343 research outputs found
The low-energy theory for the Bose-Hubbard model and the normal ground state of bosons
A bosonic realization of the SU(2) Lie algebra and of its vector
representation is constructed, and an effective low-energy description of the
Bose-Hubbard model in the form of anisotropic theory of quantum rotors is
proposed and discussed. A possibility of a normal zero-temperature bosonic
phase with neither crystalline nor superfluid order around the tip of the
checkerboard-solid lobe at half-integer fillings is examined.Comment: 8 pages, LaTex, one postscript figur
New quantum phases in a one-dimensional Josephson array
We examine the phase diagram of an ordered one-dimensional Josephson array of
small grains. The average grain charge in such a system can be tuned by means
of gate voltage. At small grain-to-grain conductance, this system is strongly
correlated because of the charge discreteness constraint (Coulomb blockade). At
the gate voltages in the vicinity of the charge degeneracy points, we find new
phases equivalent to a commensurate charge density wave and to a repulsive
Luttinger liquid. The existence of these phases can be probed through a special
dependence of the Josephson current on the gate voltage.Comment: 4 pages, including 1 eps figur
Quantum critical phenomena of long-range interacting bosons in a time-dependent random potential
We study the superfluid-insulator transition of a particle-hole symmetric
system of long-range interacting bosons in a time-dependent random potential in
two dimensions, using the momentum-shell renormalization-group method. We find
a new stable fixed point with non-zero values of the parameters representing
the short- and long-range interactions and disorder when the interaction is
asymptotically logarithmic. This is contrasted to the non-random case with a
logarithmic interaction, where the transition is argued to be first-order, and
to the Coulomb interaction case, where either a first-order transition or
an XY-like transition is possible depending on the parameters. We propose that
our model may be relevant in studying the vortex liquid-vortex glass transition
of interacting vortex lines in point-disordered type-II superconductors.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
The Field-Tuned Superconductor-Insulator Transition with and without Current Bias
The magnetic-field-tuned superconductor-insulator transition has been studied
in ultrathin Beryllium films quench-condensed near 20 K. In the zero-current
limit, a finite-size scaling analysis yields the scaling exponent product vz =
1.35 +/- 0.10 and a critical sheet resistance R_{c} of about 1.2R_{Q}, with
R_{Q} = h/4e^{2}. However, in the presence of dc bias currents that are smaller
than the zero-field critical currents, vz becomes 0.75 +/- 0.10. This new set
of exponents suggests that the field-tuned transitions with and without dc bias
currents belong to different universality classes.Comment: RevTex 4 pages, 4 figures, and 1 table minor change
Ground State and Excitations of Disordered Boson Systems
After an introduction to the dirty bosons problem, we present a gaussian
theory for the ground state and excitations. This approach is physically
equivalent to the Bogoliubov approximation. We find that ODLRO can be destroyed
with sufficient disorder. The density of states and localization of the
elementary excitations are discussed. (To appear in JLTP Proceedings of the
Conference on Condensed Bose Systems at the University of Minnesota, 1993.)Comment: 13 pages. (postscript file because of the figures inserted in the
text.
Anomalous Quantum Diffusion at the Superfluid-Insulator Transition
We consider the problem of the superconductor-insulator transition in the
presence of disorder, assuming that the fermionic degrees of freedom can be
ignored so that the problem reduces to one of Cooper pair localization. Weak
disorder drives the critical behavior away from the pure critical point,
initially towards a diffusive fixed point. We consider the effects of Coulomb
interactions and quantum interference at this diffusive fixed point. Coulomb
interactions enhance the conductivity, in contrast to the situation for
fermions, essentially because the exchange interaction is opposite in sign. The
interaction-driven enhancement of the conductivity is larger than the
weak-localization suppression, so the system scales to a perfect conductor.
Thus, it is a consistent possibility for the critical resistivity at the
superconductor-insulator transition to be zero, but this value is only
approached logarithmically. We determine the values of the critical exponents
and comment on possible implications for the interpretation of
experiments
Evidence of Vortices on the Insulating Side of the Superconductor-Insulator Transition
The magnetoresistance of ultrathin insulating films of Bi has been studied
with magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the
sample. Deep in the strongly localized regime, the magnetoresistance is
negative and independent of field orientation. As film thicknesses increase,
the magnetoresistance becomes positive, and a difference between values
measured in perpendicular and parallel fields appears, which is a linear
function of the magnetic field and is positive. This is not consistent with the
quantum interference picture. We suggest that it is due to vortices present on
the insulating side of the superconductor-insulator transition.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Evolution of the Density of States Gap in a Disordered Superconductor
It has only recently been possible to study the superconducting state in the
attractive Hubbard Hamiltonian via a direct observation of the formation of a
gap in the density of states N(w). Here we determine the effect of random
chemical potentials on N(w) and show that at weak coupling, disorder closes the
gap concurrently with the destruction of superconductivity. At larger, but
still intermediate coupling, a pseudo-gap in N(w) remains even well beyond the
point at which off-diagonal long range order vanishes. This change in the
elementary excitations of the insulating phase corresponds to a crossover
between Fermi- and Bose-Insulators. These calculations represent the first
computation of the density of states in a finite dimensional disordered fermion
model via the Quantum Monte Carlo and maximum entropy methods.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Phases of the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model
The zero-temperature phase diagram of the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model
with nearest-neighbor interaction is investigated using the Density-Matrix
Renormalization Group. Recently normal phases without long-range order have
been conjectured between the charge density wave phase and the superfluid phase
in one-dimensional bosonic systems without disorder. Our calculations
demonstrate that there is no intermediate phase in the one-dimensional
Bose-Hubbard model but a simultaneous vanishing of crystalline order and
appearance of superfluid order. The complete phase diagrams with and without
nearest-neighbor interaction are obtained. Both phase diagrams show reentrance
from the superfluid phase to the insulator phase.Comment: Revised version, 4 pages, 5 figure
Effect of granularity on the insulator-superconductor transition in ultrathin Bi films
We have studied the insulator-superconductor transition (IST) by tuning the
thickness in quench-condensed films. The resistive transitions of the
superconducting films are smooth and can be considered to represent
"homogeneous" films. The observation of an IST very close to the quantum
resistance for pairs, on several substrates supports
this idea. The relevant length scales here are the localization length, and the
coherence length. However, at the transition, the localization length is much
higher than the superconducting coherence length, contrary to expectation for a
"homogeneous" transition. This suggests the invalidity of a purely fermionic
model for the transition. Furthermore, the current-voltage characteristics of
the superconducting films are hysteretic, and show the films to be granular.
The relevant energy scales here are the Josephson coupling energy and the
charging energy. However, Josephson coupling energies () and the charging
energies () at the IST, they are found to obey the relation .
This is again contrary to expectation, for the IST in a granular or
inhomogeneous, system. Hence, a purely bosonic picture of the transition is
also inconsistent with our observations. We conclude that the IST observed in
our experiments may be either an intermediate case between the fermioinc and
bosonic mechanisms, or in a regime of charge and vortex dynamics for which a
quantitative analysis has not yet been done.Comment: accepted in Physical Review
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