Problem Set 5

8.514 Fall 2011

Ky-Anh Tran
October 27, 2011
Problem 1

R
R I
I
).
, z , z
, z+
We see our phase space lagrangian is now a function of 4 real variables, = (z+
We want to identify our canonical conjugate pair as follows = (p1 , q1 , q2 , p2 ). The - sign
ensures kinetic energy is positive.

If we make such identification, our phase space lagrangian can be rewritten suggestively as:
Jz
L = p1 q1 + p2 q2 Jxy ((q1 ) + (q2 ) ) (p21 + p22 )
2
*

Jz 8Jxy
2

(q12 + q22 )

To write the phase space, we first compute one of the 2 independent phase space equation
of motion to substitute p0 s for q 0 s.
L
d L
=
pi
dt pi
qi Jz pi = 0
which we can substitute back in to obtain the coordinate space lagrangian:
*
*
1
(q1 2 + q2 2 ) Jxy ((q1 )2 + (q2 )2 )
L(qi , qi , (t)) =
2Jz

The speed of light is therefore

2Jz Jxy

The mass, measured in appropriate units, will be:

q
m = Jz (Jz 8Jxy )

Jz 8Jxy
2

(q12 + q22 )

Problem Set 5
8.514 Fall 2011

Ky-Anh Tran
October 27, 2011
Problem 2

Because U >> g >>J, there is a large energy cost U associated with open strings, and a
small string tension (g>> J) which means we are within the large loop sector.

A good choice of canonical pair therefore is Lzij , which is the momentum and Bijkl which
represents coordinate. We use the Heisenberg equations of motion to calculate dynamics:
hLij i
= i h[H, Lij ]i
t
= ig hBijkl + Bijmn + h.c.i
Where kl and mn label the 2 parallel links nearby the link ij on the 2D lattice.
Similarly,
4
4
X
X
hBijkl i
Ll )i
Ll )Bijkl + Bijkl (
= i h[H, Bijkl ]i = iJ h(
t
l=1
l=1
X
2iJ hBijkl i h
Ll i

where l = 1, ..4 label the links ij, jk, kl, li.

B

iijkl
If we make the change of variables E
=
ij = 2 hLij i and e
motion reduce to:

loop

Lij , the equations of

E
ij
B
= 4g[sin B
ijkl + sin ijmn ]
t
B
J X
ijkl
= (
Lij )
t
loop
Because of the large value of U,
i, since Q = 0 at any vertex.

ij = 0 where the sum points outward from the vertex

In the continuum limit, this reduces to maxwell equations in 2 dimensions. In particular,

given a lattice spacing a, we can defined
Z j
E
ij =
E dl E a E
ij
i

and

B
ijkl

B dA = B na2

where n is a normal vector defining the loop ijkl.

The equations of motion are
a

*
E
= 4g Ba2
t
B
J *
= a E
t

*
2E
= 4gJa2 2 E
2
t

( E = 0 for closed loops)

In frequency space, this equation looks like
2 = 4gJa2 (kx2 + ky2 ), with hence
q
k = 2a gJ(kx2 + ky2 )

k = ck
p
c = 2a gJ
The energy can be calculated similar to a photon gas, with 2 polarizations. The density of
modes in 2 dimension is
1
dN = 2 2ndn
4
Where n is the wavenumber.

n
L

=k
dN = D(k)dk
D(k) =

kL2

And the total energy per excitations can be integrated:

Z
hEi =

D(k)(k) hn(k)i dk

Where n(k) is the bose distribution factor.

3

Z
hEi =
L2 ~c 1 3
=
(
)
~c

D(k)~kc
Z

dx
0

1
e~kc

dk

x2
L2 k 3 3
=
2.404
T
ex 1
~2 c2

We can immediately read off the heat capacity as

CT 2
where C is a constant. This is exactly the same as the heat capacity for a superfluid in 2
Dimension, since the low energy excitations of a superfluid are sound modes, or phonons.