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Title: The Superconductor-Superinsulator Transition: S-duality and the QCD on the Desktop

Abstract

We show that the nature of quantum phases around the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) is controlled by charge-vortex topological interactions, and does not depend on the details of material parameters and disorder. We find three distinct phases, superconductor, superinsulator, and bosonic topological insulator. The superinsulator is a state of matter with infinite resistance in a finite temperature range, which is the S-dual of the superconductor and in which charge transport is prevented by electric strings binding charges of opposite sign. The electric strings ensuring linear confinement of charges are generated by instantons and are dual to superconducting Abrikosov vortices. Material parameters and disorder enter the London penetration depth of the superconductor, the string tension of the superinsulator and the quantum fluctuation parameter driving the transition between them. They are entirely encoded in four phenomenological parameters of a topological gauge theory of the SIT. Finally, we point out that, in the context of strong coupling gauge theories, the many-body localization phenomenon that is often referred to as an underlying mechanism for superinsulation is a mere transcription of the well-known phenomenon of confinement into solid-state physics language and is entirely driven by endogenous disorder embodied by instantons with no need of exogenous disorder.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Perugia (Italy)
  2. SwissScientific, Geneva (Switzerland)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
OSTI Identifier:
1510074
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1557-1939
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

Diamantini, M. Cristina, Gammaitoni, Luca, Trugenberger, Carlo A., and Vinokur, Valerii M. The Superconductor-Superinsulator Transition: S-duality and the QCD on the Desktop. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1007/s10948-018-4943-x.
Diamantini, M. Cristina, Gammaitoni, Luca, Trugenberger, Carlo A., & Vinokur, Valerii M. The Superconductor-Superinsulator Transition: S-duality and the QCD on the Desktop. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-018-4943-x
Diamantini, M. Cristina, Gammaitoni, Luca, Trugenberger, Carlo A., and Vinokur, Valerii M. Wed . "The Superconductor-Superinsulator Transition: S-duality and the QCD on the Desktop". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-018-4943-x. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1510074.
@article{osti_1510074,
title = {The Superconductor-Superinsulator Transition: S-duality and the QCD on the Desktop},
author = {Diamantini, M. Cristina and Gammaitoni, Luca and Trugenberger, Carlo A. and Vinokur, Valerii M.},
abstractNote = {We show that the nature of quantum phases around the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) is controlled by charge-vortex topological interactions, and does not depend on the details of material parameters and disorder. We find three distinct phases, superconductor, superinsulator, and bosonic topological insulator. The superinsulator is a state of matter with infinite resistance in a finite temperature range, which is the S-dual of the superconductor and in which charge transport is prevented by electric strings binding charges of opposite sign. The electric strings ensuring linear confinement of charges are generated by instantons and are dual to superconducting Abrikosov vortices. Material parameters and disorder enter the London penetration depth of the superconductor, the string tension of the superinsulator and the quantum fluctuation parameter driving the transition between them. They are entirely encoded in four phenomenological parameters of a topological gauge theory of the SIT. Finally, we point out that, in the context of strong coupling gauge theories, the many-body localization phenomenon that is often referred to as an underlying mechanism for superinsulation is a mere transcription of the well-known phenomenon of confinement into solid-state physics language and is entirely driven by endogenous disorder embodied by instantons with no need of exogenous disorder.},
doi = {10.1007/s10948-018-4943-x},
journal = {Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism},
number = 1,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 26 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Wed Dec 26 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 2 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Phase diagram of the vicinity of the SIT. Tuning the parameter g = (π/e2)$\sqrt{d/λ_⊥}$, one drives the system across the SIT. The quantity η characterizes the strength of quantum fluctuations in a given material.

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Duality between coherent quantum phase-slip and the Josephson junction in nanowires by dual Hamiltonian method
journal, October 2019

  • Yoneda, M.; Niwa, M.; Hirata, N.
  • International Journal of Modern Physics B, Vol. 33, Issue 25
  • DOI: 10.1142/s0217979219502916

Figures / Tables found in this record:

    Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.