Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2606.12606

Spontaneous symmetry breaking under Bose--Einstein condensation

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

Published Jun 10, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Due to high current interest to Bose-Einstein condensation, the related topics, such as spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, and particle fluctuations, are intensively discussed in literature. These discussions, unfortunately, involve quite a number of controversies and confusions. The goal of the present brief survey is to clarify some of these confusions, concentrating on the principal points, such as the relationship between the conditions of Bose-Einstein condensation, the Bogolubov method of quasiaverages, spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, the presumed existence of nonthermodynamic particle fluctuations leading to the so-called ``grand canonical catastrophe", and the requirements for system stability.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2606.12606

Related papers

Spontaneous symmetry breaking under Bose–Einstein condensation

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

Abstract Due to high current interest to Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC), the related topics, such as spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, and particle fluctuations, are intensively discussed in literature. These discussions, unfortunately, involve quite a number of controversies and confusions. The goal of the present brief survey is to clarify some of these confusions, concentrating on the principal points, such as the relationship between the conditions of BEC, the Bogolubov method of quasiaverages, spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, the presumed existence of nonthermodynamic particle fluctuations leading to the so-called ‘grand canonical catastrophe’, and the requirements for system stability.

Laser Physics Letters•Jun 1, 2026•0 citations

Major issues in theory of Bose–Einstein condensation

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

Major issues arising in the theory of Bose–Einstein condensation are reviewed. These issues, although being principally important, are very often misunderstood, which results in wrong conclusions. The basic point is global gauge symmetry breaking that is a necessary and sufficient condition for Bose–Einstein condensation. Paying no attention to this basic point is a common fallacy leading to a number of confusions. For instance, the attempt of describing Bose condensation without gauge symmetry breaking produces the so-called “grand canonical catastrophe” that actually does not exist in the correct description of Bose condensation accompanied by gauge symmetry breaking. The other common flaw is forgetting to consider the stability of the studied systems. One sometimes accomplishes lengthy calculations and discusses the properties of a system that in reality cannot exist being unstable. In some cases, the seeming instability is caused by the negligence of the simple mathematical reason teaching us that one should not go beyond the approximation applicability. An example of such an artificial instability is related to the appearance of the so-called “thermodynamically anomalous fluctuations” whose arising is due to the use of a second-order approximation for calculating fourth-order terms, in this way distorting the O(2)-class model of a Bose-condensed system to the Gaussian-class model. These and other principal points, important for the correct treatment of Bose-condensed systems, are reviewed, including the resolution of the Hohenberg–Martin dilemma of gapless versus conserving theories for Bose-condensed systems and the problem of statistical ensemble equivalence.

arXiv:2505.16600•AVS Quantum Science•May 14, 2025•7 citations

Bose-Einstein condensation and gauge symmetry breaking

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

The fundamental problem is analyzed, the relation between Bose-Einstein condensation and spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking. This relation is largerly misunderstood in physics community. Numerous articles and books contain the statement that, though gauge symmetry breaking helps for describing Bose-Einstein condensation, but the latter, in principle, does not require any symmetry breaking. This, however, is not correct. The analysis is based on the known mathematical theorems. But in order not to overcomplicate the presentation and to make it accessible to all readers, technical details are often omitted here. The emphasis is made on the following basic general facts: Spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry is the necessary and sufficient condition for Bose-Einstein condensation. Condensate fluctuations, in thermodynamic limit, are negligible. Their catastrophic behavior can arise only as a result of incorrect calculations, when a Bose-condensed system is described without gauge symmetry breaking. It is crucially important to employ the representative statistical ensembles equipped with all conditions that are necessary for a unique and mathematically correct description of the given statistical system. Only then one is able to develop a self-consistent theory, free of paradoxes.

arXiv:0711.0848•Laser Physics Letters•Apr 4, 2007•80 citations

Some typical delusions in the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

