Jakob Yngvason

University of Vienna | UniWien · Fakultät für Physik

Some advantages of the algebraic approach to many body physics, based on resolvent algebras, are illustrated by the simple example of non-interacting bosons which are confined in compact regions with soft boundaries. It is shown that the dynamics of these systems converges to the spatially homogeneous dynamics for increasing regions and particle nu...

The unitary correspondence between Quantum Hall states in higher Landau levels and states in the lowest Landau level is discussed together with the resulting transformation formulas for particle densities and interaction potentials. This correspondence leads in particular to a representation of states in arbitrary Landau levels in terms of holomorp...

Cold atomic gases of interacting bosons subject to rapid rotation and confined in anharmonic traps can theoretically exhibit analogues of the fractional quantum Hall effect for electrons in strong magnetic fields. In this setting the Coriolis force due to the rotation mimics the Lorentz force on charged particles but artificial gauge fields can als...

The entropy of classical thermodynamics is uniquely determined by the relation of adiabatical accessibilty between equilibrium states of thermodynamical systems. This review outlines the logical path leading to this results and the challenges that have to be faced on the way.

In the setting of the fractional quantum Hall effect we study the effects of strong, repulsive two-body interaction potentials of short range. We prove that Haldane’s pseudo-potential operators, including their pre-factors, emerge as mathematically rigorous limits of such interactions when the range of the potential tends to zero while its strength...

Eigenstates of the planar magnetic Laplacian with a homogeneous magnetic field form degenerate energy bands, the Landau levels. We discuss the unitary correspondence between states in higher Landau levels and those in the lowest Landau level, where wave functions are holomorphic. We apply this correspondence to many-body systems; in particular, we...

In the setting of the fractional quantum Hall effect we study the effects of strong, repulsive two-body interaction potentials of short range. We prove that Haldane's pseudo-potential operators, including their pre-factors, emerge as mathematically rigorous limits of such interactions when the range of the potential tends to zero while its strength...

Eigenstates of the planar magnetic Laplacian with homogeneous magnetic field form degenerate energy bands, the Landau levels. We discuss the unitary correspondence between states in higher Landau levels and those in the lowest Landau level, where wave functions are holomorphic. We apply this correspondence to many-body systems, in particular we rep...

The Laughlin state is an ansatz for the ground state of a system of 2D quantum particles submitted to a strong magnetic field and strong interactions. The two effects conspire to generate strong and very specific correlations between the particles. I present a mathematical approach to the rigidity these correlations display in their response to per...

We consider an interacting, dilute Bose gas trapped in a harmonic potential at a positive temperature. The system is analyzed in a combination of a thermodynamic and a Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) limit where the trap frequency $\omega$, the temperature $T$ and the particle number $N$ are related by $N \sim (T / \omega)^{3} \to\infty$ while the scattering...

We prove sharp density upper bounds on optimal length-scales for the ground states of classical 2D Coulomb systems and generalizations thereof. Our method is new, based on an auxiliary Thomas-Fermi-like variational model. Moreover, we deduce density upper bounds for the related low-temperature Gibbs states. Our motivation comes from fractional quan...

We consider general N-particle wave functions that have the form of a product of the Laughlin state with filling factor 1 / ℓ and an analytic function of the N variables. This is the most general form of a wave function that can arise through a perturbation of the Laughlin state by external potentials or impurities, while staying in the lowest L...

We study natural perturbations of the Laughlin state arising from the effects of trapping and disorder. These are N-particle wave functions that have the form of a product of Laughlin states and analytic functions of the N variables. We derive an upper bound to the ground state energy in a confining external potential, matching exactly a recently d...

We consider an interacting, dilute Bose gas trapped in a harmonic potential at a positive temperature. The system is analyzed in a combination of a thermodynamic and a Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) limit where the trap frequency $\omega$, the temperature $T$ and the particle number $N$ are related by $N \sim (T / \omega)^{3} \to\infty$ while the scattering...

