Quick search Find article
Quick search
Find article

A wavefunction describing superfluidity in a perfect crystal

Hui Zhai1 and Yong-Shi Wu1,2

Show affiliations


We propose a many-body wavefunction that exhibits both diagonal and off-diagonal long-range order. Incorporating short-range correlations due to interatomic repulsion, this wavefunction is shown to allow condensation of zero-point lattice vibrations and phase rigidity. In the presence of an external velocity field, such a perfect crystal will develop non-classical rotational inertia, exhibiting supersolid behaviour. In a sample calculation we show that the superfluid fraction in this state can be as large as of order 0.01 in a reasonable range of microscopic parameters. The relevance to the recent experimental evidence of a supersolid state given by Kim and Chan is discussed.


Keywords

Bose Einstein condensation (theory)

PACS

63.70.+h Statistical mechanics of lattice vibrations and displacive phase transitions

67.10.Fj Quantum statistical theory

05.30.-d Quantum statistical mechanics

MSC

82B20 Lattice systems (Ising, dimer, Potts, etc.) and systems on graphs

82D50 Superfluids

82B10 Quantum equilibrium statistical mechanics (general)

Subjects

Quantum gases, liquids and solids

Condensed matter: structural, mechanical & thermal

Statistical physics and nonlinear systems

Dates

Issue 07 (July 2005)

Received 27 May 2005, accepted for publication 27 June 2005

Published 8 July 2005



View by subject




Export








Please login to access our web services, or create an account if you don't yet have one.

You must have cookies enabled in your web browser to be able to login.

Username
Password

Forgotten your password? Get a new one here.