We consider the partition function $Z_{\ell}(\vec x,0\vert \vec y,t)$ of $\ell$ non-intersecting continuous directed polymers of length $t$ in dimension $1+1$, in a white noise environment, starting from positions $\vec x$ and terminating at positions $\vec y$. When $\ell=1$, it is well known that for fixed $x$, the field $\log Z_1(x,0\vert y,t)$ solves the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation and admits the Brownian motion as a stationary measure. In particular, as $t$ goes to infinity, $Z_1(x,0\vert y,t)/Z_1(x,0\vert 0,t) $ converges to the exponential of a Brownian motion $B(y)$. In this article, we show an analogue of this result for any $\ell$. We show that $Z_{\ell}(\vec x,0\vert \vec y,t)/Z_{\ell}(\vec x,0\vert \vec 0,t) $ converges as $t$ goes to infinity to an explicit functional $Z_{\ell}^{\rm stat}(\vec y)$ of $\ell$ independent Brownian motions. This functional $Z_{\ell}^{\rm stat}(\vec y)$ admits a simple description as the partition sum for $\ell$ non-intersecting semi-discrete polymers on $\ell$ lines. We discuss applications to the endpoints and midpoints distribution for long non-crossing polymers and derive explicit formulas in the case of two polymers. To obtain these results, we show that the stationary measure of the O'Connell-Warren multilayer stochastic heat equation is given by a collection of independent Brownian motions. This in turn is shown via analogous results in a discrete setup for the so-called log-gamma polymer and exploit the connection between non-intersecting log-gamma polymers and the geometric RSK correspondence found in arXiv:1110.3489.
.
We study the semi-discrete directed polymer model introduced by O'Connell-Yor in its stationary regime, based on our previous work on the stationary $q$-totally asymmetric simple exclusion process ($q$-TASEP) using a two-sided $q$-Whittaker process. We give a formula for the free energy distribution of the polymer model in terms of Fredholm determinant and show that the universal KPZ stationary distribution appears in the long time limit. We also consider the limit to the stationary KPZ equation and discuss the connections with previously found formulas.
We consider two models for directed polymers in space-time independent random media (the O'Connell-Yor semi-discrete directed polymer and the continuum directed random polymer) at positive temperature and prove their KPZ universality via asymptotic analysis of exact Fredholm determinant formulas for the Laplace transform of their partition functions. In particular, we show that for large time tau, the probability distributions for the free energy fluctuations, when rescaled by tau^{1/3}, converges to the GUE Tracy-Widom distribution. We also consider the effect of boundary perturbations to the…
In this brief technical communication it is demonstrated how using Bethe ansatz technique the explicit expression for the two-point free energy distribution function in (1+1) directed polymers can be derived in rather simple way. Obtained result is equivalent to the one derived earlier by Prolhac and Spohn.
The explicit expression for the the probability distribution function of the endpoint fluctuations of one-dimensional directed polymers in random potential is derived in terms of the Bethe ansatz replica technique by mapping the replicated problem to the N-particle quantum boson system with attractive interactions.
The distribution function of the free energy fluctuations in one-dimensional directed polymers with free boundary conditions is derived by mapping the replicated problem to the N-particle quantum boson system with attractive interactions. It is shown that in the thermodynamic limit this function is described by the universal Tracy-Widom distribution of the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble.
We study the relation between the directed polymer and the directed percolation models, for the case of a disordered energy landscape where the energies are taken from bimodal distribution. We find that at the critical concentration of the directed percolation, the directed polymer undergoes a transition from the directed polymer universality class to the directed percolation universality class. We also find that directed percolation clusters affect the characterisrics of the directed polymer below the critical concentration.
