Bose soft discs: a minimal model for supersolidity

Abstract

The low temperature phase diagram of an assembly of Bose particles, interacting via a simple soft disc potential, is studied numerically by means of Monte Carlo simulations. At sufficiently high densities, the system features a cluster crystal phase, as observed in its classical counterpart. In the low temperature limit, and in a relatively wide region of parameter space, the quantum cluster crystal undergoes a transition to a supersolid phase, displaying both a finite superfluid fraction and crystalline order. We argue that soft-core Bosons ought be regarded as a ‘minimal model’ of continuous-space supersolidity. With the aim of elucidating the interplay between superfluid response and solid order, we compute the excitation spectrum of the system. A comparison of that of the insulating cluster crystal with that of the supersolid, shows that the latter features an additional acoustic mode.

Keywords:

• supersolidity
• cluster solid
• Bose gas