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U(1) staggered Dirac operator and random matrix

We investigate the spectrum of the staggered Dirac operator in 4d quenched U(1) lattice gauge theory and its relationship to random matrix theory. In the confined as well as in the Coulomb phase the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution of the unfolded eigenvalues is well described by the chiral unitary ensemble. The same is true for the distribution of the smallest eigenvalue and the microscopic spectral density in the confined phase. The physical origin of the chiral condensate in this phase deserves further study.