Quantum smectic gauge theory

Abstract

We present a gauge theory formulation of a two-dimensional quantum smectic and its relatives, motivated by their realizations in correlated quantum matter. The description gives a unified treatment of phonons and topological defects, respectively encoded in a pair of coupled gauge fields and corresponding charges. The charges exhibit subdimensional constrained quantum dynamics and anomalously slow highly anisotropic diffusion of disclinations inside a smectic. This approach gives a transparent description of a multi-stage quantum melting transition of a two-dimensional commensurate crystal (through an incommensurate crystal - a supersolid) into a quantum smectic, that subsequently melts into a quantum nematic and isotropic superfluids, all in terms of a sequence of Higgs transitions.

4 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Degenerate Quantum Gases with Spin-Orbit Coupling
• Fracton hydrodynamics
• Anomalous Diffusion in Dipole- and Higher-Moment Conserving Systems
• Kinetically constrained freezing transition in a dipole-conserving system
• Competition of Pairing and Nematicity in the Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

Cited by in corpus (25)

• The dipolar Bose-Hubbard model
• Spontaneous breaking of multipole symmetries
• Volume-preserving diffeomorphism as nonabelian higher-rank gauge symmetry
• Fractonic Luttinger Liquids and Supersolids in a Constrained Bose-Hubbard Model
• Dipole condensates in tilted Bose-Hubbard chains
• Active cholesterics: odder than odd elasticity
• Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner-type theorems and dipole symmetry
• Lifshitz gauge duality
• A Chern-Simons theory for dipole symmetry
• Emergent Dipole Gauge Fields and Fractons
• Fractonic gauge theory of smectics
• Deconfinement Dynamics of Fractons in Tilted Bose-Hubbard Chains
• Fracton-elasticity duality in twisted moiré superlattices
• Fractons, non-Riemannian Geometry, and Double Field Theory
• Fracton-elasticity duality on curved manifolds
• Quantum vortex lattice: Lifshitz duality, topological defects and multipole symmetries
• Dynamical Spectral Response of Fractonic Quantum Matter
• Elastic Liénard-Wiechert potentials of dynamical dislocations from tensor gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions
• Dissipative fracton superfluids
• Colloidal smectics in button-like confinements: experiment and theory
• Helical superfluid in a frustrated honeycomb Bose-Hubbard model
• Magnetic properties of the spiral spin liquid and surrounding phases in the square lattice XY model
• Non-equilibrium charge-vortex duality
• Constrained motions and slow dynamics in one-dimensional bosons with double-well dispersion
• Topology of orientational defects in confined smectic liquid crystals