Interface fluctuations in disordered systems: Universality and non-Gaussian statistics

Abstract

We employ a functional renormalization group to study interfaces in the presence of a pinning potential in $d=4-ε$ dimensions. In contrast to a previous approach [D.S. Fisher, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 56}, 1964 (1986)] we use a soft-cutoff scheme. With the method developed here we confirm the value of the roughness exponent $ζ\approx 0.2083 ε$ in order $ε$. Going beyond previous work, we demonstrate that this exponent is universal. In addition, we analyze the generation of higher cumulants in the disorder distribution and the role of temperature as a dangerously irrelevant variable.