Mathematics Graduate Student Colloquium

MGSC Website: http://math.uci.edu/~mgsc/

Quantifying metal insulator transitions - Lyapunov exponent and spectral theory for extended Harper's model

Chris Marx
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
4:00 pm - 4:50 pm
RH 114

Talk Abstract:

Extended Harper's model arises in a quantum description of a 2d- crystal layer subjected to an external magnetic field. As a first step towards the spectral analysis we shall introduce the Lyapunov exponent and present a method of computation valid for any analytic cocycle with possible singularities. This enables us to give a description of the metal-insulator properties for extended Harper's model, which so far did not even exist on a heuristic level in physics literature. We finish the talk with some results on the spectral analysis of the model.

About the Speaker:

Chris Marx is a third year grad student working in Mathematical Physics. He did his undergrad in Vienna, Austria, in Theoretical Chemistry and Mathematics. His research is focused on Spectral Theory of Random and Ergodic Operators.

Refreshments:

Pizza will be served after the talk.