Numerical simulations of strongly correlated fermions confined in 1D optical lattices

TL;DR

This paper uses quantum Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the formation and critical behavior of Mott domains in 1D fermionic systems within optical lattices, revealing universal properties and phase diagrams.

Contribution

It provides new insights into quantum criticality and universality in confined 1D fermionic systems, with detailed analysis of local phases and momentum distributions.

Findings

Evidence of quantum critical behavior at Mott domain boundaries

Universal scaling of local compressibility and density variance

Detailed phase diagram of trapped fermionic systems

Abstract

On the basis of quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations we study the formation of Mott domains in the one-dimensional Hubbard model with an additional confining potential. We find evidences of quantum critical behavior at the boundaries of the Mott-insulating regions. A local compressibility defined to characterize the local phases exhibits a non-trivial critical exponent on entering the Mott-insulating domains. Both the local compressibility and the variance of the local density show universality with respect to the confining potential. We also study the momentum distribution function of the trapped system, and determine its phase diagram.