Vison excitations in near-critical quantum dimer models

We study vison excitations in a quantum dimer model interpolating between the Rokhsar-Kivelson models on the square and triangular lattices. In the square-lattice case, the model is known to be critical and characterized by U(1) topological quantum numbers. Introducing diagonal dimers brings the model to a Z_2 resonating-valence-bond phase. We study variationally the emergence of vison excitations at low concentration of diagonal dimers, close to the critical point. We find that, in this regime, vison excitations are large in size and their structure resembles vortices in type-II superconductors.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, minor corrections corresponding to the published versio

On Stabilization of Scattering Resonances in Recombination Reaction that Forms Ozone

Calculations of energy transfer in the recombination reaction that forms ozone are carried out within the framework of the mixed quantum/classical theory and using the dimensionally reduced 2D-model of ozone molecule, with bending motion neglected. Recombination rate coefficients are obtained at room temperature for symmetric and asymmetric isotopomers of singly and doubly substituted isotopologues. The processes of resonance formation, spontaneous decay, collisional dissociation, and stabilization by bath gas (Ar) are all characterized and taken into account within the steady-state approximation for kinetics. The focus is on stabilization step, where the mysterious isotopic η-effect was thought to originate from. Our results indicate no difference in cross sections for stabilization of scattering resonances in symmetric and asymmetric isotopomers. As practical results, the general and simple analytic models for stabilization and dissociation cross sections are presented, which can be applied to resonances in any ozone molecule, symmetric or asymmetric, singly or doubly substituted. Present calculations show some isotope effect that looks similar to the experimentally observed η-effect, and the origin of this phenomenon is in the rates of formation/decay of scattering resonances, determined by their widths, that are somewhat larger in asymmetric isotopomers than in their symmetric analogues. However, the approximate two-dimensional model used here is insufficient for consistent and reliable description of all features of the isotopic effect in ozone. Calculations using an accurate 3D model are still needed