Dual simulation of the 2d U(1) gauge Higgs model at topological angle θ = π: Critical endpoint behavior

We simulate the 2d U(1) gauge Higgs model on the lattice with a topological angle θ. The corresponding complex action problem is overcome by using a dual representation based on the Villain action appropriately endowed with a θ-term. The Villain action is interpreted as a non-compact gauge theory wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Christof Gattringer, Daniel Göschl, Tin Sulejmanpašić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018-10-01
Series:Nuclear Physics B
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S055032131830244X
Description
Summary:We simulate the 2d U(1) gauge Higgs model on the lattice with a topological angle θ. The corresponding complex action problem is overcome by using a dual representation based on the Villain action appropriately endowed with a θ-term. The Villain action is interpreted as a non-compact gauge theory whose center symmetry is gauged and has the advantage that the topological term is correctly quantized so that 2π periodicity in θ is intact. Because of this the θ=π theory has an exact Z2 charge-conjugation symmetry C, which is spontaneously broken when the mass-squared of the scalars is large and positive. Lowering the mass squared the symmetry becomes restored in a second order phase transition. Simulating the system at θ=π in its dual form we determine the corresponding critical endpoint as a function of the mass parameter. Using a finite size scaling analysis we determine the critical exponents and show that the transition is in the 2d Ising universality class, as expected.
ISSN:0550-3213