We study natural perturbations of the Laughlin state arising from the effects of trapping and disorder. These are N-particle wave functions that have the form of a product of Laughlin states and analytic functions of the N variables. We derive an upper bound to the ground state energy in a confining external potential, matching exactly a recently d...

We prove sharp density upper bounds on optimal length-scales for the ground states of classical 2D Coulomb systems and generalizations thereof. Our method is new, based on an auxiliary Thomas-Fermi-like variational model. Moreover, we deduce density upper bounds for the related low-temperature Gibbs states. Our motivation comes from fractional quan...

We consider general N-particle wave functions that have the form of a product of the Laughlin state with filling factor $1/\ell$ and an analytic function of the N variables. This is the most general form of a wave function that can arise through a perturbation of the Laughlin state by external potentials or impurities, while staying in the lowest L...

We report on a mathematically rigorous analysis of the superfluid properties of a Bose- Einstein condensate in the many-body ground state of a one-dimensional model of interacting bosons in a random potential.

We present a mathematically rigorous analysis of the superfluid properties of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the many-body ground state of a one-dimensional model of interacting bosons in a random potential.

This text focuses on the algebraic formulation of quantum field theory, from the introductory aspects to the applications to concrete problems of physical interest. The book is divided in thematic chapters covering both introductory and more advanced topics. These include the algebraic, perturbative approach to interacting quantum field theories, a...

We investigate the relation between Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and superfluidity in the ground state of a one-dimensional model of interacting Bosons in a strong random potential. We prove rigorously that in a certain parameter regime the superfluid fraction can be arbitrarily small while complete BEC prevails. In another regime there is both...

In our derivation of the second law of thermodynamics from the relation of adiabatic accessibility of equilibrium states we stressed the importance of being able to scale a system's size without changing its intrinsic properties. This leaves open the question of defining the entropy of macroscopic, but unscalable systems, such as gravitating bodies...

This paper has its motivation in the study of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect. We consider 2D quantum particles submitted to a strong perpendicular magnetic field, reducing admissible wave functions to those of the Lowest Landau Level. When repulsive interactions are strong enough in this model, highly correlated states emerge, built on Laughlin...

In these notes of six lectures on selected topics in the theory of cold, dilute Bose gases, presented at the 5th Warsaw School of Statistical Physics in June 2013, the following topics are discussed: 1) The concept of BEC, 2) the ground state energy of a dilute Bose gas with short range interactions, 3) Gross-Pitaevskii theory and BEC in trapped ga...

These notes are a slightly expanded version of a lecture presented in February 2012 at the workshop “The Message of Quantum Science—Attempts Towards a Synthesis” held at the ZIF in Bielefeld. The participants were physicists with a wide range of different expertise and interests. The lecture was intended as a survey of a small selection of the insi...

In earlier work, we presented a foundation for the second law of classical thermodynamics in terms of the entropy principle. More precisely, we provided an empirically accessible axiomatic derivation of an entropy function defined on all equilibrium states of all systems that has the appropriate additivity and scaling properties, and whose increase...

We study the effects of random scatterers on the ground state of the one-dimensional Lieb-Liniger model of interacting bosons on the unit interval. We prove that, in the Gross-Pitaevskii limit, Bose Einstein condensation takes place in the whole parameter range considered. The character of the wave function of the condensate, however, depends in an...

A bosonic analogue of the fractional quantum Hall eff ect occurs in rapidly rotating trapped Bose gases: There is a transition from uncorrelated Hartree states to strongly correlated states such as the Laughlin wave function. This physics may be described by eff ective Hamiltonians with delta interactions acting on a bosonic N-body Bargmann space o...

We report on the first mathematically rigorous proofs of a transition to a giant vortex state of a superfluid in rotating anharmonic traps. The analysis is carried out within two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii theory at large coupling constant and large rotational velocity and is based on precise asymptotic estimates on the ground state energy. An in...

We study a model of bosons in the lowest Landau level in a rotating trap where the confinement potential is a sum of a quadratic and a quartic term. The quartic term improves the stability of the system against centrifugal deconfinement and allows to consider rotation frequencies beyond the frequency of the quadratic part. The interactions between...

