Second order cell strong coupling perturbative expansions for superlattice Bose-Hubbard models

Pierfrancesco Buonsante, A. Vezzani

The phase diagram of ultracold bosons in realistic optical superlattices is addressed via second-order cell strong coupling perturbative expansions for the Bose-Hubbard model describing the system. Taking advantage of the cell partition inherent in the complex periodic modulation of a superlattice, this technique allows for the description of the unusual loophole-shaped insulator domains that may occur in the phase diagram of the system, unlike the standard perturbative approach. Furthermore, comparisons with quantum Monte Carlo simulations show that our approach provides quantitatively satisfactory results at a significantly lower computational cost than brute force numerical methods. We explicitly consider the phase diagrams for two realistic 3-periodic optical superlattices. These show that many insulator domains exhibit an unusual reentrant character, which we discuss, and suggest that the quantum phase transition relevant to the loophole-shaped insulating domains does not require extreme experimental condition in order to be observed.

S. Pairault, David Sénéchal, A.–M. S. Tremblay

Pierfrancesco Buonsante, Vittorio Penna, A. Vezzani

We consider a Bose-Hubbard model with an arbitrary hopping term and provide the boundary of the insulating phase thereof in terms of third-order strong coupling perturbative expansions for the ground state energy. In the general case two previously unreported terms occur, arising from triangular loops and hopping inhomogeneities, respectively. Quite interestingly the latter involves the entire spectrum of the hopping matrix rather than its maximal eigenpair, like the remaining perturbative terms. We also show that hopping inhomogeneities produce a first order correction in the local density of bosons. Our results apply to ultracold bosons trapped in confining potentials with arbitrary topology, including the realistic case of optical superlattices with uneven hopping amplitudes. Significant examples are provided. Furthermore, our results can be extented to magnetically tuned transitions in Josephson junction arrays.

Michael Fleischhauer, Fabian Grusdt, Michael Höning

Itay Hen, M. Iskin, Marcos Rigol

We obtain the complete phase diagram of the hardcore Bose-Hubbard model in the presence of a period-two superlattice in two and three dimensions. First we acquire the phase boundaries between the superfluid phase and the `trivial' insulating phases of the model (the completely-empty and completely-filled lattices) analytically. Next, the boundary between the superfluid phase and the half-filled Mott-insulating phase is obtained numerically, using the stochastic series expansion (SSE) algorithm followed by finite-size scaling. We also compare our numerical results against the predictions of several approximation schemes, including two mean-field approaches and a fourth-order strong-coupling expansion (SCE), where we show that the latter method in particular is successful in producing an accurate picture of the phase diagram. Finally, we examine the extent to which several approximation schemes, such as the random phase approximation and the strong-coupling expansion, give an accurate description of the momentum distribution of the bosons inside the insulating phases.

秀和 野尻