Generalized non-linear σ-models in two dimensions

This chapter describes the formal properties, and discusses the renormalization, of quantum field theories (QFT) based on homogeneous spaces: coset spaces of the form G/H, where G is a compact Lie group and H a Lie subgroup. In physics, they appear naturally in the case of spontaneous symmetry breaking, and describe the interaction between Goldstone modes. Homogeneous spaces are associated with non-linear realizations of group representations. There exist natural ways to embed these manifolds in flat Euclidean spaces, spaces in which the symmetry group acts linearly. As in the example of the non-linear σ-model, this embedding is first used, because the renormalization properties are simpler, and the physical interpretation of the more direct correlation functions. Then, in a generic parametrization, the renormalization problem is solved by the introduction of a Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST)-like symmetry with anticommuting (Grassmann) parameters, which also plays an essential role in quantized gauge theories. The more specific properties of models corresponding to a special class of homogeneous spaces, symmetric spaces (like the non-linear σ-model), are studied. These models are characterized by the uniqueness of the metric and thus, of the classical action. In two dimensions, from the classical field equations an infinite number of non-local conservation laws can be derived. The field and the unique coupling renormalization group (RG) functions are calculated at one-loop order, in two dimensions, and shown to imply asymptotic freedom.

Instantons in quantum mechanics (QM)

Perturbative expansion can be generated by calculating Euclidean functional integrals by the steepest descent method always looking, in the absence of external sources, for saddle points in the form of constant solutions to the classical field equations. However, classical field equations may have non-constant solutions. In Euclidean stable field theories, non-constant solutions have always a larger action than minimal constant solutions, because the gradient term gives an additional positive contribution. The non-constant solutions whose action is finite, are called instanton solutions and are the saddle points relevant for a calculation, by the steepest descent method, of barrier penetration effects. This chapter is devoted to simple examples of non-relativistic quantum mechanics (QM), where instanton calculus is an alternative to the semi-classical Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) method. The role of instantons in some metastable systems in QM is explained. In particular, instantons determine the decay rate of metastable states in the semi-classical limit initially confined in a relative minimum of a potential and decaying through barrier penetration. The contributions of instantons at leading order for the quartic anharmonic oscillator with negative coupling are calculate explicitly. The method is generalized to a large class of analytic potentials, and explicit expressions, at leading order, for one-dimensional systems are obtained.

Symmetries, chiral symmetry breaking, and renormalization

Most quantum field theories (QFT) of physical interest exhibit symmetries, exact symmetries or symmetries with soft (e.g. linear) breaking. This chapter deals only with linear continuous symmetries corresponding to compact Lie groups. When the bare action has symmetry properties, to preserve the symmetry it is first necessary to find a symmetric regularization. The symmetry properties of the QFT then imply relations between connected correlation functions, and vertex functions, called Ward–Takahashi (WT) identities, which describe the physical consequences of the symmetry. WT identities also constrain UV divergences, and the counter-terms that render the theory finite are not of most general form allowed by power counting. As a consequence the renormalized action is expected to keep some trace of the initial symmetry. Such an analysis is based on a perturbative loop expansion. More generally, some non-trivial relations survive when to the action are added terms that induce a soft breaking of symmetry (i.e. by relevant terms). The specific examples of linear symmetry breaking, and the very important limiting case of spontaneous symmetry breaking, and quadratic symmetry breaking are examined. Finally, as an application, the example of chiral symmetry breaking in low-energy effective models of hadron physics is discussed.

Euclidean path integrals and quantum mechanics (QM)

Functional integrals are basic tools to study first quantum mechanics (QM), and quantum field theory (QFT). The path integral formulation of QM is well suited to the study of systems with an arbitrary number of degrees of freedom. It makes a smooth transition between nonrelativistic QM and QFT possible. The Euclidean functional integral also emphasizes the deep connection between QFT and the statistical physics of systems with short-range interactions near a continuous phase transition. The path integral representation of the matrix elements of the quantum statistical operator e-β H for Hamiltonians of the simple separable form p2/2m +V(q) is derived. To the path integral corresponds a functional measure and expectation values called correlation functions, which are generalized moments, and related to quantum observables, after an analytic continuation in time. The path integral corresponding to the Euclidean action of a harmonic oscillator, to which is added a time-dependent external force, is calculated explicitly. The result is used to generate Gaussian correlation functions and also to reduce the evaluation of path integrals to perturbation theory. The path integral also provides a convenient tool to derive semi-classical approximations.

Langevin field equations: Properties and renormalization

Langevin equations for fields have been proposed to describe the dynamics of critical phenomena, or as an alternative method of quantization, which could be useful in cases where ordinary methods lead to difficulties, like in gauge theories. Some of their general properties will be described here. For a number of problems, in particular related to perturbation theory, it is more convenient to work with an action and a field integral than with the equation directly, because standard methods of quantum field theory (QFT) then become available. For this purpose, one can associate a field integral representation, involving a dynamic action to the Langevin equation. The dynamic action can be interpreted as generated by the Langevin equation, considered as a constraint equation. Quite generally, the integral representation of constraint equations, including stochastic equations, leads to an action that has a Slavnov–Taylor (ST) symmetry and, in a different form, has an anticommuting type Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (BRST) symmetry, a symmetry that involves anticommuting parameters. This symmetry has no geometric origin, but is merely a consequence of associating a specific form of integral representations to the constraint equations. This symmetry is used in a number of different examples to prove the renormalizability of non-Abelian gauge theories, or to prove the geometric stability of models defined on homogeneous spaces under renormalization. In this chapter, it is used to prove Ward-Takahashi (WT) identities, and to determine how the Langevin equation renormalizes.

