Alexei M. Tsvelik

This book is a course in modern quantum field theory as seen through the eyes of a theorist working in condensed matter physics. It contains a gentle introduction to the subject and therefore can be used even by graduate students. The introductory parts include a derivation of the path integral representation, Feynman diagrams and elements of the theory of metals including a discussion of Landau–Fermi liquid theory. In later chapters the discussion gradually turns to more advanced methods used in the theory of strongly correlated systems. The book contains a thorough exposition of such non-perturbative techniques as 1/N-expansion, bosonization (Abelian and non-Abelian), conformal field theory and theory of integrable systems. The book is intended for graduate students, postdoctoral associates and independent researchers working in condensed matter physics.

This volume provides a detailed account of bosonization. This important technique represents one of the most powerful nonperturbative approaches to many-body systems currently available. The first part of the book examines the technical aspects of bosonization. Topics include one-dimensional fermions, the Gaussian model, the structure of Hilbert space in conformal theories, Bose-Einstein condensation in two dimensions, non-Abelian bosonization, and the Ising and WZNW models. The second part presents applications of the bosonization technique to realistic models including the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid, spin liquids in one dimension and the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with alternating exchange. The third part addresses the problems of quantum impurities. Chapters cover potential scattering, the X-ray edge problem, impurities in Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids and the multi-channel Kondo problem. This book will be an excellent reference for researchers and graduate students working in theoretical physics, condensed matter physics and field theory.