We study the recently introduced Inverse-Beta polymer, an exactly solvable, anisotropic finite temperature model of directed polymer on the square lattice, and obtain its stationary measure. In parallel we introduce an anisotropic zero temperature model of directed polymer on the square lattice, the Bernoulli-Geometric polymer, and obtain its stationary measure. This new exactly solvable model is dual to the Inverse-Beta polymer and interpolates between models of first and last passage percolation on the square lattice. Both stationary measures are shown to satisfy detailed balance. We also ob…
We study the directed polymer with fixed endpoints near an absorbing wall, in the continuum and in presence of disorder, equivalent to the KPZ equation on the half space with droplet initial conditions. From a Bethe Ansatz solution of the equivalent attractive boson model we obtain the exact expression for the free energy distribution at all times. It converges at large time to the Tracy Widom distribution $F_4$ of the Gaussian Symplectic Ensemble (GSE). We compare our results with numerical simulations of the lattice directed polymer, both at zero and high temperature.
We map dilute or semi-dilute solutions of non-intersecting polymer chains onto a fluid of ``soft'' particles interacting via a concentration dependent effective pair potential, by inverting the pair distribution function of the centers of mass of the initial polymer chains. A similar inversion is used to derive an effective wall-polymer potential; these potentials are combined to successfully reproduce the calculated exact depletion interaction induced by non-intersecting polymers between two walls. The mapping opens up the possibility of large-scale simulations of polymer solutions in complex…
Prudent walks are self-avoiding walks which cannot step towards an already occupied vertex. We introduce a new model of adsorbing prudent walks on the square lattice, which start on an impenetrable surface and accrue a fugacity $a$ with each step along the surface. These are different to other exactly solved models of polymer adsorption, like Dyck paths, Motzkin paths and partially-directed walks, in that they are not trivially directed - they are able to step in all lattice directions. We calculate the generating functions, free energies and surface densities for this model and observe a firs…
Motivated by discrete directed polymers in one space and one time dimension, we construct a continuum directed random polymer that is modeled by a continuous path interacting with a space-time white noise. The strength of the interaction is determined by an inverse temperature parameter beta, and for a given beta and realization of the noise the path evolves in a Markovian way. The transition probabilities are determined by solutions to the one-dimensional stochastic heat equation. We show that for all beta > 0 and for almost all realizations of the white noise the path measure has the same Ho…
The effects of two types of randomness on the behaviour of directed polymers are discussed in this chapter. The first part deals with the effect of randomness in medium so that a directed polymer feels a random external potential. The second part deals with the RANI model of two directed polymers with heterogeneity along the chain such that the interaction is random. The random medium problem is better understood compared to the RANI model.
The 1+1 dimensional directed polymers in a Poissonean random environment is studied. For two polymers of maximal length with the same origin and distinct end points we establish that the point of last branching is governed by the exponent for the transversal fluctuations of a single polymer. We also investigate the density of branches.
The asymptotic analytic expression for the two-time free energy distribution function in (1+1) random directed polymers is derived in the limit when the two times are close to each other
This is a set of introductory lectures on the behaviour of a directed polymer in a random medium. Both the intuitive picture that helps in developing an understanding and systematic approaches for quantitative studies are discussed.
Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems（马克斯·普朗克复杂系统物理研究所）；School of Science, Constructor University（康斯坦茨大学理学院）；Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院物理系）
The explicit expression for the two-time free energy distribution function in one-dimensional directed polymers in random potential is derived in terms of the Bethe ansatz replica technique by mapping the replicated problem to the $N$-particle quantum boson system with attractive interactions.
