The spectral form factor is not self-averaging

The spectral form factor, k(t), is the Fourier transform of the two level correlation function C(x), which is the averaged probability for finding two energy levels spaced x mean level spacings apart. The average is over a piece of the spectrum of width W in the neighborhood of energy E0. An additional ensemble average is traditionally carried out, as in random matrix theory. Recently a theoretical calculation of k(t) for a single system, with an energy average only, found interesting nonuniversal semiclassical effects at times t approximately unity in units of {Planck's constant) /(mean level spacing). This is of great interest if k(t) is self-averaging, i.e, if the properties of a typical member of the ensemble are the same as the ensemble average properties. We here argue that this is not always the case, and that for many important systems an ensemble average is essential to see detailed properties of k(t). In other systems, notably the Riemann zeta function, it is likely possible to see the properties by an analysis of the spectrum.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, no figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., permanent e-mail address, [email protected]

Can the trace formula describe weak localisation?

We attempt to systematically derive perturbative quantum corrections to the Berry diagonal approximation of the two-level correlation function (TLCF) for chaotic systems. To this end, we develop a ``weak diagonal approximation'' based on a recent description of the first weak localisation correction to conductance in terms of the Gutzwiller trace formula. This semiclassical method is tested by using it to derive the weak localisation corrections to the TLCF for a semiclassically disordered system. Unfortunately the method is unable to correctly reproduce the ``Hikami boxes'' (the relatively small regions where classical paths are glued together by quantum processes). This results in the method failing to reproduce the well known weak localisation expansion. It so happens that for the first order correction it merely produces the wrong prefactor. However for the second order correction, it is unable to reproduce certain contributions, and leads to a result which is of a different form to the standard one.Comment: 23 pages in Latex (with IOP style files), 3 eps figures included, to be a symposium paper in a Topical Issue of Waves in Random Media, 199

LEVEL CORRELATIONS DRIVEN BY WEAK LOCALIZATION IN 2-D SYSTEMS

We consider the two-level correlation function in two-dimensional disordered systems. In the non-ergodic diffusive regime, at energy $\epsilon>E_{c}$ ($E_{c}$ is the Thouless energy), it is shown to be completely determined by the weak localization effects, thus being extremely sensitive to time-reversal and spin symmetry breaking: it decreases drastically in the presence of magnetic field or magnetic impurities and changes its sign in the presence of a spin-orbit interaction. In contrast to this, the variance of the levels number fluctuations is shown to be almost unaffected by the weak localization effects.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, in self-ectracting uuencoded file, submitted to Phys. Rev. Letters

Electron-electron interactions in one- and three-dimensional mesoscopic disordered rings: a perturbative approach

We have computed persistent currents in a disordered mesoscopic ring in the presence of small electron-electron interactions, treated in first order perturbation theory. We have investigated both a contact (Hubbard) and a nearest neighbour interaction in 1D and 3D. Our results show that a repulsive Hubbard interaction produces a paramagnetic contribution to the average current (whatever the dimension) and increases the value of the typical current. On the other hand, a nearest neighbour repulsive interaction results in a diamagnetic contribution in 1D and paramagnetic one in 3D, and tends to decrease the value of the typical current in any dimension. Our study is based on numerical simulations on the Anderson model and is justified analytically in the presence of very weak disorder. We have also investigated the influence of the amount of disorder and of the statistical (canonical or grand-canonical) ensemble.Comment: 7 pages in REVTEX, 4 figure

Periodic-Orbit Theory of Anderson Localization on Graphs

We present the first quantum system where Anderson localization is completely described within periodic-orbit theory. The model is a quantum graph analogous to an a-periodic Kronig-Penney model in one dimension. The exact expression for the probability to return of an initially localized state is computed in terms of classical trajectories. It saturates to a finite value due to localization, while the diagonal approximation decays diffusively. Our theory is based on the identification of families of isometric orbits. The coherent periodic-orbit sums within these families, and the summation over all families are performed analytically using advanced combinatorial methods.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, RevTe

Semiclassical analysis of the quantum interference corrections to the conductance of mesoscopic systems

