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Observing a scale anomaly and a universal quantum phase transition in graphene
O Ovdat1, Jinhai Mao2, Yuhang Jiang2
1Department of Physics, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
Nature Communications
|September 13, 2017
Summary
Quantum anomalies cause phase transitions when scale symmetry breaks. This study shows experimental evidence for this quantum phase transition in graphene, highlighting its universal nature.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Quantum Phase Transitions
Background:
- Anomalies in quantum physics involve the violation of classical symmetries.
- Continuous scale symmetry breaking into discrete scale symmetry can lead to quantum phase transitions.
- This phenomenon is observed in systems like the quantum inverse square potential ('Efimov physics').
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the universality of quantum phase transitions driven by scale symmetry breaking.
- To present experimental evidence for this transition in a specific system.
- To explore the implications for diverse physical systems.
Main Methods:
- Investigated a charged, massless Dirac fermion in an attractive 1/r Coulomb potential.
- Utilized graphene as a physical realization of the system.
- Focused on analyzing the behavior at a critical control parameter value.
Main Results:
- Observed the breaking of continuous scale symmetry into discrete scale symmetry.
- Provided convincing experimental evidence for a quantum phase transition.
- Confirmed the occurrence of anomalies in the specified potential.
Conclusions:
- The quantum phase transition is experimentally verified in graphene.
- The phenomenon of scale symmetry breaking and subsequent phase transitions is universal.
- This finding has implications for understanding diverse quantum systems.
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