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

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 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of superconductivity and novel magnetism 2019-01, Vol.32 (1), p.47-51
Main Authors: Diamantini, M. Cristina, Gammaitoni, Luca, Trugenberger, Carlo A., Vinokur, Valerii M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ABRIKOSOV THEORY
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
CHARGE TRANSPORT
Condensed Matter Physics
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
FLUCTUATIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
INSTANTONS
Magnetic Materials
Magnetism
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
Original Paper
PENETRATION DEPTH
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
SOLID STATE PHYSICS
STRONG-COUPLING MODEL
Strongly Correlated Systems
Superconductivity
SUPERCONDUCTORS
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1557-1939
1557-1947
DOI:10.1007/s10948-018-4943-x