Universality in molecular halo clusters

Ground state of weakly bound dimers and trimers with a radius extending well into the classically forbidden region is explored, with the goal to test the predicted universality of quantum halo states. The focus of the study are molecules consisting of T$\downarrow$, D$\downarrow$, $^3$He, $^4$He and alkali atoms, where interaction between particles is much better known than in the case of nuclei, which are traditional examples of quantum halos. The study of realistic systems is supplemented by model calculations in order to analyze how low-energy properties depend on the interaction potential. The use of variational and diffusion Monte Carlo methods enabled very precise calculation of both size and binding energy of the trimers. In the quantum halo regime, and for large values of scaled binding energies, all clusters follow almost the same universal line. As the scaled binding energy decreases, Borromean states separate from tango trimers.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

One Dimensional 1H, 2H and 3H

The ground-state properties of one-dimensional electron-spin-polarized hydrogen $^1$H, deuterium $^2$H, and tritium $^3$H are obtained by means of quantum Monte Carlo methods. The equations of state of the three isotopes are calculated for a wide range of linear densities. The pair correlation function and the static structure factor are obtained and interpreted within the framework of the Luttinger liquid theory. We report the density dependence of the Luttinger parameter and use it to identify different physical regimes: Bogoliubov Bose gas, super-Tonks-Girardeau gas, and quasi-crystal regimes for bosons; repulsive, attractive Fermi gas, and quasi-crystal regimes for fermions. We find that the tritium isotope is the one with the richest behaviour. Our results show unambiguously the relevant role of the isotope mass in the properties of this quantum system.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, contribution to special issue in NJP in memory of Marvin Girardea

Ultradilute quantum liquid drops

Using quantum Monte Carlo methods we have studied dilute Bose-Bose mixtures with attractive interspecies interaction in the limit of zero temperature. The calculations are exact within some statistical noise and thus go beyond previous perturbative estimations. By tuning the intensity of the attraction, we observe the evolution of an $N$-particle system from a gas to a self-bound liquid drop. This observation agrees with recent experimental findings and allows for the study of an ultradilute liquid never observed before in Nature.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Trapped Bose-Bose mixtures at finite temperature: a quantum Monte Carlo approach

We study thermal properties of a trapped Bose-Bose mixture in a dilute regime using quantum Monte Carlo methods. Our main aim is to investigate the dependence of the superfluid density and the condensate fraction on temperature, for the mixed and separated phases. To this end, we use the diffusion Monte Carlo method, in the zero-temperature limit, and the path-integral Monte Carlo method for finite temperatures. The results obtained are compared with solutions of the coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations for the mixture at zero temperature. We notice the existence of an anisotropic superfluid density in some phase-separated mixtures. Our results also show that the temperature evolution of the superfluid density and condensate fraction is slightly different, showing noteworthy situations where the superfluid fraction is smaller than the condensate fraction.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Spin-polarized hydrogen and its isotopes: a rich class of quantum phases (Review Article)

We review the recent activity in the theoretical description of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and its isotopes at very low temperatures. Spin-polarized hydrogen is the only system in nature that remains stable in the gas phase even in the zero temperature limit due to its small mass and weak interatomic interaction. Hydrogen and its heavier isotope tritium are bosons, the heavier mass of tritium producing a self-bound (liquid) system at zero temperature. The other isotope, deuterium, is a fermion with nuclear spin one making possible the study of three different quantum systems depending on the population of the three degenerate spin states. From the theoretical point of view, spin-polarized hydrogen is specially appealing because its interatomic potential is very accurately known making possible its precise quantum many-body study. The experimental study of atomic hydrogen has been very difficult due to its high recombination rate, but it finally led to its Bose–Einstein condensate state in 1998. Degeneracy has also been observed in thin films of hydrogen adsorbed on the ⁴He surface allowing for thepossibility of observing the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless superfluid transition

Ground state of small mixed helium and spin-polarized tritium clusters: a quantum Monte Carlo stud

We report results for the ground-state energy and structural properties of small $^4$He-T$\downarrow$ clusters consisting of up to 4 T$\downarrow$ and 8 $^4$He atoms. These results have been obtained using very well-known $^4$He-$^4$He and T$\downarrow$-T$\downarrow$ interaction potentials and several models for the $^4$He-T$\downarrow$ interatomic potential. All the calculations have been performed with variational and diffusion Monte Carlo methods. It takes at least three atoms to form a mixed bound state. In particular, for small clusters the binding energies are significantly affected by the precise form of the $^4$He-T$\downarrow$ interatomic potential but the stability limits remain unchanged. The only exception is the $^4$He$_2$T$\downarrow$ trimer whose stability in the case of the weakest $^4$He-T$\downarrow$ interaction potential is uncertain, while it seems stable for other potentials. The mixed trimer $^4$He(T$\downarrow$)$_2$, a candidate for Borromean state, is not bound. All other studied clusters are stable. Some of the weakest bound clusters can be classified as quantum halos, as a consequence of having high probability of being in a classically forbidden region.Comment: 20 pages, accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phy

Quantum Monte Carlo study of large spin-polarized tritium clusters

This work expands recent investigations in the field of spin-polarized tritium (T$\downarrow$) clusters . We report the results for the ground state energy and structural properties of large T$\downarrow$ cl usters consisting of up to 320 atoms. All calculations have been performed with variational and diffusi on Monte Carlo methods, using an accurate {\it ab initio} interatomic potential. Our results for $N \le q 40$ are in good agreement with results obtained by other groups. Using a liquid-drop expression for t he energy per particle, we estimate the liquid equilibrium density, which is in good agreement with our recently obtained results for bulk T$\downarrow$. In addition, the calculations of the energy for larg e clusters have allowed for an estimation of the surface tension. From the mean-square radius of the dr op, determined using unbiased estimators, we determine the dependence of the radii on the size of the c luster and extract the unit radius of the T$\downarrow$ liquid.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure