does not include the usual Heisenberg Hamiltonian, it does include models other than VBS models.     

Representation of Nonequilibrium Steady States in Large Mechanical Systems

Recently a novel concise representation of the probability distribution of heat conducting nonequilibrium steady states was derived. The representation is valid to the second order in the “degree of nonequilibrium”, and has a very suggestive form where the effective Hamiltonian is determined by the excess entropy production. Here we extend the representation to a wide class of nonequilibrium steady states realized in classical mechanical systems where baths (reservoirs) are also defined in terms of deterministic mechanics. The present extension covers such nonequilibrium steady states with a heat conduction, with particle flow (maintained either by external field or by particle reservoirs), and under an oscillating external field. We also simplify the derivation and discuss the corresponding representation to the full order.     

Intrinsic and extrinsic magnetic susceptibilities of some TCNQ complexes

The magnetic susceptibilities (χ) of quinolinium·(TCNQ)₂, N-methyl phenazinium·TCNQ and Li·TCNQ were measured from 2 to 300 K and are discussed in connection with the low-temperature specific heats (C) measured by other authors, χ is decomposed into three parts: χ_d the temperature-independent part, χ_c, Curie-Weiss type paramagnetism, and χ_p, the remainder. Correspondingly, C is composed of three terms, γT, H/T² and αT³. The electronic state of these substances is discussed in terms of each type of susceptibility.The model, on which the above separation of χ and C is based, defines two types of electrons: localized electrons associated with a magnetic moment and band electrons. Though this model is useful phenomenologically, it is shown that the analysis of χ on the basis of this model indicates less band electrons and more localized electrons or stronger magnetic interactions than does that of C.     

Hubbard model and the origin of ferromagnetism

It is believed that strong ferromagnetic orders in some solids are generated by subtle interplay between quantum many-body effects and spin-independent Coulomb interactions between electrons. Here we describe our rigorous and constructive approach to ferromagnetism in the Hubbard model, which is a standard idealized model for strongly interacting electrons in a solid.     

Entropy Production and Transports in a Conservative Multibaker Map with Energy

For a previously introduced conservative multibaker map with energy, the Gaspard–Gilbert–Dorfman entropy production of the stationary state induced by the flux boundary condition is calculated and the entropy production is shown (i) to be nonnegative, (ii) to vanish in the fine-grained limit for finite chains, (iii) to take the phenomenologically expected value in the middle of the chain and to deviate from it near the boundaries, and (iv) to reduce to the phenomenological expression in the scaling limit where the lattice site nZ and time tZ are scaled respectively as n=L X and t=L T and the limits of L + and L + are taken while keeping the diffusion coefficient D=lL /L ² constant, l being the transition rate of the model. The mass and heat transports are also studied in the scaling limit under an additional assumption that the edges of the chain are in equilibrium with different temperatures. In the linear heat transport regime, Fourier's law of heat conduction and the thermodynamic expression of the associated entropy production are obtained.     

Second Law of Thermodynamics for Macroscopic Mechanics Coupled to Thermodynamic Degrees of Freedom

Starting from and only using classical Hamiltonian dynamics, we prove the maximum work principle in a system where macroscopic dynamical degrees of freedom are intrinsically coupled to microscopic degrees of freedom. Unlike in many of the standard and recent works on the second law, the macroscopic dynamics is not governed by an external action but undergoes the back reaction of the microscopic degrees of freedom. Our theorems cover such physical situations as impact between macroscopic bodies, thermodynamic machines, and molecular motors. Our work identifies and quantifies the physical limitations on the applicability of the second law for small systems.      

On the assumption of initial factorization in the master equation for weakly coupled systems II: Solvable models

We analyze some solvable models of a quantum mechanical system in interaction with a reservoir when the initial state is not factorized. We apply Nakajima-Zwanzig’s projection method by choosing a reference state of the reservoir endowed with the mixing property. In van Hove’s limit, the dynamics is described in terms of a master equation. We observe that Markovianity becomes a valid approximation for timescales that depend both on the form factors of the interaction and on the observables of the reservoir that can be measured.