arXiv subjects

Fabio Cinti

Publications and source records attributed to Fabio Cinti.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Thermal and Quantum Fluctuation Effects in Quasiperiodic Systems in External Potentials

We analyze the many-body phases of an ensemble of particles interacting via a Lifshitz--Petrich--Gaussian pair potential in a harmonic confinement. We focus on specific parameter regimes where we expect decagonal quasiperiodic cluster arrangements. Performing classical Monte Carlo as well as path integral quantum Monte Carlo methods, we numerically simulate systems of a few thousand particles including thermal and quantum fluctuations. Our findings indicate that the competition between the intrinsic length scale of the harmonic oscillator and the wavelengths associated to the minima of the pair potential generically lead to a destruction of the quasicrystalline pattern. Extensions of this work are also discussed.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2019

Absence of superfluidity in 2D dipolar Bose striped crystals

We present results of computer simulations at low temperature of a two-dimensional system of dipolar bosons, with dipole moments aligned at an arbitrary angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the plane. The phase diagram includes a homogeneous superfluid phase, as well as triangular and striped crystalline phases, as the particle density and the tilt angle are varied. In the striped solid, no phase coherence among stripes and consequently no ``supersolid" phase is found, in disagreement with recent theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2018

Many-body physics of low-density dipolar bosons in box potentials

Crystallization is a generic phenomenon in classical and quantum mechanics arising in a variety of physical systems. In this work we focus on a specific platform, ultracold dipolar bosons, which can be realized in experiments with dilute gases. We review the relevant ingredients leading to crystallization, namely the interplay of contact and dipole-dipole interactions and system density, as well as the numerical algorithm employed. We characterize the many-body phases investigating correlations and superfluidity.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Superfluid filaments of dipolar bosons in free space

We systematically investigate the zero temperature phase diagram of bosons interacting via dipolar interactions in three dimensions in free space via path integral Monte Carlo simulations with few hundreds of particles and periodic boundary conditions based on the worm algorithm. Upon increasing the strength of the dipolar interaction and at sufficiently high densities we find a wide region where filaments are stabilized along the direction of the external field. Most interestingly by computing the superfluid fraction we conclude that superfluidity is anisotropic and is greatly suppressed along the orthogonal plane. Finally we perform simulations at finite temperature confirming the stability of filaments against thermal fluctuations and provide an estimate of the superfluid fraction in the weak coupling limit in the framework of the Landau two-fluid model.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Classical and quantum filaments in the ground state of trapped dipolar Bose gases

We study by quantum Monte Carlo simulations the ground state of a harmonically confined dipolar Bose gas with aligned dipole moments, and with the inclusion of a repulsive two-body potential of varying range. Two different limits can be clearly identified, namely a classical one in which the attractive part of the dipolar interaction dominates and the system forms an ordered array of parallel filaments, and a quantum-mechanical one, wherein filaments are destabilized by zero-point motion, and eventually the ground state becomes a uniform cloud. The physical character of the system smoothly evolves from classical to quantum mechanical as the range of the repulsive two-body potential increases. An intermediate regime is observed, in which ordered filaments are still present, albeit forming different structures from the ones predicted classically; quantum-mechanical exchanges of indistinguishable particles across different filaments allow phase coherence to be established, underlying a global superfluid response.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2017

Glass transitions in monodisperse cluster-forming ensembles: vortex matter in type-1.5 superconductors

At low enough temperatures and high densities, the equilibrium configuration of an ensemble of ultrasoft particles is a self-assembled, ordered, cluster-crystal. In the present work we explore the out-of-equilibrium dynamics for a two-dimensional realization, which is relevant to superconducting materials with multi-scale intervortex forces. We find that for small temperatures following a quench, the suppression of the thermally-activated particle hopping hinders the ordering. This results in a glass transition for a monodispersed ensemble, for which we derive a microscopic explanation in terms of an "effective polydispersity" induced by multi-scale interactions. This demonstrates that a vortex glass can form in clean systems of thin films of "type-1.5" superconductors. An additional setup to study this physics can be layered superconducting systems, where the shape of the effective vortex-vortex interactions can be engineered.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2017