Despite the long history of the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation, there exist till nowadays some slippery points that are often misunderstood and result in confusion. The report touches some of these points, explaining the following: Global gauge symmetry breaking is the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of Bose-Einstein condensate. There is no any ``grand canonical catastrophe". The stability of the ideal Bose gas depends on the spatial dimensionality and the shape of a trap. Symmetry-broken averages cannot be neglected. The so-called ``Popov approximation", ascribed to Popov, suggesting to neglect anomalous averages, is neither an approximation nor has anything to do with Popov. There are no thermodynamically anomalous fluctuations in stable equilibrium systems. Representative statistical ensembles are equivalent.

arXiv:2604.02662•Apr 3, 2026•0 citations

Bose-Einstein condensation, fluctuations, and spontaneous symmetry breaking

A. Crisanti, Alessandro Sarracino, Marco Zannetti

The realisation of Bose-Einstein condensation under grand-canonical conditions has provided the experimental evidence for the simultaneous occurrence of macroscopic fluctuations and phase coherence of the condensate. The observation of these two features, against a consolidated tradition which wants the fluctuations to be pathological (grand-canonical catastrophe) and incompatible with spontaneous symmetry braking, calls for a comprehensive rethinking of the approach to the problem. In this paper we consider the uniform ideal gas in a box and we present an alternative conceptual framework. We show that the usually-employed Bogoliubov quasi-average construction fails to reproduce the broken-symmetry state. The observed features are accounted for by a different pattern of spontaneous symmetry breaking, characterised by condensation of fluctuations and long-range correlations of the order parameter.

arXiv:2505.24228•Physical Review A•Feb 19, 2026•1 citation

Particle fluctuations in systems with Bose–Einstein condensate

Vyacheslav I. Yukalov

Abstract Particle fluctuations in systems, exhibiting Bose–Einstein condensation, are reviewed in order to clarify the basic points that attract high interest and often confront misunderstanding. It is explained that the so-called ‘grand canonical catastrophe’, claiming the occurrence of catastrophic particle fluctuations in the condensed phase, treated by grand canonical ensemble, does not exist. What exists is the incorrect use of the grand canonical ensemble, where gauge symmetry is not broken, while the correct description of the condensed phase necessarily requires gauge symmetry breaking. The ideal Bose gas has no catastrophic condensate fluctuations, and moreover there are no condensate fluctuations at all, as soon as gauge symmetry is broken. However it does have anomalous fluctuations of uncondensed particles, which implies its instability. For interacting particles, there are no condensate fluctuations, as soon as gauge symmetry is broken, and anomalous fluctuations of uncondensed particles, when correctly calculated, do not appear. Particle fluctuations in the systems of trapped atoms are discussed. Canonical ensemble and grand canonical ensemble with broken gauge symmetry are equivalent with respect to the number of particle scaling.

