2005/01/31 by Hui Zhai, Yong-Shi Wu · 8 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Classical mechanics #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Condensed matter physics #Diagonal #Geometry #Mathematics #Moment of inertia #Phase (matter) #Phase diagram #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Quantum, superfluid, helium dynamics #Superfluidity #Supersolid #Wave function #cond-mat.stat-mech #cond-mat.supr-con
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1742-5468/2005/07/p07003
published in Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment 2005(07), P07003 (Institute of Physics) · final version to be published in Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
arxiv created 2005/06/26 · openalex publication_date 2005/07/08 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
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.