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An Analytic Holographic Superconductor (1003.3278v3)

Published 17 Mar 2010 in hep-th

Abstract: We investigate a holographic superconductor that admits an analytic treatment near the phase transition. In the dual 3+1 dimensional field theory, the phase transition occurs when a scalar operator of scaling dimension two gets a vacuum expectation value. We calculate current-current correlation functions along with the speed of second sound near the critical temperature. We also make some remarks about critical exponents. An analytic treatment is possible because an underlying Heun equation describing the zero mode of the phase transition has a polynomial solution. Amusingly, the treatment here may generalize for an order parameter with any integer spin, and we propose a Lagrangian for a spin two holographic superconductor.

Citations (174)

Summary

An Analytic Holographic Superconductor

The paper "An Analytic Holographic Superconductor" by Christopher P. Herzog investigates the analytic treatment of a holographic superconductor in the framework of the AdS/CFT correspondence. The work focuses on a specific model where the scalar operator of dimension two drives a phase transition in the dual 3+1 dimensional field theory. The haLLMark of the analysis is the use of an underlying Heun equation, which admits polynomial solutions, thereby enabling the exploration of holographic superconductors with scalar and vector order parameters.

Analytic Solutions and Phase Transitions

The primary achievement of this paper is the derivation of analytic solutions for a scalar model saturating the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound, in contrast to the typical numerical treatments evident in previous studies. Through this analytic approach, the author calculates critical temperatures, speeds of second sound, free energy variations, and order parameter growths near the phase transition. These calculations permit the examination of phase diagrams as functions of superfluid velocities, offering insight into the behavior of the field theory at critical points.

Novel Contributions and Implications

A notable contribution is the proposal that the polynomial solutions found for Heun equations may extend to order parameters of any integer spin. This extension is posited by generalizing the differential equation for the zero mode, suggesting the presence of a hierarchy of holographic superconductors with varied spin order parameters. The paper culminates in the formulation of a Lagrangian for a spin-two holographic superconductor, notwithstanding unresolved issues like causality and ghost instabilities.

The implications of these developments are profound, providing a potential avenue toward understanding high-temperature superconductors featuring d-wave order parameters in real-world materials. Moreover, the exploration of more general potential and kinetic energy terms highlights the sensitivity of phase transitions and critical exponents to modifications in the action, enriching the theoretical framework for holographic models of superconductivity.

Prospects for Future Research

The findings in this paper pave the way for future investigations into analytic approaches for higher spin holographic superconductors, alongside resolving the aforementioned theoretical challenges such as ghosts and tachyonic modes. Additionally, the sensitivity of the model to modifications suggests that further paper could yield deeper insights into the interplay between superfluidity and superconductivity in strongly coupled systems.

Overall, Herzog's work stands as a significant contribution to the theoretical understanding of holographic superconductors, offering both the numeric gravitas through strong results and analytic clarity that can drive forward the theoretical and potentially experimental explorations in condensed matter physics and beyond.