We study the fluctuations of the directed polymer in 1+1 dimensions in a Gaussian random environment with a finite correlation length ξ and at finite temperature. We address the correspondence between the geometrical transverse fluctuations of the directed polymer, described by its roughness, and the fluctuations of its free-energy, characterized by its two-point correlator. Analytical arguments are provided in favor of a generic scaling law between those quantities, at finite time, non-vanishing ξ and explicit temperature dependence. Numerical results are in good agreement both for simulation…
We consider a one-dimensional directed polymer in a random potential which is characterized by the Gaussian statistics with the finite size local correlations. It is shown that the well-known Kardar's solution obtained originally for a directed polymer with delta-correlated random potential can be applied for the description of the present system only in the high-temperature limit. For the low temperature limit we have obtained the new solution which is described by the one-step replica symmetry breaking. For the mean square deviation of the directed polymer of the linear size L it provides th…
The impact of impenetrable obstacles on the energetics and equilibrium structure of strongly repulsive directed polymers is investigated. As a result of the strong interactions, regions of severe polymer depletion and excess are found in the vicinity of the obstacle, and the associated free-energy cost is found to scale quadratically with the average polymer density. The polymer-polymer interactions are accounted for via a sequence of transformations: from the 3D line liquid to a 2D fluid of Bose particles to a 2D composite fermion fluid and, finally, to a 2D one-component plasma. The results …
We study the adsorption-desorption phase transition of directed branched polymer in $d+1$ dimensions in contact with a line by mapping it to a $d$ dimensional hard core lattice gas at negative activity. We solve the model exactly in 1+1 dimensions, and calculate the crossover exponent related to fraction of monomers adsorbed at the critical point of surface transition, and we also determine the density profile of the polymer in different phases. We also obtain the value of crossover exponent in 2+1 dimensions and give the scaling function of the sticking fraction for 1+1 and 2+1 dimensional di…
In this paper I propose very simple statistical "memory model" of one-dimensional directed polymers which is capable to store and retrieve a given random quenched trajectory. The model is defined in terms of the elastic string Hamiltonian with the local attractive potential between the dynamic and the quenched random strings. The average overlap between them is calculated as a function of the temperature and the strength of the attractive potential.
Directed polymers (strings) and semiflexible polymers (filaments) are one-dimensional objects governed by tension and bending energy, respectively. They undergo unbinding transitions in the presence of a short-range attractive potential. Using transfer matrix methods we establish a duality mapping for filaments and strings between the restricted partition sums in the absence and the presence of a short-range attraction. This allows us to obtain exact results for the critical exponents related to the unbinding transition, the transition point and transition order.
The distribution function of the free energy fluctuations in one-dimensional directed polymers with $δ$-correlated random potential is studied by mapping the replicated problem to a many body quantum boson system with attractive interactions. Performing the summation over the entire spectrum of excited states the problem is reduced to the Fredholm determinant with the Airy kernel which is known to yield the Tracy-Widom distribution
By measuring or calculating coalescence times for several models of coalescence or evolution, with and without selection, we show that the ratios of these coalescence times become universal in the large size limit and we identify a few universality classes.
It is well known that the mean field theory of directed polymers in a random medium exhibits replica symmetry breaking with a distribution of overlaps which consists of two delta functions. Here we show that the leading finite size correction to this distribution of overlaps has a universal character which can be computed explicitly. Our results can also be interpreted as genealogical properties of branching Brownian motion or of branching random walks.
In a recent work Povolotsky provided a three-parameter family of stochastic particle systems with zero-range interactions in one dimension which are integrable by coordinate Bethe ansatz. Using these results we obtain the corresponding condition for integrability of a class of directed polymer models with random weights on the square lattice. Analyzing the solutions we find, besides known cases, a new two-parameter family of integrable DP model, which we call the Inverse-Beta polymer, and provide its Bethe ansatz solution.
We construct a phenomenological theory of self-localization of directed polymers in d+1 dimensions. In d=1 we show that the polymer is always self-localized, whereas in d=2 there is a phase transition between localized and free states. We also map this system to a model of population dynamics with fixed total population. Our previous results translate to static and expanding population clusters, depending on the birth and death rates. A novel ``pseudo-travelling wave'' is observed in some sectors of parameter space.
