Mesoscopic charging effects in the σ model for granular metals
Abstract
We derive the σ model for granular metals. It is valid for any relation between the temperature T and the grain mean level spacing. The continuum limit of the σ model describes nonperturbative charging effects in homogeneous disordered metals. The σ-model action contains a term which is crucial for studying Coulomb blockade effects. Topological properties of the σ model encoding charge discreteness are studied. For T below the escape rate from the grain, Γ, Coulomb blockade effects are described by solitons of the Q matrix which are delocalized in real space. At T>Γ the solitons transform into phase instantons localized at a single tunneling contact.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- February 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.69.081406
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0308254
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhRvB..69h1406A
- Keywords:
-
- 73.23.Hk;
- 73.22.Lp;
- 73.40.Gk;
- Coulomb blockade;
- single-electron tunneling;
- Collective excitations;
- Tunneling;
- Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages