Emergent Potts Order in a Coupled Hexatic-Nematic XY model
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2022-03-07
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Iowa State University Digital Repository, Ames IA (United States)
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Orth, Peter
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Physics and Astronomy
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Ames National Laboratory
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Abstract
Many two-dimensional physical systems ranging from atomic-molecular condensates to lowdimensional
superconductors and liquid-crystal films are described by coupled XY models. The interplay
of topology and competing interactions in these XY systems drives new kinds of emergent behavior
relevant in both quantum and classical settings. Such coupled U(1) systems further introduce rich physics,
bringing topology into contact with fractionalization and deconfinement. Motivated by a hidden-order
phase transition in isotropic liquid-crystal 54COOBC films, we study the finite-temperature phase diagram
of a minimalist hexatic-nematic XY model. We identify a small region of composite Potts order above the
vortex-binding transition; this phase is characterized by relative hexatic-nematic ordering though both
variables are disordered. We propose that the Potts order results from a confinement of fractional vortices
into extended nematic defects and discuss the broader implications of fractional vortices and composite
ordering in the wider class of coupled XY condensates.
Comments
This article is published as Drouin-Touchette, Victor, Peter P. Orth, Piers Coleman, Premala Chandra, and Tom C. Lubensky. "Emergent Potts Order in a Coupled Hexatic-Nematic XY model." Physical Review X 12, no. 1 (2022): 011043.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.12.011043.
Copyright 2022 American Physical Society.
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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DOE Contract Number(s): SC0020353; FG02-99ER45790; AC02-07CH11358.