A Bose-Einstein condensate of cold atoms is a superfluid and thus responds to rotation of its container by the nucleation of quantized vortices. If the trapping potential is su ciently strong, there is no theoretical limit to the rotation frequency one can impose to the fluid, and several phase transitions characterized by the number and distributi...

We study the effects of random scatterers on the ground state of the one-dimensional Lieb-Liniger model of interacting bosons on the unit interval in the Gross-Pitaevskii regime. We prove that Bose Einstein condensation survives even a strong random potential with a high density of scatterers. The character of the wave function of the condensate, h...

We study the effects of random scatterers on the ground state of the one-dimensional Lieb-Liniger model of interacting bosons on the unit interval in the Gross-Pitaevskii regime. We prove that Bose Einstein condensation survives even a strong random potential with a high density of scatterers. The character of the wave function of the condensate, h...

For any massless, irreducible representation of the covering of the proper, orthochronous Poincaré group we construct covariant, free quantum fields that generate the representation space from the vacuum and are localized in semi-infinite strings in the sense of commutation or anti-commutation of the field operators at space-like separation of the...

We present an asymptotic analysis of the effects of rapid rotation on the ground state properties of a superfluid confined in a two-dimensional trap. The trapping potential is assumed to be radial and homogeneous of degree larger than two in addition to a quadratic term. Three critical rotational velocities are identified, marking respectively the...

We study a superfluid in a rotating anharmonic trap and explicate a rigorous proof of a transition from a vortex lattice to a giant vortex state as the rotation is increased beyond a limiting speed determined by the interaction strength. The transition is characterized by the disappearance of the vortices from the annulus where the bulk of the supe...

We study the Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) energy functional for a fast rotating Bose-Einstein condensate on the unit disc in two dimensions. Writing the coupling parameter as 1/ε 2 we consider the asymptotic regime ε → 0 with the angular velocity Ω proportional to (ε 2|log ε|)−1. We prove that if Ω = Ω0(ε 2|log ε|)−1 and Ω0 > 2(3π)−1 then a minimizer of t...

The essence of the second law is the ‘entropy principle’ which states that adiabatic processes can be quantified by an entropy function on the space of all equilibrium states, whose increase is a necessary and sufficient condition for such a process to occur. It is one of the few really fundamental physical laws (in the sense that no deviation, how...

We study the two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii theory of a rotating Bose gas in a disc-shaped trap with Dirichlet boundary conditions, generalizing and extending previous results that were obtained under Neumann boundary conditions. The focus is on the energy asymptotics, vorticity and qualitative properties of the minimizers in the parameter range...

We consider an ultracold rotating Bose gas in a harmonic trap close to the critical angular velocity so that the system can be considered to be confined to the lowest Landau level. With this assumption we prove that the Gross-Pitaevskii energy functional accurately describes the ground state energy of the corresponding $N$-body Hamiltonian with con...

In recent years it has become possible to trap ultracold atoms and molecules in lattices generated by laser beams (optical lattices). By varying the experimentally tunable parameters transitions between various phases of the trapped gas, in particular between a Bose-Einstein condensate and a Mott insulator phase, can be produced. Theoretical invest...

This book focusses upon quantum dynamics from various points of view which are connected by the notion of dynamical entropy as a measure of information production during the course of time.

We study a rapidly rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined to a finite trap in the framework of two-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii theory in the strong coupling (Thomas-Fermi) limit. Denoting the coupling parameter by $1/\eps^2$ and the rotational velocity by $\Omega$, we evaluate exactly the next to leading order contribution to the ground state...

We extend the results of a previous paper on the Gross-Pitaevskii description of rotating Bose-Einstein condensates in two-dimensional traps to confining potentials of the form V(r) = r^s, $2<s <\infty$. Writing the coupling constant as $1/\epsilon^2$ we study the limit $\epsilon \to 0$. We derive rigorously the leading asymptotics of the ground st...

