New Journal of Physics

Classical field simulation of vortex lattice melting in a two-dimensional fast rotating Bose gas

Sálvio Jacob Bereta, Lucas Madeira, M. A. Caracanhas, Hélène Perrin, Romain Dubessy

Published Jun 1, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

Abstract We present a classical field simulation study of the thermal melting of a two-dimensional (2D) vortex lattice in a rotating Bose gas, focusing on the role of finite-size effects on the melting temperature. This work constitutes a numerical continuation of the recent experimental investigation reported in (Sharma 2024 Phys. Rev. Lett. 133 143401), which addressed the thermal melting of a vortex lattice in a quasi-2D Bose gas. Using the stochastic projected Gross–Pitaevskii equation in a harmonic plus quartic trap, we simulate the finite-temperature equilibrium state and extract vortex configurations from density snapshots. Clear signatures of the two-step Kosterlitz–Thouless–Halperin–Nelson–Young melting scenario are identified. Our simulations enable a detailed characterization of the crystalline, hexatic, and liquid phases through correlation functions quantifying the translational and orientational order and through defect statistics. Finite-size effects are shown to play a crucial role at lower rotation frequencies, affecting the proliferation of lattice defects.

DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ae7ab2

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