Abelian gauge glasses

Gauge glasses are lattice gauge theories with quenched random couplings; in this paper, the two simplest abelian models, having Z₂ and U(1) gauge symmetries respectively, are constructed. An important extension of gauge invariance is defined and the disorder invariant under this symmetry, the frustration, is identified. Simple energetic properties of frustrations are derived using duality arguments. The question of the existence of a weakly coupled glassy phase is raised, and then addressed using replica mean field theory and real-space renormalisation group techniques, both in the context of the Z₂ model. A phase transition is found for dimension six and above. The implications for random dynamics are discussed.