Exactly-solvable problems for two-dimensional excitons

D. G. W. Parfitt, M. E. Portnoi

Published 2004-10-04Version 1

Several problems in mathematical physics relating to excitons in two dimensions are considered. First, a fascinating numerical result from a theoretical treatment of screened excitons stimulates a re-evaluation of the familiar two-dimensional hydrogen atom. Formulating the latter problem in momentum space leads to a new integral relation in terms of special functions, and fresh insights into the dynamical symmetry of the system are also obtained. A discussion of an alternative potential to model screened excitons is given, and the variable phase method is used to compare bound-state energies and scattering phase shifts for this potential with those obtained using the two-dimensional analogue of the Yukawa potential. The second problem relates to excitons in a quantising magnetic field in the fractional quantum Hall regime. An exciton against the background of an incompressible quantum liquid is modelled as a few-particle neutral composite consisting of a positively-charged hole and several quasielectrons with fractional negative charge. A complete set of exciton basis functions is derived, and these functions are classified using a result from the theory of partitions. Some exact results are obtained for this complex few-particle problem.