The Kubo formula for the conductance of a mesoscopic system is analyzed semiclassically, yielding simple expressions for both weak localization and universal conductance fluctuations. In contrast to earlier work which dealt with times shorter than $O(\log \hbar^{-1})$, here longer times are taken to give the dominant contributions. For such long times, many distinct classical orbits may obey essentially the same initial and final conditions on positions and momenta, and the interference between pairs of such orbits is analyzed. Application to a chain of $k$ classically ergodic scatterers connected in series gives the following results: $-{1 \over 3} [ 1 - (k+1)^{-2} ]$ for the weak localization correction to the zero--temperature dimensionless conductance, and ${2 \over 15} [ 1 - (k+1)^{-4} ]$ for the variance of its fluctuations. These results interpolate between the well known ones of random scattering matrices for $k=1$, and those of the one--dimensional diffusive wire for $k \rightarrow \infty$.Comment: 53 pages, using RevTeX, plus 3 postscript figures mailed separately. A short version of this work is available as cond-mat/950207

Toward semiclassical theory of quantum level correlations of generic chaotic systems

In the present work we study the two-point correlation function $R(\epsilon)$ of the quantum mechanical spectrum of a classically chaotic system. Recently this quantity has been computed for chaotic and for disordered systems using periodic orbit theory and field theory. In this work we present an independent derivation, which is based on periodic orbit theory. The main ingredient in our approach is the use of the spectral zeta function and its autocorrelation function $C(\epsilon)$. The relation between $R(\epsilon)$ and $C(\epsilon)$ is constructed by making use of a probabilistic reasoning similar to that which has been used for the derivation of Hardy -- Littlewood conjecture. We then convert the symmetry properties of the function $C(\epsilon)$ into relations between the so-called diagonal and the off-diagonal parts of $R(\epsilon)$. Our results are valid for generic systems with broken time reversal symmetry, and with non-commensurable periods of the periodic orbits.Comment: 15 pages(twocolumn format), LaTeX, EPSF, (figures included

Correlations and fluctuations of a confined electron gas

The grand potential $\Omega$ and the response $R = - \partial \Omega /\partial x$ of a phase-coherent confined noninteracting electron gas depend sensitively on chemical potential $\mu$ or external parameter $x$. We compute their autocorrelation as a function of $\mu$, $x$ and temperature. The result is related to the short-time dynamics of the corresponding classical system, implying in general the absence of a universal regime. Chaotic, diffusive and integrable motions are investigated, and illustrated numerically. The autocorrelation of the persistent current of a disordered mesoscopic ring is also computed.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Reflectance Fluctuations in an Absorbing Random Waveguide

We study the statistics of the reflectance (the ratio of reflected and incident intensities) of an $N$-mode disordered waveguide with weak absorption $\gamma$ per mean free path. Two distinct regimes are identified. The regime $\gamma N^2\gg1$ shows universal fluctuations. With increasing length $L$ of the waveguide, the variance of the reflectance changes from the value $2/15 N^2$, characteristic for universal conductance fluctuations in disordered wires, to another value $1/8 N^2$, characteristic for chaotic cavities. The weak-localization correction to the average reflectance performs a similar crossover from the value $1/3 N$ to $1/4 N$. In the regime $\gamma N^2\ll1$, the large-$L$ distribution of the reflectance $R$ becomes very wide and asymmetric, $P(R)\propto (1-R)^{-2}$ for $R\ll 1-\gamma N$.Comment: 7 pages, RevTeX, 2 postscript figure

Quasiclassical Random Matrix Theory

We directly combine ideas of the quasiclassical approximation with random matrix theory and apply them to the study of the spectrum, in particular to the two-level correlator. Bogomolny's transfer operator T, quasiclassically an NxN unitary matrix, is considered to be a random matrix. Rather than rejecting all knowledge of the system, except for its symmetry, [as with Dyson's circular unitary ensemble], we choose an ensemble which incorporates the knowledge of the shortest periodic orbits, the prime quasiclassical information bearing on the spectrum. The results largely agree with expectations but contain novel features differing from other recent theories.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett., permanent e-mail [email protected]