Phases of dipolar bosons in a bilayer geometry

We study by first principle computer simulations the low temperature phase diagram of bosonic dipolar gases in a bilayer geometry, as a function of the two control parameters, i.e., the in-plane density and the interlayer distance. We observe four distinct phases, namely paired and decoupled superfluids, as well as a crystal of dimers and one consisting of two aligned crystalline layers. A direct quantum phase transition from a dimer crystal to two independent superfluids is observed in a relatively wide range of parameters. No supersolid phase is predicted for this system.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Tuneable defect interactions and supersolidity in dipolar quantum gases on a lattice potential

Point defects in self-assembled crystals, such as vacancies and interstitials, attract each other and form stable clusters. This leads to a phase separation between perfect crystalline structures and defect conglomerates at low temperatures. We propose a method that allows one to tune the effective interactions between point defects from attractive to repulsive by means of external periodic fields. In the quantum regime, this allows one to engineer strongly-correlated many-body phases. We exemplify the microscopic mechanism by considering dipolar quantum gases of ground state polar molecules and weakly bound molecules of strongly magnetic atoms trapped in a weak optical lattice in a two-dimensional configuration. By tuning the lattice depth, defect interactions turn repulsive, which allows us to deterministically design a novel supersolid phase in the continuum limit.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Monodisperse cluster crystals: classical and quantum dynamics

We study the phases and dynamics of a gas of monodisperse particles interacting via soft-core potentials in two spatial dimensions, which is of interest for soft-matter colloidal systems and quantum atomic gases. Using exact theoretical methods, we demonstrate that the equilibrium low-temperature classical phase simultaneously breaks continuous translational symmetry and dynamic space-time homogeneity, whose absence is usually associated with out-of-equilibrium glassy phenomena. This results in an exotic self-assembled cluster crystal with coexisting liquid-like long-time dynamical properties, which corresponds to a classical analog of supersolid behavior. We demonstrate that the effects of quantum fluctuations and bosonic statistics on cluster-glassy crystals are separate and competing: zero-point motion tends to destabilize crystalline order, which can be restored by bosonic statistics.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2015

Incommensurability effects on dipolar bosons in optical lattices

We present a study that investigated a quantum dipolar gas in continuous space where a potential lattice was imposed. Employing exact quantum Monte Carlo techniques, we analysed the ground state properties of the scrutinised system, varying the lattice depth and the dipolar interaction. For system densities corresponding to a commensurate filling with respect to the optical lattice, we observed a simple crystal-to-superfluid quantum phase transition, being consistent with the physics of dipolar bosons in continuous space. In contrast, an incommensurate density showed the presence of a supersolid phase. Indeed, such a result opens up the tempting opportunity to observe a defect-induced supersolidity with dipolar gases in combination with a tunable optical lattice. Finally, the stability of the condensate was analysed at finite temperature.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Exchange-induced crystallization of soft core bosons

We study the phase diagram of a two-dimensional assembly of bosons interacting via a soft core repulsive pair potential of varying strength, and compare it to that of the equivalent system in which particles are regarded as distinguishable. We show that quantum-mechanical exchanges stabilize a "cluster crystal" phase in a wider region of parameter space than predicted by calculations in which exchanges are neglected. This physical effect is diametrically opposite to that which takes place in hard core Bose systems such as $^4$He, wherein exchanges strengthen the fluid phase. It is underlain in the cluster crystal phase of soft core bosons by the free energy gain associated to the formation of local Bose-Einstein condensates.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Ground state and excitation properties of soft-core bosons

We study the physics of soft-core bosons at zero temperature in two dimensions for a class of potentials that could be realised in experiments with Rydberg dressed Bose-Einstein condensates. We analyze the ground state properties of the system in detail and provide a complete description of the excitation spectra in both superfluid, supersolid and crystalline phase for a wide range of interaction strengths and densities. In addition we describe a method to extract the transverse gapless excitation modes in the phases with broken translational symmetry within the framework of path integral Monte Carlo methods.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Defect-induced supersolidity with soft-core bosons

