QCD phase diagram and equation of state in background electric fields

TL;DR

This study uses lattice simulations to explore how weak background electric fields affect the QCD phase diagram and equation of state, revealing a plasma-like response and increased transition temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Taylor expansion method to analyze the linear response of QCD to electric fields, overcoming the complex action problem.

Findings

QCD exhibits negative electric susceptibility at all temperatures.

Electric fields increase the QCD transition temperature.

Polyakov loop depends linearly on electric field strength.

Abstract

The phase diagram and the equation of state of QCD is investigated in the presence of weak background electric fields by means of continuum extrapolated lattice simulations. The complex action problem at nonzero electric field is circumvented by a novel Taylor expansion, enabling the determination of the linear response of the thermal QCD medium to constant electric fields -- in contrast to simulations at imaginary electric fields, which, as we demonstrate, involve an infrared singularity. Besides the electric susceptibility of QCD matter, we determine the dependence of the Polyakov loop on the field strength to leading order. Our results indicate a plasma-type behavior with a negative susceptibility at all temperatures, as well as an increase in the transition temperature as the electric field grows.