Black holes dual to helical current phases

TL;DR

This paper explores how certain four-dimensional conformal field theories at finite temperature and chemical potential develop spatially modulated, helical current phases, modeled holographically by new five-dimensional black hole solutions with Chern-Simons interactions.

Contribution

It constructs novel black hole solutions in five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory with Chern-Simons term that correspond to helical current phases in the dual CFTs, revealing a new low-temperature phase.

Findings

Identification of a new spatially modulated black hole solution.

Demonstration of spontaneous helical order in the dual field theory.

Connection between Chern-Simons coupling and phase transition.

Abstract

We consider the class of d=4 CFTs at finite temperature and chemical potential that are holographically described within D=5 Einstein-Maxwell theory with a Chern-Simons term. The high temperature phase, which is spatially homogeneous and isotropic, is dual to the AdS-Reissner-Nordstrom black brane solution. For sufficiently large Chern-Simons coupling, we construct new electrically charged AdS black hole solutions that are dual to the low temperature, spatially modulated phase. In this phase the current, associated with the abelian global symmetry, spontaneously acquires a helical order. The new black holes are stationary and also have Bianchi VII$_0$ symmetry.