We study the model of a partially directed flexible or semi-flexible homopolymer on a square lattice, subject to an externally applied force, in a direction either parallel to, or perpendicular to the preferred direction. The polymer is self-interacting and can therefore undergo a collapse transition. We show that this model can be solved and we obtain the force-temperature phase diagrams which, for the case of flexible polymers, agree with that of Brak et al obtained using a different method. At sufficiently low temperatures, the polymer conformation changes from compact to coil state as the …
We study KPZ surfaces on Euclidean lattices and directed polymers on hierarchical lattices subject to different distributions of disorder, showing that universality holds, at odds with recent results on Euclidean lattices. Moreover, we find the presence of a slow (power-law) crossover toward the universal values of the exponents and verify that the exponent governing such crossover is universal too. In the limit of a 1+epsilon dimensional system we obtain both numerically and analytically that the crossover exponent is 1/2.
This review is devoted to the detailed consideration of the universal statistical properties of one-dimensional directed polymers in a random potential. In terms of the replica Bethe ansatz technique we derive several exact results for different types of the free energy probability distribution functions. In the second part of the review we discuss the problems which are still waiting for their solutions. Several mathematical appendices in the ending part of the review contain various technical details of the performed calculations.
A phase diagram for a surface interacting long flexible partially directed polymer chain in a two-dimensional poor solvent where the possibility of collapse in the bulk exists is determined using exact enumeration method. We used a model of self attracting self-avoiding walk and evaluated 30 steps in series. An intermediate phase in between the desorbed collapsed and adsorbed expanded phases having the conformation of a surface attached globule is found. The four phases, viz. (i) desorbed expanded, (ii) desorbed collapsed, (iii) adsorbed expanded, (iv) surface attached globule are found to mee…
We study analytically and numerically the winding of directed polymers of length $t$ around each other or around a rod. Unconfined polymers in pure media have exponentially decaying winding angle distributions, the decay constant depending on whether the interaction is repulsive or neutral, but not on microscopic details. In the presence of a chiral asymmetry, the exponential tails become non universal. In all these cases the mean winding angle is proportional to $\ln t$. When the polymer is confined to a finite region around the winding center, e.g. due to an attractive interaction, the windi…
We explore the effect of an attractive interaction between parallel-aligned polymers, which are perpendicularly grafted on a substrate. Such an attractive interaction could be due to, e.g., reversible cross-links. The competition between permanent grafting favoring a homogeneous state of the polymer brush and the attraction, which tends to induce in-plane collapse of the aligned polymers, gives rise to an instability of the homogeneous phase to a bundled state. In this latter state the in-plane translational symmetry is spontaneously broken and the density is modulated with a finite wavelength…
The minimal energy variations of a directed polymer with tilted columnar disorder in two dimensions are shown numerically to obey a multiscaling at short distances which crosses over to global simple scaling at large distances. The scenario is analogous to that of structure functions in bifractal Burgers' turbulence. Some scaling properties are predicted from extreme value statistics. The multiscaling disappears for zero tilt.
We introduce a new disorder regime for directed polymers with one space and one time dimension that is accessed by scaling the inverse temperature parameter βwith the length of the polymer n. We scale β_n := βn^{-α} for alpha non-negative. This scaling sits in between the usual weak disorder (β= 0) and strong disorder regimes (β> 0). The fluctuation exponents zeta for the polymer endpoint and χfor the free energy depend on αin this regime, with α= 0 corresponding to the usual polymer exponents ζ= 2/3, χ= 1/3 and α>= 1/4 corresponding to the simple random walk exponents ζ= 1/2, χ= 0. For 0 < α<…
We present a dynamical field theory for directed randomly branched polymers and in particular their collapse transition. We develop a phenomenological model in the form of a stochastic response functional that allows us to address several interesting problems such as the scaling behavior of the swollen phase and the collapse transition. For the swollen phase, we find that by choosing model parameters appropriately, our stochastic functional reduces to the one describing the relaxation dynamics near the Yang-Lee singularity edge. This corroborates that the scaling behavior of swollen branched p…
We study the Directed Polymer model subject to a particular form of disorder, $η(x,t)=η_X(x) η_T(t)$, recently proposed in biological applications. We find that two new universality classes arise, depending on the the lattice geometry. Using an intermediate model linking the two different orientations continuously, we find that there is a phase transition separating two distinct scaling phases. For both phases we get a reasonable understanding of the nature and values of the exponents, corroborated with numerical results.
