Real-Space Renormalization and Energy-Level Statistics at the Quantum Hall Transition

Abstract

We review recent applications of the real-space renormalization group (RG) approach to the integer quantum Hall (QH) transition. The RG approach, applied to the Chalker-Coddington network model, reproduces the critical distribution of the power transmission coefficients, i.e., two-terminal conductances, P_c(G), with very high accuracy. The RG flow of P(G) at energies away from the transition yields a value of the critical exponent, nu_G=2.39 +/- 0.01, that agrees with most accurate large-size lattice simulations. Analyzing the evolution of the distribution of phases of the transmission coefficients upon a step of the RG transformation, we obtain information about the energy-level statistics (ELS). From the fixed point of the RG transformation we extract a critical ELS. Away from the transition the ELS crosses over towards a Poisson distribution. Studying the scaling behavior of the ELS around the QH transition, we extract the critical exponent nu_ELS=2.37 +/- 0.02.