Deconfinement and quantum liquid crystalline states of dipolar fermions in optical lattices

TL;DR

This paper models dipolar fermions in optical lattices, revealing interaction-driven phase transitions leading to deconfinement and various quantum liquid crystalline states, expanding understanding of strongly-correlated fermion systems.

Contribution

It introduces a simple quasi-one-dimensional fermion model that captures deconfinement and liquid crystalline phases using bosonization and RPA analysis.

Findings

Identification of interaction-induced deconfinement transition.

Realization of meta-nematic, smectic, and crystalline states.

Detailed analysis of phase transition mechanisms.

Abstract

We describe a simple model of fermions in quasi-one dimension that features interaction induced deconfinement (a phase transition where the effective dimensionality of the system increases as interactions are turned on) and which can be realised using dipolar fermions in an optical lattice. The model provides a relisation of a "soft quantum matter" phase diagram of strongly-correlated fermions, featuring meta-nematic, smectic and crystalline states, in addition to the normal Fermi liquid. In this paper we review the model and discuss in detail the mechanism behind each of these transitions on the basis of bosonization and detailed analysis of the RPA susceptibility.