Density-density correlations in a Luttinger liquid: Lattice approximation in the Calogero-Sutherland model

For a one-dimensional model in which the two-body interactions are long-range and strong, the system almost crystallizes. The harmonic modes of such a lattice were used by Krivnov and Ovchinnikov to compute the ground-state wave function and the dynamical density-density correlations. We review this method, and apply it to the Calogero-Sutherland model, whose density-density correlation functions are exactly known for certain values of the coupling constant. We show numerically that the correlations obtained are quite accurate even if the coupling is not very large. Such comparisons have been made earlier by Forrester. The lattice method is considerably simpler than the ones used to derive the exact results, and yields expressions for the correlations- which are easily plotted. The equal-time correlations can be expanded in inverse powers of coupling; we show that the two leading order terms agree with the exact results which are known for integer values of the coupling. The strength-dependent power law fall-off is typical of a Luttinger liquid.In a general one-dimensional model where the two-body interaction decreases as a power of the relative distance, we argue, following Schulz, that at zero temperature the system behaves as a Luttinger liquid if the power exceeds 1, and as a Wigner crystal if it is less than 1.PACS Nos.: 63.20-e, 71.10Pm