Quantum theory of many-body systems: techniques and applications

Alexandre M. Zagoskin9780387983844, 0-387-98384-8

Intended for graduate students in physics and related fields, this text is a self contained treatment of the physics of many-body systems from the point of view of condensed matter. The approach, quite traditionally, uses the mathematical formalism of quasiparticles and Green’s functions. In particular, it covers all the important diagram techniques for normal and superconducting systems, including the zero-temperature perturbation theory, and the Matsubara, Keldysh, and Nambu-Gor’kov formalisms. The aim is not to be exhaustive, but to present just enough detail to enable the student to follow the current research literature or to apply the techniques to new problems. Many of the examples are drawn from mesoscopic physics, which deals with systems small enough that quantum coherence is maintained throughout their volume, and which therefore provides an ideal testing ground for many-body theories.
The book begins by introducing the Green’s function for one-particle systems (using Feynman path integrals), general perturbation theory, and second quantization. It then turns to the usual zero-temperature formalism, discussing the properties and physical meaning of the Green’s function for many-body systems and then developing the diagram techniques of perturbation theory. The theory is extended to finite temperatures, including a discussion of the Matsubara formalism as well as the Keldysh technique for essentially nonequilibrium systems. The final chapter is devoted to applications of the techniques to superconductivity, incuding discussions of the superconducting phase transition, elementary excitations, transport, Andreev reflections, and Josephson junctions.
Problems at the end of each chapter help to guide learning an to illustrate the applications of the formalism.