Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in two-dimensional superfluid

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in two-dimensional superfluids using Monte Carlo simulations and an effective Goldstone mode theory, providing insights into phase fluctuations and transition mechanisms.

Contribution

It combines numerical simulations with an analytic effective theory to analyze the transition, offering a comprehensive understanding of the 2D superfluid phase change.

Findings

Confirmation of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition via simulations

Development of an analytic Goldstone mode effective theory

Insights into phase fluctuation mechanisms in 2D superfluids

Abstract

The 2d superfluid (complex $\phi ^4$ theory in two dimensions) undergoes Kosterlitz-Thouless transition driven by phase fluctuations of the superfluid order parameter. We study the transition by Monte Carlo simulations and also develop an analytic approach based on the effective theory for the Goldstone mode.