More than 40 years ago, Andreev, Lifshitz, and Chester suggested the possible existence of a peculiar solid phase of matter, the microscopic constituents of which can flow superfluidly without resistance due to the formation of zero-point defects in the ground state of self-assembled crystals. Yet, a physical system where this mechanism is unambiguously established remains to be found, both experimentally and theoretically. Here we investigate the zero-temperature phase diagram of two-dimensional bosons with finite-range soft-core interactions. For low particle densities, the system is show to feature a solid phase in which zero-point vacancies emerge spontaneously and give rice to superfluid flow of particles through the crystal. This provides the first example of defects-induced, continuous-space supersolidity consistent with the Andreev-Lifshitz-Chester scenario.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Elementary excitations of ultracold soft-core bosons across the superfluid-supersolid phase transition

We investigate the zero-temperature excitation spectrum of two-dimensional soft-core bosons for a wide range parameters and across the phase transition from a superfluid to a supersolid state. Based on mean field calculations and recent Quantum Monte Carlo results, we demonstrate the applicability of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations, even at high interaction strengths where the system forms an insulating cluster crystal. Interestingly, our study reveals that the maximum energy of the longitudinal phonon band in the supersolid phase connects to the maxon energy of the superfluid at the phase transition.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2011

Structure, Bose-Einstein condensation and superfluidity of two-dimensional confined dipolar assemblies

Low temperature properties of harmonically confined two-dimensional assemblies of dipolar bosons are systematically investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. Calculations carried out for different numbers of particles and strengths of the confining potential yield evidence of a quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a crystal-like phase, consistently with what is observed in the ho- mogeneous system. It is found that the crystal phase nucleates in the center of the trap, as the density increases. Bose-Einstein condensation vanishes at T = 0 upon entering the crystalline phase, concurrently with the disappearance of the superfluid response.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2010

Interplay among helical order, surface effects and range of interacting layers in ultrathin films

The properties of helical thin films have been thoroughly investigated by classical Monte Carlo simulations. The employed model assumes classical planar spins in a body-centered tetragonal lattice, where the helical arrangement along the film growth direction has been modeled by nearest neighbor and next-nearest neighbor competing interactions, the minimal requirement to get helical order. We obtain that, while the in-plane transition temperatures remain essentially unchanged with respect to the bulk ones, the helical/fan arrangement is stabilized at more and more low temperature when the film thickness, n, decreases; in the ordered phase, increasing the temperature, a softening of the helix pitch wave-vector is also observed. Moreover, we show also that the simulation data around both transition temperatures lead us to exclude the presence of a first order transition for all analyzed sizes. Finally, by comparing the results of the present work with those obtained for other models previously adopted in literature, we can get a deeper insight about the entwined role played by the number (range) of interlayer interactions and surface effects in non-collinear thin films.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2009

Monte Carlo simulations on rare-earth Holmium ultra-thin films

Motivated by recent experimental results in ultra-thin helimagnetic Holmium films, we have performed an extensive classical Monte Carlo simulation of films of different thickness, assuming a Hamiltonian with six inter-layer exchange constants. Both magnetic structure and critical properties have been analyzed. For n>16 (n being the number of spin layers in the film) a correct bulk limit is reached, while for lower n the film properties are clearly affected by the strong competition among the helical pitch and the surface effects, which involve the majority of the spin layers: In the thickness range n=9-16 three different magnetic phases emerge, with the high-temperature, disordered, paramagnetic phase and the low-temperature, long-range ordered one separated by an intriguing intermediate-temperature block phase, where outer ordered layers coexist with some inner, disordered ones. The phase transition of these inner layers displays the signatures of a Kosterlitz-Thouless one. Finally, for n<~7 the film collapse once and for all to a quasi-collinear order. A comparison of our Monte Carlo simulation outcomes with available experimental data is also proposed, and further experimental investigations are suggested.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