C e n t r e  d e  r e c h e r c h e s  m a t h é m a t i q u e s

Dans le cadre de l'Année thématique 1999-2000

Atelier sur les méthodes théoriques
pour les fermions fortement corrélés

Mercredi 26 mai au dimanche 30 mai 1999

As part of the Theme Year 1999-2000

Workshop on Theoretical Methods
for Strongly Correlated Fermions

Wednesday May 26 to Sunday May 30,1999

Summary Information

High-temperature superconductivity and organic conductors are but a few of the new materials that have motivated remarkable advances in the theory of strongly correlated electrons. The workshop will consist of both formal tutorials on the main theoretical directions as well as more specialized seminars and discussions of specific issues. Participants are also invited to submit abstracts for posters sessions which will provide ample time for informal interactions. The workshop is open to theorists as well as to graduate students and postdocs. Limited financial support for students and postdocs is available.

Context and Objectives

The first forty years of quantum mechanics led to a good understanding of electrons in conductors and semi-conductors. However, in the seventies, the discovery of organic materials with their mostly one-dimensional character raised qualitatively new questions and called for the development of new theoretical methods. Indeed, in low dimensions, perturbative and mean-field methods fail to adequately describe the effects of electronic interactions. The discovery in 1987 of the high-temperature superconducting oxides brought again more challenges: these are strongly anisotropic (more specifically quasi two-dimensional) systems with competing instabilities, and the normal state properties do not appear to fit into the conventional Landau Fermi-liquid theory of metals.

The failure of traditional methods in dealing with the oxides has motivated the development of novel techniques for treating strongly correlated systems. Recent theoretical methods include attempts to extend bosonization techniques to higher dimensions, various renormalization group approaches, expansion around, d = x slave bosons, $1/N$ expansions and nonperturbative approximations to the full many-body equations. Numerical methods have also played an essential role not only as a means of obtaining reliable results, but also as a testing ground of analytical approaches. The aim of this workshop is, on one hand, to introduce these techniques to a wider audience and, on the other hand, to sharpen our understanding of the strengths and limitations of these various approaches and motivate new directions for future research.

Format of the Workshop and Invited Speakers

Organizers

Local Committee:

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