Three Phases in the 3D Abelian Higgs Model with Nonlocal Gauge Interactions

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase structure of a 3D nonlocal U(1) lattice gauge theory with a Higgs field, revealing three distinct phases and phase transitions, which are relevant for understanding electron fractionalization.

Contribution

It introduces a nonlocal gauge interaction model that exhibits multiple phases and phase transitions, unlike the local abelian Higgs model.

Findings

Identified confinement, Higgs, and Coulomb phases separated by second-order transitions.

Discovered a triple point where three phases coexist.

Implications for electron fractionalization in strongly-correlated systems.

Abstract

We study the phase structure of the 3D nonlocal compact U(1) lattice gauge theory coupled with a Higgs field by means of Monte-Carlo simulations. The nonlocal interactions among gauge variables are along the temporal direction and mimic the effect of local coupling to massless particles. We found that in contrast to the 3D local abelian Higgs model which has only one phase, the present model exhibits the confinement, Higgs, and Coulomb phases separated by three second-order transition lines emanating from a triple point. This result is quite important for studies on electron fractionalization phenomena in strongly-correlated electron systems. Implications to them are discussed.