Strongly Correlated States in Low Dimensions (Thesis)

Abstract

This thesis is a theoretical analysis of sample two- and one-dimensional systems. The two-dimensional examples are the quantum Hall liquid and anomalous paired states. The most widely accepted effective theory of the quantum Hall liquid is based on the so-called Chern Simons Lagrangian, but it is not entirely satisfactory. We obtain the first derivation of an alternative effective theory from microscopic principles. Our formulation allows for a first principles derivation of physical quantities such as the effective mass and compressibility and contains the first analytical observation of the magnetoroton. The formalism developed along the way is also applied to paired states in anomalous supeconductors, a topic of much recent interest. The one-dimenisonal system is the carbon nanotube. Gas uptake in nanotube bundles is currently attracting a wealth of research with both applied and fundamental implications. We propose adsorption of gases on the surface of a single tube, finding strong correlations and symmetries that have not been observed yet. The properties of these states are directly relevant to other one-dimensional structures such as spin ladders and stripes and raise interesting and open questions.