Starting from the full many body Hamiltonian we derive the leading order energy and density asymptotics for the ground state of a dilute, rotating Bose gas in an anharmonic trap in the ‘Thomas Fermi ’ (TF) limit when the Gross-Pitaevskii coupling parameter and/or the rotation velocity tend to infinity. Although the many-body wave function is expect...

We study free, covariant, quantum (Bose) fields that are associated with irreducible representations of the Poincaré group and localized in semi-infinite strings extending to spacelike infinity. Among these are fields that generate the irreducible representations of mass zero and infinite spin that are known to be incompatible with point-like local...

This book surveys results about the quantum mechanical many-body problem of the Bose gas that have been obtained by the authors over the last seven years. These topics are relevant to current experiments on ultra-cold gases; they are also mathematically rigorous, using many analytic techniques developed over the years to handle such problems. Some...

After recalling briefly the connection between spontaneous symmetry breaking and off-diagonal long range order for models of magnets a general proof of spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry as a consequence of Bose-Einstein Condensation is presented. The proof is based on a rigorous validation of Bogoliubov's $c$-number substitution for the ${\bf...

We study a rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate in a strongly anharmonic trap (flat trap with a finite radius) in the framework of 2D Gross-Pitaevskii theory. We write the coupling constant for the interactions between the gas atoms as $1/\epsilon^2$ and we are interested in the limit $\epsilon\to 0$ (TF limit) with the angular velocity $\Omega$ depen...

We report on a rigorous analysis of the ground state of a dilute Bose gas in an external confining potential in the limit where the confinement becomes very strong in two dimensions and as a result the system behaves essentially one-dimensional. We show that the system is well described by a one-dimensional model of Bosons with delta function inter...

We present a mathematically rigorous analysis of the ground state of a dilute, interacting Bose gas in a three-dimensional trap that is strongly confining in one direction so that the system becomes effectively two-dimensional. The parameters involved are the particle number, \(N\gg 1\), the two-dimensional extension, \(\bar L\), of the gas cloud i...

The validity of substituting a c-number $z$ for the $k=0$ mode operator $a_0$ is established rigorously in full generality, thereby verifying one aspect of Bogoliubov's 1947 theory. This substitution not only yields the correct value of thermodynamic quantities like the pressure or ground state energy, but also the value of $|z|^2$ that maximizes t...

One of the most remarkable recent developments in the study of ultracold Bose gases is the observation of a reversible transition from a Bose Einstein condensate to a state composed of localized atoms as the strength of a periodic, optical trapping potential is varied. In \cite{ALSSY} a model of this phenomenon has been analyzed rigorously. The gas...

The quantum-mechanical ground state of a two-dimensional (2D) N-electron system in a confining potential V(x)=Kv(x) (K is a coupling constant) and a homogeneous magnetic field B is studied in the high-density limit N→∞, K→∞ with K/N fixed. It is proved that the ground-state energy and electronic density can be computed exactly in this limit by mini...

Recent experimental and theoretical work has indicated conditions in which a trapped, low density Bose gas ought to behave like the 1D delta-function Bose gas solved by Lieb and Liniger Up until now; the theoretical arguments have been based on variational/perturbative ideas or numerical investigations. There are four parameters: density, transvers...

The validity of substituting a c-number $z$ for the $k=0$ mode operator $a_0$ is established rigorously in full generality, thereby verifying one aspect of Bogoliubov's 1947 theory. This substitution not only yields the correct value of thermodynamic quantities like the pressure or ground state energy, but also the value of $|z|^2$ that maximizes t...

One of von Neumann's motivations for developing the theory of operator algebras and his and Murray's 1936 classification of factors was the question of possible decompositions of quantum systems into independent parts. For quantum systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom the simplest possibility, i.e., factors of type I in the terminology...

In contrast to the usual representations of the Poincaré group of finite spin or helicity the Wigner representations of mass zero and infinite spin are known to be incompatible with point-like localized quantum fields. We present here a construction of quantum fields associated with these representations that are localized in semi-infinite, space-l...

