Anderson Localization in Low-Dimensional Systems with Long-Range Correlated Disorder

It has been known for over a half century that when disorder is introduced into a crystalline system through impurities, vacancies, grain boundaries, or other mechanisms that break the translational invariance of the system, the electronic eigenstates will localize in space. This phenomenon is called Anderson localization after Phillip Anderson who first predicted it in 1958. Since then, Anderson localization has remained a vibrant topic of research due to new experimental methods of probing localized states, an increase in computational power, and its accurate phenomenological representation of many physical systems. To date, a large amount of effort has been dedicated to the study of uncorrelated, or short-range correlated, disorder distributions. However, more recent efforts on long-range correlated disorder distributions have yielded richer results, challenging the foundations of Anderson localization theory. In this document, we focus on characterizing the naturally occurring ~ 1/<i>r</i> correlation, and the phenomenologically rich ~ 1/<i>k</i> correlation in one-dimensional systems. We will discuss several important numerical and analytical methods for determining a localization-delocalization transition along with the localized phase itself. Finally, we will discuss on-going work related to novel two-dimensional disordered materials where random spin-orbit interactions are predicted to cause suppressed spin transport.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics and Astronomy (Arts and Sciences)

Grantor dc:publisher

Ohio University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Petersen, Greg M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sandler, Nancy

• Physics
• Low Temperature Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Theoretical Physics
• Solid State Physics
• Quantum Physics
• locailzation
• long-range disorder
• disorder
• scale-free
• scale free
• long range
• power-law
• power law
• graphene
• 1D
• one-dimension
• one dimension
• rashba
• RRF
• random
• anderson localization
• anderson
• correlation
• correlated disorder
• correlated

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1365762218

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:ohiou1365762218