Replica theory of the random spherical interface
- Theoretical Division and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
We investigate the thermodynamics of a spherical interface with quenched disorder in {ital D} spatial dimensions, using the variational replica approach of M{acute e}zard and Parisi. While the disorder-free system exhibits a continuous phase transition analogous to Bose condensation for D{ge}3, arbitrarily weak disorder removes this transition in three and four dimensions. For D{le}4 there is a critical value of the mean square wandering of the interface, below which there is no breaking of replica symmetry, and above which the replica symmetry is spontaneously broken at a finite temperature. Replica symmetry breaking is discontinuous, but the one step solution is found to be unstable. We also calculate the helicity modulus of the interface and show that for any {ital D} it is equal to that of the pure system at the same temperature and chemical potential. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 686449
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 60, Issue 10; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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