English

Depinning in a Random Medium

Condensed Matter 2009-10-22 v2

Abstract

We develop a renormalized continuum field theory for a directed polymer interacting with a random medium and a single extended defect. The renormalization group is based on the operator algebra of the pinning potential; it has novel features due to the breakdown of hyperscaling in a random system. There is a second-order transition between a localized and a delocalized phase of the polymer; we obtain analytic results on its critical pinning strength and scaling exponents. Our results are directly related to spatially inhomogeneous Kardar-Parisi-Zhang surface growth.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9405088,
  title  = {Depinning in a Random Medium},
  author = {H. Kinzelbach and M. Lassig},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9405088},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

11 pages (latex) with one figure (now printable, no other changes)