We consider the grand canonical pressure for Coulombic matter with nuclear charges Zin a magnetic field Band at nonzero temperature. We prove that its asymptotic limit as Z with B/Z 30 can be obtained by minimizing a Thomas–Fermi type pressure functional.

Now that the low temperature properties of quantum-mechanical many-body systems (bosons) at low density, ρ, can be examined experimentally it is appropriate to revisit some of the formulas deduced by many authors 4–5 decades ago, and to explore new regimes not treated before. For systems with repulsive (i.e. positive) interaction potentials the exp...

Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in cold gases can be turned on and off by an external potential, such as that presented by an optical lattice. We present a model of this phenomenon which we are able to analyze rigorously. The system is a hard core lattice gas at half-filling and the optical lattice is modeled by a periodic potential of strength $\...

In contrast to the usual representations of of the Poincar\'e group of finite spin or helicity the Wigner representations of mass zero and infinite spin are known to be incompatible with pointlike localized quantum fields. We present here a construction of quantum fields associated with these representations that are localized in semi-infinite, spa...

The following is a brief description of Elliott Lieb’s papers on statistical mechanics, excluding mostly the papers on exactly solvable models that are commented on in another volume of the Selecta. The numbers refer to the publication list of Elliott Lieb, which appears at the end of this volume. Some of the papers that are not included in this vo...

The first part of this book contains E. Lieb's fundamental contributions to the mathematical theory of Condensed Matter Physics. Often considered the founding father of the field, E. Lieb demonstrates his ability to select the most important issues and to formulate them as well-defined mathematical problems and, finally, to solve them. The second p...

In Statistical Physics one of the ambitious goals is to derive rigorously, from statistical mechanics, the thermodynamic properties of models with realistic forces. Elliott Lieb is a mathematical physicist who meets the challenge of statistical mechanics head on, taking nothing for granted and not being content until the purported consequences have...

Recent experimental and theoretical work has indicated conditions in which a trapped, low density Bose gas ought to behave like the 1D delta-function Bose gas solved by Lieb and Liniger. Up until now, the theoretical arguments have been based on variational/perturbative ideas or numerical investigations. There are four parameters: density, transver...

Recent experimental and theoretical work has shown that there are conditions in which a trapped, low-density Bose gas behaves like the one-dimensional delta-function Bose gas solved years ago by Lieb and Liniger. This is an intrinsically quantum-mechanical phenomenon because it is not necessary to have a trap width that is the size of an atom – as...

Recent experimental and theoretical work has indicated conditions in which a trapped, low-density Bose gas ought to behave like the 1D delta-function Bose gas solved by Lieb and Liniger. Up to now the theoretical arguments have been based on variational - perturbative ideas or numerical investigations. There are 4 parameters: density, transverse an...

The classic Poincare inequality bounds the $L^q$-norm of a function $f$ in a bounded domain $\Omega \subset \R^n$ in terms of some $L^p$-norm of its gradient in $\Omega$. We generalize this in two ways: In the first generalization we remove a set $\Gamma$ from $\Omega$ and concentrate our attention on $\Lambda = \Omega \setminus \Gamma$. This new d...

A commonly used theoretical definition of superfluidity in the ground state of a Bose gas is based on the response of the system to an imposed velocity field or, equivalently, to twisted boundary conditions in a box. We are able to carry out this program in the case of a dilute interacting Bose gas in a trap. We prove that a gas with repulsive inte...

Now that the low temperature properties of quantum-mechanical many-body systems (bosons) at low density, $\rho$, can be examined experimentally it is appropriate to revisit some of the formulas deduced by many authors 4-5 decades ago. For systems with repulsive (i.e. positive) interaction potentials the experimental low temperature state and the gr...

The essence of the second law of classical thermodynamics is the `entropy principle' which asserts the existence of an additive and extensive entropy function, S, that is dened for all equilibrium states of thermodynamic systems and whose increase characterizes the possible state changes under adiabatic conditions. It is one of the few really funda...

