Quantum phase transitions in Bose–Fermi systems (original) (raw)

Quantum phase transition in Bose-Fermi mixtures

2011

We study a quantum Bose-Fermi mixture near a broad Feshbach resonance at zero temperature. Within a quantum field theoretical model a two-step Gaussian approximation allows to capture the main features of the quantum phase diagram. We show that a repulsive boson-boson interaction is necessary for thermodynamic stability. The quantum phase diagram is mapped in chemical potential and density space, and both first and second order quantum phase transitions are found. We discuss typical characteristics of the first order transition, such as hysteresis or a droplet formation of the condensate which may be searched for experimentally.

Crossovers and phase transitions in Bose-Fermi mixtures

2014

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First-Order Quantum Phase Transition in Bose Gases

2013

The Bogoliubov theory has proven to be an accurate and versatile tool in the study of weaklyinteracting dilute Bose gases at low temperatures, yet there is one exception where it goes qualitatively wrong, i.e., near the first-order quantum phase transitions. By examining a phase transition in spinor Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), we find that the energy spectrum given by the Bogoliubov theory is inconsistent with the fact that the phase transition is first order. We resolve this problem by calculating the spectrum based on the spinor version of the Beliaev theory. We also discuss the ground-state phase diagram of spin-2 BECs which is modified by quantum fluctuations and the possibility of macroscopic quantum tunneling near the cyclic-nematic phase boundary.

First-order quantum phase transitions

Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 2007

Quantum phase transitions have been the subject of intense investigations in the last two decades [1]. Among other problems, these phase transitions are relevant in the study of heavy fermion systems, high temperature superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates. More recently there is increasing evidence that in many systems which are close to a quantum critical point (QCP) different phases are in competition. In this paper we show that the main effect of this competition is to give rise to inhomogeneous behavior associated with quantum first order transitions. These effects are described theoretically using an action that takes into account the competition between different order parameters. The method of the effective potential is used to calculate the quantum corrections to the classical functional. These corrections generally change the nature of the QCP and give rise to interesting effects even in the presence of non-critical fluctuations. An unexpected result is the appearance of an inhomogeneous phase with two values of the order parameter separated by a first order transition. Finally, we discuss the universal behavior of systems with a weak first order zero temperature transition in particular as the transition point is approached from finite temperatures. The thermodynamic behavior along this line is obtained and shown to present universal features.

Effect of a fermion on quantum phase transitions in bosonic systems

Physics Letters B, 2011

The effect of a fermion with angular momentum j on quantum phase transitions of a (s, d) bosonic system is investigated. It is shown that the presence of a fermion strongly modifies the critical value at which the transition occurs, and its nature, even for small and moderate values of the coupling constant. The analogy with a bosonic system in an external field is mentioned. Experimental evidence for precursors of quantum phase transitions in bosonic systems plus a fermion (odd-even nuclei) is presented.

Quantum phase transition in an atomic Bose gas with a Feshbach resonance

2004

We show that in an atomic Bose gas near a Feshbach resonance a quantum phase transition occurs between a phase with only a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate and a phase with both an atomic and a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate. We show that the transition is characterized by an Ising order parameter. We also determine the phase diagram of the gas as a function of magnetic field and temperature: the quantum critical point extends into a line of finite temperature Ising transitions.

Second-order quantum phase transition of a homogeneous Bose gas with attractive interactions

Physical Review A, 2008

We consider a homogeneous Bose gas of particles with an attractive interaction. Mean field theory predicts for this system a spontaneous symmetry breaking at a certain value of the interaction strength. We show that at this point a second-order quantum phase transition occurs. We investigate the system in the vicinity of the critical point using Bogoliubov theory and a continuous description, that allows us to analyze quantum fluctuations in the system even when the Bogoliubov approach breaks down.

Quantum phase transitions of atom-molecule Bose mixtures in a double-well potential

Physical Review E, 2014

The ground state and spectral properties of Bose gases in double-well potentials are studied in two different scenarios: i) an interacting atomic Bose gas, and ii) a mixture of an atomic gas interacting with diatomic molecules. A ground state second-order quantum phase transition (QPT) is observed in both scenarios. For large attractive values of the atom-atom interaction, the ground-state is degenerate. For repulsive and small attractive interaction, the ground-state is not degenerate and is well approximated by a boson coherent state. Both systems depict an excited state quantum phase transition (ESQPT). For the mixed atom-molecule system the critical point of the ESQPT displays a discontinuity in the first derivative of the density of states.

Quantum phase transitions in a charge-coupled Bose-Fermi Anderson model

Physical Review B, 2009

We study the competition between Kondo physics and dissipation within an Anderson model of a magnetic impurity level that hybridizes with a metallic host and is also coupled, via the impurity charge, to the displacement of a bosonic bath having a spectral density proportional to ω s. As the impurity-bath coupling increases from zero, the effective Coulomb interaction between two electrons in the impurity level is progressively renormalized from its repulsive bare value until it eventually becomes attractive. For weak hybridization, this renormalization in turn produces a crossover from a conventional, spin-sector Kondo effect to a charge Kondo effect. At particle-hole symmetry, and for sub-Ohmic bath exponents 0 < s < 1, further increase in the impurity-bath coupling results in a continuous, zero-temperature transition to a broken-symmetry phase in which the ground-state impurity occupancyn d acquires an expectation value n d 0 = 1. The response of the impurity occupancy to a locally applied electric potential features the hyperscaling of critical exponents and ω/T scaling that are expected at an interacting critical point. The numerical values of the critical exponents suggest that the transition lies in the same universality class as that of the sub-Ohmic spin-boson model. For the Ohmic case s = 1, the transition is instead of Kosterlitz-Thouless type. Away from particle-hole symmetry, the quantum phase transition is replaced by a smooth crossover, but signatures of the symmetric quantum critical point remain in the physical properties at elevated temperatures and/or frequencies.