We consider field theory formulation for directed polymers and interfaces in the presence of quenched disorder. We write a series representation for the averaged free energy, where all the integer moments of the partition function of the model contribute. The structure of field space is analysed for polymers and interfaces at finite temperature using the saddle-point equations derived from each integer moments of the partition function. For the case of an interface we obtain the wandering exponent $ξ= (4-d)/2$, also obtained by the conventional replica method for the replica symmetric scenario…
We explore the effect of random permanent cross-links on a system of directed polymers confined between two planes with their end-points free to slide on them. We treat the cross-links as quenched disorder and we use a semimicroscopic replica field theory to study the structure and elasticity of this system. Upon increasing the cross-link density, we get a continuous gelation transition signaled by the emergence of a finite in-plane localization length. The distribution of localization length turns out to depend on the height along the preferred direction of the directed polymers. The gelation…
We analyze the statistics of the shortest and fastest paths on the road network between randomly sampled end points. To a good approximation, these optimal paths are found to be directed in that their lengths (at large scales) are linearly proportional to the absolute distance between them. This motivates comparisons to universal features of directed polymers in random media. There are similarities in scalings of fluctuations in length/time and transverse wanderings, but also important distinctions in the scaling exponents, likely due to long-range correlations in geographic and man-made featu…
The scaling behavior of a directed polymer in a two-dimensional (2D) random potential under confining force is investigated. The energy of a polymer with configuration $\{y(x)\}$ is given by $H\big(\{y(x)\}\big) = \sum_{x=1}^N \exyx + ε\Wa^α$, where $η(x,y)$ is an uncorrelated random potential and $\Wa$ is the width of the polymer. Using an energy argument, it is conjectured that the radius of gyration $R_g(N)$ and the energy fluctuation $ΔE(N)$ of the polymer of length $N$ in the ground state increase as $R_g(N)\sim N^ν$ and $ΔE(N)\sim N^ω$ respectively with $ν= 1/(1+α)$ and $ω= (1+2α)/(4+4α)…
A directed polymer is allowed to branch, with configurations determined by global energy optimization and disorder. A finite size scaling analysis in 2D shows that, if disorder makes branching more and more favorable, a critical transition occurs from the linear scaling regime first studied by Huse and Henley [Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 2708 (1985)] to a fully branched, compact one. At criticality clear evidence is obtained that the polymer branches at all scales with dimension ${\bar d}_c$ and roughness exponent $ζ_c$ satisfying $({\bar d}_c-1)/ζ_c = 0.13\pm 0.01$, and energy fluctuation exponent $…
We study the statistical properties of one-dimensional directed polymers in a short-range random potential by mapping the replicated problem to a many body quantum boson system with attractive interactions. We find the full set of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the many-body system and perform the summation over the entire spectrum of excited states. The analytic continuation of the obtained exact expression for the replica partition function from integer to non-integer replica parameter N turns out to be ambiguous. Performing the analytic continuation simply by assuming that the parameter …
We study the thermodynamics of an exactly solvable model of a self-interacting partially directed self-avoiding walk (DSAW) in two dimensions, when a force is applied on one end of the chain. The critical force for the unfolding is determined exactly, as a function of the temperature, below the $Θ$-transition. The transition is second order and characterized by new critical exponents which are determined by a careful numerical analysis. The usual polymer critical index $ν$ on the critical line, and another one, which we call $ζ$, take a non-trivial value which is numerically close to 2/3.
