1-loop mass generation by a constant external magnetic field for an electron propagating in a thin medium

Abstract

The 1-loop self-energy of a Dirac electron of mass m propagating in a thin medium simulating graphene in an external magnetic field B is investigated in Quantum Field Theory. Equivalence is shown with the so-called reduced QED_{3+1} on a 2-brane. Schwinger-like methods are used to calculate the self-mass \delta m_{LLL} of the electron when it lies in the lowest Landau level. Unlike in standard QED_{3+1}, it does not vanish at the limit m -> 0 :\delta m_{LLL} -> (\alpha/2)\sqrt{pi/2}sqrt{\hbar|e|B/c^2}; all Landau levels of the virtual electron are taken into account and on mass-shell renormalization conditions are implemented. Restricting to the sole lowest Landau level of the virtual electron is explicitly shown to be inadequate. Resummations at higher orders lie beyond the scope of this work.