Higgs mechanism and superconductivity in U(1) lattice gauge theory with dual gauge fields

TL;DR

This paper introduces a U(1) lattice gauge theory with dual gauge fields to model unconventional superconductivity, revealing a first-order phase transition to a Higgs (superconducting) state without scalar fields.

Contribution

It proposes a novel lattice gauge model with dual gauge fields to explain superconductivity, demonstrating a Higgs mechanism without scalar fields via Monte Carlo simulations.

Findings

First-order phase transition to superconducting state identified

Dual gauge fields act as Higgs fields for each other

Superconductivity emerges without scalar fields

Abstract

We introduce a U(1) lattice gauge theory with dual gauge fields and study its phase structure. This system is motivated by unconventional superconductors like extended s-wave and d-wave superconductors in the strongly-correlated electron systems. In this theory, the "Cooper-pair" field is put on links of a cubic lattice due to strong on-site repulsion between electrons in contrast to the ordinary s-wave Cooper-pair field on sites. This Cooper-pair field behaves as a gauge field dual to the electromagnetic U(1) gauge field. By Monte Carlo simulations we study this lattice gauge model and find a first-order phase transition from the normal state to the Higgs (superconducting) state. Each gauge field works as a Higgs field for the other gauge field. This mechanism requires no scalar fields in contrast to the ordinary Higgs mechanism.