Quantum Electrodynamics in 2+1 Dimensions, Confinement, and the Stability of U(1) Spin Liquids

Journal Article · Fri Oct 21 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.176406· OSTI ID:20699478

Nogueira, Flavio S; Kleinert, Hagen ^[1]

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1. Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin (Germany)

Compact quantum electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions often arises as an effective theory for a Mott insulator, with the Dirac fermions representing the low-energy spinons. An important and controversial issue in this context is whether a deconfinement transition takes place. We perform a renormalization group analysis to show that deconfinement occurs when N>N{sub c}=36/{pi}{sup 3}{approx_equal}1.161, where N is the number of fermion replica. For N<N{sub c}, however, there are two stable fixed points separated by a line containing a unstable nontrivial fixed point: a fixed point corresponding to the scaling limit of the noncompact theory, and another one governing the scaling behavior of the compact theory. The string tension associated with the confining interspinon potential is shown to exhibit a universal jump as N{yields}N{sub c}{sup -}. Our results imply the stability of a spin liquid at the physical value N=2 for Mott insulators.

• OSTI ID: 20699478
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 95; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CONFINEMENT
FERMIONS
POTENTIALS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUASI PARTICLES
RENORMALIZATION
SPIN
STABILITY
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
U-1 GROUPS