Polarization transitions in interacting ring 1D arrays

TL;DR

This paper investigates polarization phase transitions in one-dimensional arrays of synthetic atoms modeled as rings with Coulomb interactions, revealing classical and quantum behaviors and the influence of magnetic fields.

Contribution

It introduces a model of interacting ring arrays, analyzes classical and quantum phase transitions, and explores magnetic field effects on polarization states.

Findings

Classical rings with discrete charge exhibit antiferroelectric order at low temperatures.

Quantum interactions induce a phase transition as coupling strength increases.

Magnetic fields can switch the system to a ferroelectric ground state.

Abstract

Periodic nanostructures can display the dynamics of arrays of atoms while enabling the tuning of interactions in ways not normally possible in Nature. We examine one dimensional arrays of a ``synthetic atom,'' a one dimensional ring with a nearest neighbor Coulomb interaction. We consider the classical limit first, finding that the singly charged rings possess antiferroelectric order at low temperatures when the charge is discrete, but that they do not order when the charge is treated as a continuous classical fluid. In the quantum limit Monte Carlo simulation suggests that the system undergoes a quantum phase transition as the interaction strength is increased. This is supported by mapping the system to the 1D transverse field Ising model. Finally we examine the effect of magnetic fields. We find that a magnetic field can alter the electrostatic phase transition producing a ferroelectric groundstate, solely through its effect of shifting the eigenenergies of the quantum problem.