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From Classical to Quantum Interfaces
Probability| Speaker: | Alain Messager, Centre de Physique Theorique, Luminy |
| Location: | 2112 MSB |
| Start time: | Thu, Apr 27 2006, 3:10PM |
Description
Interfaces between different phases play a major role in
statistical mechanics (e.g., the shape of crystals). One of the main
questions is to determine whether an interface is rigid or not at low
temperatures. In the classical case a typical result is that interfaces
in two-dimensioanl models, such as the Ising model, are rough (e.g., they
behave as Brownian motion). On the other hand, in the Ising model on Z3
the interface in the 100 direction is rigid. Quantum interfaces are more
complicated since the possible ground states may form a continuous family.
instead of a finite set of configurations. I will explain the situation
for the anisotropic Heisenberg model in three dimensions where a rigid
quantum interface appears.