Order-out-of-disorder in a gas of elastic quantum strings in 2+1 dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates a model of elastic quantum strings in 2+1 dimensions, revealing that they always solidify due to a quantum entropic interaction mechanism, which may relate to phenomena in cuprate superconductors.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified quantum string gas model demonstrating universal solidification driven by quantum entropic effects, relevant to understanding stripe states in high-temperature superconductors.

Findings

Quantum string gas always solidifies

Solidification driven by quantum entropic interactions

Potential relevance to cuprate superconductors

Abstract

A limiting case of a dynamical stripe state which is of potential significance to cuprate superconductors is considered: a gas of elastic quantum strings in 2+1 dimensions, interacting merely via a hard-core condition. It is demonstrated that this gas solidifies always, by a mechanism which is the quantum analogue of the entropic interactions known from soft condensed matter physics.