Analyzing the Higgs-confinement transition with non-local operators on the lattice

Abstract

We study non-local operators for analyzing the Higgs-confinement phase transition in lattice gauge theory. Since the nature of the Higgs-confinement phase transition is topological, its order parameter is the expectation value of non-local operators, such as loop and surface operators. There exist several candidates for the non-local operators. Adopting the charge-2 Abelian Higgs model, we test numerical simulation of conventional ones, the Polyakov loop and the 't Hooft loop, and an unconventional one, the Aharonov-Bohm phase defined by the Wilson loop wrapping around a vortex line.

11 pages, 11 figures