We study a model of two polymers confined to a slit with sticky walls. More precisely, we find and analyse the exact solution of two directed friendly walks in such a geometry on the square lattice. We compare the infinite slit limit, in which the length of the polymer (thermodynamic limit) is taken to infinity before the width of the slit is considered to become large, to the opposite situation where the order of the limits are swapped, known as the half-plane limit when one polymer is modelled. In contrast with the single polymer system we find that the half-plane and infinite slit limits co…
The probability distribution for the free energy of directed polymers in random media (DPRM) with uncorrelated noise in $d=1+1$ dimensions satisfies the Tracy-Widom distribution. We inquire if and how this universal distribution is modified in the presence of spatially correlated noise. The width of the distribution scales as the DPRM length to an exponent $β$, in good (but not full) agreement with previous renormalization group and numerical results. The scaled probability is well described by the Tracy-Widom form for uncorrelated noise, but becomes symmetric with increasing correlation expon…
We study the probability that two directed polymers in the same random potential do not intersect. We use the replica method to map the problem onto the attractive Lieb-Liniger model with generalized statistics between particles. We obtain analytical expressions for the first few moments of this probability, and compare them to a numerical simulation of a discrete model at high-temperature. From these observations, several large time properties of the non-crossing probabilities are conjectured. Extensions of our formalism to more general observables are discussed.
We define a stochastic lattice model for a fluctuating directed polymer in $d\geq 2$ dimensions. This model can be alternatively interpreted as a fluctuating random path in 2 dimensions, or a one-dimensional asymmetric simple exclusion process with $d-1$ conserved species of particles. The deterministic large dynamics of the directed polymer are shown to be given by a system of coupled Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equations and diffusion equations. Using non-linear fluctuating hydrodynamics and mode coupling theory we argue that stationary fluctuations in any dimension $d$ can only be of KPZ type…
In this paper in terms of the replica method we consider the high temperature limit of (2+1) directed polymers in a random potential and propose an approach which allows to compute the scaling exponent $θ$ of the free energy fluctuations as well as the left tail of its probability distribution function. It is argued that $θ= 1/2$ which is different from the zero-temperature numerical value which is close to 0.241. This result implies that unlike the $(1+1)$ system in the two-dimensional case the free energy scaling exponent is non-universal being temperature dependent.
We consider the unbinding of a directed polymer in a random media from a wall in $d=1+1$ dimensions and a simple one-dimensional model for DNA unzipping. Using the replica trick we show that the restricted partition functions of these problems are {\em identical} up to an overall normalization factor. Our finding gives an example of a generalization of the stochastic matrix form decomposition to disordered systems; a method which effectively allows to reduce dimensionality of the problem. The equivalence between the two problems, for example, allows us to derive the probability distribution fo…
Joint ground states of two directed polymers in a random medium are investigated. Using exact min-cost flow optimization the true two-line ground-state is compared with the single line ground state plus its first excited state. It is found that these two-line configurations are (for almost all disorder configurations) distinct implying that the true two-line ground-state is non-separable, even with 'worst-possible' initial conditions. The effective interaction energy between the two lines scales with the system size with the scaling exponents 0.39 and 0.21 in 2D and 3D, respectively.
In this article we study from a non-perturbative point of view the entanglement of two directed polymers subjected to repulsive interactions given by a Dirac $δ-$function potential. An exact formula of the so-called second moment of the winding angle is derived. This result is used to provide a thorough analysis of entanglement phenomena in the classical system of two polymers subjected to repulsive interactions and related problems. No approximation is made in treating the constraint on the winding angle and the repulsive forces. In particular, we investigate how repulsive forces influence th…
We reassess the relation between classical lattice dimer models and the continuum elastic description of a lattice of fluctuating polymers. In the absence of randomness we determine the density and line tension of the polymers in terms of the bond weights of hard-core dimers on the square and the hexagonal lattice. For the latter, we demonstrate the equivalence of the canonical ensemble for the dimer model and the grand-canonical description for polymers by performing explicitly the continuum limit. Using this equivalence for the random bond dimer model on a square lattice, we resolve a previo…
