Friday, September 15, 2017

statistical mechanics - Evaluating low-temperature dependence of the BCS gap function


How does one go about evaluating the behavior of the BCS gap Δ=Δ(T) for T0+ under the weak coupling approximation Δ/ωD1?


In Fetter & Walecka, Quantum theory of Many-Particle Systems, Prob. 13.9 it is said that the starting point is lnΔ0Δ=2ωD0dξξ2+Δ21eβξ2+Δ2+1,

which I have no problem deriving from the theory, but I can't find a way to actually evaluate this integral even under the approximations ωD, ΔΔ0 (in the RHS) and βΔ. [Of course β=(kBT)1 and Δ0=Δ(T=0).] I have tried several approaches, used different Taylor-expansions and changes of variables, but I am simply stuck.


For the record, the expected behavior is supposed to be Δ(T)Δ0(12πβΔ0eβΔ0).


EDIT: Just leaving it here for the posterity. I found a more complete way to tackle this integral; specifically, under the WC approximation one has +0dxx2+1eβΔx2+11+eβΔx2+1=+1dyy21eβΔy1+eβΔy=

=+k=1+1dyy21(1)k+1ekβΔy=+k=1(1)k+1+0dtekβΔcosht=+k=1(1)k+1K0(kβΔ),


K0 being the 0-order modified Bessel function of the second kind, whose asymptotic behavior is known and may be used to solve the problem in a relatively clean way (and even find the corrections at higher orders, which are O(eβΔ(βΔ)k1/2). Cf. Abrikosov, Gorkov, Dzyaloshinski, Methods of Quantum Field Theory in Statistical Phyisics, 1963. Pagg. 303-304.



Answer



Hints:





  1. Define difference δ:=ΔΔ0. Deduce from |δ||Δ0| that the lhs. of eq. (1) is lhs  δΔ0.




  2. Substitute ξ=xΔ in the integral on the rhs. of eq. (1). Deduce using ωDΔ that the rhs. is rhs  Rdx1+x21eβΔ1+x2+1.




  3. Deduce from βΔ1 that we can simplify the rhs. further to a Gaussian integral rhs  Rdx eβΔ(1+12x2) = 2πβΔeβΔ.

    Such arguments are closely related to the method of steepest descent.




  4. Deduce eq. (2).





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