arXiv:1205.1790 · Physical Review B
Phases and phase transitions in a U(1)×U(1) system with θ=2π/3 mutual statistics
Scott Geraedts, Olexei I. Motrunich
Abstract
We study a $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)$ system with short-range interactions and mutual $\ensuremath{\theta}=2\ensuremath{\pi}/3$ statistics in (2+1) dimensions. We are able to reformulate the model to eliminate the sign problem and perform a Monte Carlo study. We find a phase diagram containing a phase with only small loops and two phases with one species of proliferated loop. We also find a phase where both species of loop condense, but without any gapless modes. Lastly, when the energy cost of loops becomes small, we find a phase that is a condensate of bound states, each made up of three particles of one species and a vortex of the other. We define several exact reformulations of the model that allow us to precisely describe each phase in terms of gapped excitations. We propose field-theoretic descriptions of the phases and phase transitions, which are particularly interesting on the ``self-dual'' line where both species have identical interactions. We also define irreducible responses useful for describing the phases.