Trimer superfluid and supersolid on two-dimensional optical lattices

TL;DR

This paper explores the existence and properties of trimer superfluid and supersolid phases in two-dimensional optical lattices, revealing conditions under which these phases emerge and transition, with implications for cold atom experimental realization.

Contribution

It introduces a Bose-Hubbard model with trimer tunneling and interactions on 2D lattices, demonstrating the existence of trimer superfluid and supersolid phases beyond 1D limitations.

Findings

Trimer superfluid exists in 2D lattices at certain densities.

Trimer supersolid emerges due to quantum fluctuations breaking degeneracy.

Phase transitions are primarily first order, with some continuous transitions.

Abstract

By the photoassociation method, the trimer superfluid phase disappears in the one dimensional state-dependent optical lattice if the ratio of the three-body interaction $W$ to the trimer tunneling $J$is kept at $W/J=12$ [Phys Rev A. {\bf 90}, 033622(2014)]. To search for a trimer superfluid and trimer supersolid, we load the cold atom into two-dimensional lattices, whose coordinate number $z$ and kinetic energy $-zJ$ are respectively larger and lower than those of a one dimensional lattice. Herein, we study the Bose-Hubbard model, which has an additional trimer tunneling term, a three-body interaction and a next-nearest repulsion. The on-site trimer and trimer superfluid exist if the on-site two-body repulsion and three-body repulsion are smaller than some thresholds. With atom-tunneling terms, the phase transitions from trimer superfluid phase to both atom superfluid and atom supersolid phases are first order. With $W/J=12$, in a one dimensional lattice, the trimer superfluid phase does not exist at all. In contrast, the trimer superfluid phase, exists in the lower density regions $0 \textless \rho \textless2$ on the square lattice if $J$ is not very large. The trimer superfluid phase emerges in a wider range $0 \textless \rho \textless3$ in the triangular lattice, or in the cubic lattice ($z=6$). When the three-body interaction is turned on, a trimer supersolid phase emerges due to the classical degeneracy between the quasi trimer solid and the trimer solid being broken by the quantum fluctuation. The phase transitions from the trimer supersolid phase to quasi trimer solid are first order and the phase transition from the trimer supersolid phase to trimer solid is continuous. Our results, obtained by mean-field and quantum Monte Carlo methods, will be helpful in realizing the trimer superfluid and supersolid by cold atom experiments.