22 research outputs found
Gauge theories of Josephson junction arrays
We show that the zero-temperature physics of planar Josephson junction arrays in the self-dual approximation is governed by an Abelian gauge theory with periodic mixed Chern-Simons term describing the charge-vortex coupling. The periodicity requires the existence of (Euclidean) topological excitations which determine the quantum phase structure of the model. The electric-magnetic duality leads to a quantum phase transition between a superconductor and a superinsulator at the self-dual point. We also discuss in this framework the recently proposed quantum Hall phases for charges and vortices in presence of external offset charges and magnetic fluxes: we show how the periodicity of the charge-vortex coupling can lead to transitions to anyon superconductivity phases. We finally generalize our results to three dimensions, where the relevant gauge theory is the so-called BF system, with an antisymmetric Kalb-Ramond gauge field.We show that the zero-temperature physics of planar Josephson junction arrays in the self-dual approximation is governed by an Abelian gauge theory with periodic mixed Chern-Simons term describing the charge-vortex coupling. The periodicity requires the existence of (Euclidean) topological excitations which determine the quantum phase structure of the model. The electric-magnetic duality leads to a quantum phase transition between a superconductor and a superinsulator at the self-dual point. We also discuss in this framework the recently proposed quantum Hall phases for charges and vortices in presence of external offset charges and magnetic fluxes: we show how the periodicity of the charge-vortex coupling can lead to transitions to anyon superconductivity phases. We finally generalize our results to three dimensions, where the relevant gauge theory is the so-called BF system, with an antisymmetric Kalb-Ramond gauge field.We show that the zero-temperature physics of planar Josephson junction arrays in the self-dual approximation is governed by an Abelian gauge theory with a periodic mixed Chern-Simons term describing the charge-vortex coupling. The periodicity requires the existence of (Euclidean) topological excitations which determine the quantum phase structure of the model. The electric-magnetic duality leads to a quantum phase transition between a superconductor and a superinsulator at the self-dual point. We also discuss in this framework the recently proposed quantum Hall phases for charges and vortices in presence of external offset charges and magnetic fluxes: we show how the periodicity of the charge-vortex coupling can lead to transitions to anyon superconductivity phases. We finally generalize our results to three dimensions, where the relevant gauge theory is the so-called BF system with an antisymmetric Kalb-Ramond gauge field
Confining Strings at High Temperature
We show that the high-temperature behaviour of the recently proposed
confining strings reproduces exactly the correct large-N QCD result, for a
large class of truncations of the long-range interaction between surface
elements.Comment: 8 pages, no figure
SU(N) Antiferromagnets and Strongly Coupled QED: Effective Field Theory for Josephson Junctions Arrays
We review our analysis of the strong coupling of compact QED on a lattice
with staggered Fermions. We show that, for infinite coupling, compact QED is
exactly mapped in a quantum antiferromagnet. We discuss some aspects of this
correspondence relevant for effective field theories of Josephson junctions
arrays.Comment: 33 pages,latex,Proceedings of "Common Trends in Condensed Matter and
High Energy Physics",DFUPG 1/9
Topological Defects in Gauge Theories of Open p-branes
We study phase transitions induced by topological defects in Abelian gauge
theories of open p-branes in (d+1) space-time dimensions. Starting from a
massive antisymmetric tensor theory for open p-branes we show how the
condensation of topological defects can lead to a decoupled phase with a
massless tensor coupled to closed (p-1)-branes and a massive tensor coupled to
open (p+1)-branes. We also consider the case, relevant in string theory, in
which the boundaries of the p-branes are constrained to live on a Dirichlet
n-branes.Comment: 16 pages, harvmac te
Quantum effects of a massive 3-form coupled to a Dirac field
We consider the coupling of A_{\mu\nu\rho} to the generic current of matter
field, later identified with the spin density current of a Dirac field. In