Quantum statistical physics: Functional integration formalism

The functional integral representation of the density matrix at thermal equilibrium in non-relativistic quantum mechanics (QM) with many degrees of freedom, in the grand canonical formulation is introduced. In QM, Hamiltonians H(p,q) can be also expressed in terms of creation and annihilation operators, a method adapted to the study of perturbed harmonic oscillators. In the holomorphic formalism, quantum operators act by multiplication and differentiation on a vector space of analytic functions. Alternatively, they can also be represented by kernels, functions of complex variables that correspond in the classical limit to a complex parametrization of phase space. The formalism is adapted to the description of many-body boson systems. To this formalism corresponds a path integral representation of the density matrix at thermal equilibrium, where paths belong to complex spaces, instead of the more usual position–momentum phase space. A parallel formalism can be set up to describe systems with many fermion degrees of freedom, with Grassmann variables replacing complex variables. Both formalisms can be generalized to quantum gases of Bose and Fermi particles in the grand canonical formulation. Field integral representations of the corresponding quantum partition functions are derived.

Critical dynamics and renormalization group (RG)

Time evolution, near a phase transition in the critical domain of critical systems not far from equilibrium, using a Langevin-type evolution is studied. Typical quantities of interest are relaxation rates towards equilibrium, time-dependent correlation functions and transport coefficients. The main motivation for such a study is that, in systems in which the dynamics is local (on short time-scales, a modification of a dynamic variable has an influence only locally in space) when the correlation length becomes large, a large time-scale emerges, which characterizes the rate of time evolution. This phenomenon called critical slowing down leads to universal behaviour and scaling laws for time-dependent quantities. In contrast with the situation in static critical phenomena, there is no clean and systematic derivation of the dynamical equations governing the time evolution in the critical domain, because often the time evolution is influenced by conservation laws involving the order parameter, or other variables like energy, momentum, angular momentum, currents and so on. Indeed, the equilibrium distribution does not determine the driving force in the Langevin equation, but only the dissipative couplings are generated by the derivative of the equilibrium Hamiltonian, and directly related to the static properties. The purely dissipative Langevin equation specifically discussed, corresponding to static models like the f4 field theory and two-dimensional models. Renormalization group (RG) equations are derived, and dynamical scaling relations established.

Introduction to renormalization theory and renormalization group (RG)

A straightforward construction of a local, relativistic quantum field theory (QFT) leads to ultraviolet (UV) divergences and a QFT has to be regularized by modifying its short-distance or large energy momentum structure (momentum regularization is often used in this work). Since such a modification is somewhat arbitrary, it is necessary to verify that the resulting large-scale predictions are, at least to a large extent, short-distance insensitive. Such a verification relies on the renormalization theory and the corresponding renormalization group (RG). In this chapter, the essential steps of a proof of the perturbative renormalizability of the scalar φ4 QFT in dimension 4 are described. All the basic difficulties of renormalization theory, based on power counting, are already present in this simple example. The elegant presentation of Callan is followed, which makes it possible to prove renormalizability and RG equations (in Callan–Symanzik's (CS) form) simultaneously. The background of the discussion is effective QFT and emergent renormalizable theory. The concept of fine tuning and the issue of triviality are emphasized.

Degenerate classical minima and instantons

Instantons play an important role in the following situation: quantum theories corresponding to classical actions that have non-continuously connected degenerate minima. The simplest examples are provided by one-dimensional quantum systems with symmetries and potentials with non-symmetric minima. Classically, the states of minimum energy correspond to a particle sitting at any of the minima of the potential. The position of the particle breaks (spontaneously) the symmetry of the system. By contrast, in quantum mechanics (QM), the modulus of the ground-state wave function is large near all the minima of the potential, as a consequence of barrier penetration effects. Two typical examples illustrate this phenomenon: the double-well potential, and the cosine potential, whose periodic structure is closer to field theory examples. In the context of stochastic dynamics, instantons are related to Arrhenius law. The proof of the existence of instantons relies on an inequality related to supersymmetric structures, and which generalizes to some field theory examples. Again, the presence of instantons again indicates that the classical minima are connected by quantum tunnelling, and that the symmetry between them is not spontaneously broken. Examples of such a situation are provided, in two dimensions, by the charge conjugation parity (CP) (N − 1) models and, in four dimensions, by SU(2) gauge theories.

Supersymmetric quantum field theory (QFT): Introduction

Supersymmetry has been proposed, in particular as a principle to solve the so-called fine-tuning problem in particle physics by relating the masses of scalar particles (like Higgs fields) to those of fermions, which can be protected against ‘large’ mass renormalization by chiral symmetry. However, supersymmetry is, at best, an approximate symmetry broken at a scale beyond the reach of a large hadron collider (LHC), because the possible supersymmetric partners of known particles have not been discovered yet (2020) and thus, if they exist, must be much heavier. Exact supersymmetry would also have implied the vanishing of the vacuum energy and thus, of the cosmological constant. The discovery of dark energy has a natural interpretation as resulting from a very small cosmological constant. However, a naive model based on broken supersymmetry would still predict 60 orders of magnitude too large a value compared to 120 orders of magnitude otherwise. Gauging supersymmetry leads naturally to a unification with gravity, because the commutators of supersymmetry currents involve the energy momentum tensor. First, examples of supersymmetric theories involving scalar superfields, simple generalizations of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (QM) are described. The new feature of supersymmetry in higher dimensions is the combination of supersymmetry with spin, since fermions have spins. In four dimensions, theories with chiral scalar fields and vector fields are constructed.