arXiv:2410.08717•Laser Physics•Oct 10, 2024•9 citations
Due to high current interest to Bose-Einstein condensation, the related topics, such as spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, and particle fluctuations, are intensively discussed in literature. These discussions, unfortunately, involve quite a number of controversies and confusions. The goal of the present brief survey is to clarify some of these confusions, concentrating on the principal points, such as the relationship between the conditions of Bose-Einstein condensation, the Bogolubov method of quasiaverages, spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, the presumed existence of nonthermodynamic particle fluctuations leading to the so-called ``grand canonical catastrophe", and the requirements for system stability.
Abstract Due to high current interest to Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC), the related topics, such as spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, and particle fluctuations, are intensively discussed in literature. These discussions, unfortunately, involve quite a number of controversies and confusions. The goal of the present brief survey is to clarify some of these confusions, concentrating on the principal points, such as the relationship between the conditions of BEC, the Bogolubov method of quasiaverages, spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking, ergodic decomposition, the presumed existence of nonthermodynamic particle fluctuations leading to the so-called ‘grand canonical catastrophe’, and the requirements for system stability.
Major issues arising in the theory of Bose–Einstein condensation are reviewed. These issues, although being principally important, are very often misunderstood, which results in wrong conclusions. The basic point is global gauge symmetry breaking that is a necessary and sufficient condition for Bose–Einstein condensation. Paying no attention to this basic point is a common fallacy leading to a number of confusions. For instance, the attempt of describing Bose condensation without gauge symmetry breaking produces the so-called “grand canonical catastrophe” that actually does not exist in the correct description of Bose condensation accompanied by gauge symmetry breaking. The other common flaw is forgetting to consider the stability of the studied systems. One sometimes accomplishes lengthy calculations and discusses the properties of a system that in reality cannot exist being unstable. In some cases, the seeming instability is caused by the negligence of the simple mathematical reason teaching us that one should not go beyond the approximation applicability. An example of such an artificial instability is related to the appearance of the so-called “thermodynamically anomalous fluctuations” whose arising is due to the use of a second-order approximation for calculating fourth-order terms, in this way distorting the O(2)-class model of a Bose-condensed system to the Gaussian-class model. These and other principal points, important for the correct treatment of Bose-condensed systems, are reviewed, including the resolution of the Hohenberg–Martin dilemma of gapless versus conserving theories for Bose-condensed systems and the problem of statistical ensemble equivalence.
The fundamental problem is analyzed, the relation between Bose-Einstein condensation and spontaneous gauge symmetry breaking. This relation is largerly misunderstood in physics community. Numerous articles and books contain the statement that, though gauge symmetry breaking helps for describing Bose-Einstein condensation, but the latter, in principle, does not require any symmetry breaking. This, however, is not correct. The analysis is based on the known mathematical theorems. But in order not to overcomplicate the presentation and to make it accessible to all readers, technical details are often omitted here. The emphasis is made on the following basic general facts: Spontaneous breaking of gauge symmetry is the necessary and sufficient condition for Bose-Einstein condensation. Condensate fluctuations, in thermodynamic limit, are negligible. Their catastrophic behavior can arise only as a result of incorrect calculations, when a Bose-condensed system is described without gauge symmetry breaking. It is crucially important to employ the representative statistical ensembles equipped with all conditions that are necessary for a unique and mathematically correct description of the given statistical system. Only then one is able to develop a self-consistent theory, free of paradoxes.
Despite the long history of the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation, there exist till nowadays some slippery points that are often misunderstood and result in confusion. The report touches some of these points, explaining the following: Global gauge symmetry breaking is the necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of Bose-Einstein condensate. There is no any ``grand canonical catastrophe". The stability of the ideal Bose gas depends on the spatial dimensionality and the shape of a trap. Symmetry-broken averages cannot be neglected. The so-called ``Popov approximation", ascribed to Popov, suggesting to neglect anomalous averages, is neither an approximation nor has anything to do with Popov. There are no thermodynamically anomalous fluctuations in stable equilibrium systems. Representative statistical ensembles are equivalent.
The realisation of Bose-Einstein condensation under grand-canonical conditions has provided the experimental evidence for the simultaneous occurrence of macroscopic fluctuations and phase coherence of the condensate. The observation of these two features, against a consolidated tradition which wants the fluctuations to be pathological (grand-canonical catastrophe) and incompatible with spontaneous symmetry braking, calls for a comprehensive rethinking of the approach to the problem. In this paper we consider the uniform ideal gas in a box and we present an alternative conceptual framework. We show that the usually-employed Bogoliubov quasi-average construction fails to reproduce the broken-symmetry state. The observed features are accounted for by a different pattern of spontaneous symmetry breaking, characterised by condensation of fluctuations and long-range correlations of the order parameter.
Abstract Particle fluctuations in systems, exhibiting Bose–Einstein condensation, are reviewed in order to clarify the basic points that attract high interest and often confront misunderstanding. It is explained that the so-called ‘grand canonical catastrophe’, claiming the occurrence of catastrophic particle fluctuations in the condensed phase, treated by grand canonical ensemble, does not exist. What exists is the incorrect use of the grand canonical ensemble, where gauge symmetry is not broken, while the correct description of the condensed phase necessarily requires gauge symmetry breaking. The ideal Bose gas has no catastrophic condensate fluctuations, and moreover there are no condensate fluctuations at all, as soon as gauge symmetry is broken. However it does have anomalous fluctuations of uncondensed particles, which implies its instability. For interacting particles, there are no condensate fluctuations, as soon as gauge symmetry is broken, and anomalous fluctuations of uncondensed particles, when correctly calculated, do not appear. Particle fluctuations in the systems of trapped atoms are discussed. Canonical ensemble and grand canonical ensemble with broken gauge symmetry are equivalent with respect to the number of particle scaling.