Strength functions, entropies and duality in weakly to strongly interacting fermionic systems

Abstract

We revisit statistical wavefunction properties of finite systems of interacting fermions in the light of strength functions and their participation ratio and information entropy. For weakly interacting fermions in a mean-field with random two-body interactions of increasing strength $λ$, the strength functions $F_k(E)$ are well known to change, in the regime where level fluctuations follow Wigner's surmise, from Breit-Wigner to Gaussian form. We propose an ansatz for the function describing this transition which we use to investigate the participation ratio $ξ_2$ and the information entropy $S^{\rm info}$ during this crossover, thereby extending the known behavior valid in the Gaussian domain into much of the Breit-Wigner domain. Our method also allows us to derive the scaling law for the duality point $λ= λ_d$, where $F_k(E)$, $ξ_2$ and $S^{\rm info}$ in both the weak ($λ=0$) and strong mixing ($λ= \infty$) basis coincide as $λ_d \sim 1/\sqrt{m}$, where $m$ is the number of fermions. As an application, the ansatz function for strength functions is used in describing the Breit-Wigner to Gaussian transition seen in neutral atoms CeI to SmI with valence electrons changing from 4 to 8.