Peter Woelfle

 

Theory of correlated electron systems: Role of quantum fluctuations and decoherence in equilibrium and nonequilibrium

 

In correlated electron systems, in particular in reduced dimensions, quantum fluctuations of charge and spin induce unusual behaviour.  We present two examples: a two-dimensional electron system in a incoherent metal phase and a zero-dimensional system in the presence of a stationary current.  In the first case the Dynamical Mean Field Theory is used to calculate the single particle and spin excitation spectra.  A pseudogap is found for the weakly hole-doped half-filled system, as a consequence of strong quantum fluctuations.  In the second case electron transport through a quantum dot in the Kondo regime is discussed.  It is shown that the decoherence induced by a finite current suppresses the Kondo effect.