Topological excitations in statistical field theory at the upper critical dimension

Abstract

We present a high-precision Monte Carlo study of the classical Heisenberg model in four dimensions, showing that in the broken-symmetry phase it supports topological, monopole-like excitations, whose properties confirm previous analytical predictions derived in quantum field theory. We discuss the relevance of these findings and their possible experimental applications in condensed-matter physics.

1+13 pages, 9 pdf figures; v2: typos corrected, version published in the journal