fact, one of the objectives of this paper is to investigate the impact of the
quantum fluctuations of A_{\mu\nu\rho} on the effective dynamics of the spinor
field. The consistency of the field equations, even at the classical level,
requires the introduction of a mass term for A_{\mu\nu\rho}. In this case, the
Casimir vacuum pressure includes a contribution that is explicitly dependent on
the mass of A_{\mu\nu\rho} and leads us to conclude that the mass term plays
the same role as the infrared cutoff needed to regularize the finite volume
partition functional previously calculated in the massless case. Remarkably,
even in the presence of a mass term, A_{\mu\nu\rho} contains a mixture of
massless and massive spin-0 fields so that the resulting equation is still
gauge invariant. This is yet another peculiar, but physically relevant property
of A_{\mu\nu\rho} since it is reflected in the effective dynamics of the spinor
fields and confirms the confining property of A_{\mu\nu\rho} already expected
from the earlier calculation of the Wilson loop.Comment: 10 pages, Revtex, no figures; in print on Phys.Rev.D; added new
reference
Finite-volume meson propagators in quenched chiral perturbation theory
We compute meson propagators in finite-volume quenched chiral perturbation
theory.Comment: 3 pages, Lattice2001(chiral fermions
SU(N) Quantum Antiferromagnets and the Phase Structure of QED in the Strong Coupling Limit
We examine the strong coupling limit of both compact and non compact QED on a
lattice with staggered fermions. We show that every SU(N) antiferromagnet with
spins in a particular fundamental representation of the SU(N) Lie Algebra and
with nearest neighbor couplings on a bipartite lattice is exactly equivalent to
the infinite coupling limit of lattice QED with the numbers of flavors of
electrons related to N and the dimension of spacetime D+1. We find that,for
both compact and noncompact QED,when N is odd the ground state of the strong
coupling limit breaks chiral symmetry in any dimensions and for any N and the
condensate is an isoscalar mass operator. When N is even,chiral symmetry is
broken if D is bigger or equal to 2 and N is small enough and the order
parameter is an isovector mass operator. We also find the exact ground state of
the lattice Coulomb gas as well as a variety of related lattice statistical
systems with long ranged interactions.Comment: latex, 45 pages, DFUPG 69/9
Self Duality and Oblique Confinement in Planar Gauge Theories
We investigate the non-perturbative structure of two planar
lattice gauge models and discuss their relevance to two-dimensional condensed
matter systems and Josephson junction arrays. Both models involve two compact
U(1) gauge fields with Chern-Simons interactions, which break the symmetry down
to . By identifying the relevant topological excitations
(instantons) and their interactions we determine the phase structure of the
models. Our results match observed quantum phase transitions in Josephson
junction arrays and suggest also the possibility of {\it oblique confining
ground states} corresponding to quantum Hall regimes for either charges or
vortices.Comment: 32 pages, harvma
Chiral Dynamics and Fermion Mass Generation in Three Dimensional Gauge Theory
We examine the possibility of fermion mass generation in 2+1- dimensional
gauge theory from the current algebra point of view.In our approach the
critical behavior is governed by the fluctuations of pions which are the
Goldstone bosons for chiral symmetry breaking. Our analysis supports the
existence of an upper critical number of Fermion flavors and exhibits the
explicit form of the gap equation as well as the form of the critical exponent
for the inverse correlation lenght of the order parameterComment: Latex,10 pages,DFUPG 70/9
Phase Transitions and Mass Generation in 2+1 Dimensions
The possibility that the epsilon expansion can predict the order of phase
transitions in three dimensional field theories is examined. For a Hermitean
matrix-valued order parameter, the epsilon expansion predicts fluctuation
induced first order phase transitions. We analyze two 2+1-dimensional quantum
field theories which exhibit spontaneous symmetry breaking and have martix
order parameters. Using the large expansion, we show that these models
exhibit second order transitions and discuss the implications for the chiral
symmetry breaking transition in 2+1-dimensional QCD for a critical number of
quark flavors.Comment: published in Phys. Rev. D50, 1060 (1994