The essence of the second law of classical thermodynamics is the `entropy principle' which asserts the existence of an additive and extensive entropy function, S, that is defined for all equilibrium states of thermodynamic systems and whose increase characterizes the possible state changes under adiabatic conditions. It is one of the few really fun...

We review the PCT-theorem and problems connected with its demonstration. We add a new proof of the PCT-theorem in the theory of local observables which is similar to that one of Jost in Wightman quantum field theory. We also look at consequences in case the PCT-symmetry is given on the algebraic level. At the end we present some examples which answ...

The Tomita-Takesaki modular groups and conjugations for the observable algebras of space-like wedges and the vacuum state are computed for translationally covariant, but possibly not Lorentz covariant, generalized free quantum fields in arbitrary space-time dimension d. It is shown that for $d\geq 4$ the condition of geometric modular action (CGMA)...

Let E(B, Z, N) denote the ground state energy of an atom with N electrons and nuclear charge Z in a homogeneous magnetic field B. We study the asymptotics of E(B, Z, N) as B → ∞ with N and Z fixed but arbitrary. It is shown that the leading term has the form (ln B)2e(Z, N), where e(Z, N) is the ground state energy of a system of N bosons with delta...

We consider the ground state properties of an inhomogeneous two-dimensional Bose gas with a repulsive, short range pair interaction and an external confining potential. In the limit when the particle number N is large but ρ̅a 2 is small, where ρ̅ is the average particle density and a the scattering length, the ground state energy and density are ri...

This paper is a non-technical, informal presentation of our theory of the second law of thermodynamics as a law that is independent of statistical mechanics and that is derivable solely from certain simple assumptions about adiabatic processes for macroscopic systems. It is not necessary to assume a-priori concepts such as "heat", "hot and cold", "...

The ground state energy per particle of a dilute, homogeneous, two-dimensional Bose gas, in the thermodynamic limit is shown rigorously to be $E_0/N = (2\pi \hbar^2\rho /m){|\ln (\rho a^2)|^{-1}}$, to leading order, with a relative error at most ${\rm O} (|\ln (\rho a^2)|^{-1/5})$. Here $N$ is the number of particles, $\rho =N/V$ is the particle de...

In the theoretical description of recent experiments with dilute Bose gases confined in external potentials the Gross-Pitaevskii equation plays an important role. Its status as an approximation for the quantum mechanical many-body ground state problem has recently been rigorously clarified. A summary of this work is presented here.

According to a formula that was put forward many decades ago the ground state energy per particle of an interacting, dilute Bose gas at density $\rho$ is $2\pi\hbar^2\rho a/m$ to leading order in $\rho a^3\ll 1$, where $a$ is the scattering length of the interaction potential and $m$ the particle mass. This result, which is important for the theore...

Let E(B,Z,N) denote the ground state energy of an atom with N electrons and nuclear charge Z in a homogeneous magnetic field B. We study the asymptotics of E(B,Z,N) as $B\to \infty$ with N and Z fixed but arbitrary. It is shown that the leading term has the form $(\ln B)^2 e(Z,N)$, where e(Z,N) is the ground state energy of a system of N {\em boson...

The ground state properties of interacting Bose gases in external potentials, as considered in recent experiments, are usually described by means of the Gross-Pitaevskii energy functional. We present here the first proof of the asymptotic exactness of this approximation for the ground state energy and particle density of a dilute Bose gas with a po...

: The essential postulates of classical thermodynamics are formulated, from which the second law is deduced as the principle of increase of entropy in irreversible adiabatic processes that take one equilibrium state to another. The entropy constructed here is defined only for equilibrium states and no attempt is made to define it otherwise. Statist...

The essential postulates of classical thermodynamics are formulated, from which the second law is deduced as the principle of increase of entropy in irreversible adiabatic processes that take one equilibrium state to another. The entropy constructed here is defined only for equilibrium states and no attempt is made to define it otherwise. Statistic...

The paper reviews rigorous results about quantum dots, in particular exact solutions for few electron dots and limit theorems for high magnetic fields and/or high electron number.