Persistent current and Drude weight in one-dimensional rings with substitution potentials

Abstract

Persistent currents and Drude weights are investigated for the tight-binding approximation to one-dimensional rings threaded by a magnetic flux and with potential given by some almost-periodic substitution sequences with different degrees of randomness, and for various potential strengths. The Drude weight D distinguishes correctly conductors and insulators, in accordance with the results shown by the currents. In the case of insulators the decay of D(N) for large ring lengths N provides an estimate for the localization length of the system. It is shown that the more random the sequence does not imply the smaller conducting properties. This discrepancy between the hierarchy of disorder of the sequences and the capacity of conduction of the system is explained by the gaps in the energy spectra.