Supersolidity in the triangular lattice spin-1/2 XXZ model: a variational perspective.

We study the spin-1/2 XXZ model on the triangular lattice with a nearest neighbor antiferromagnetic Ising coupling J(z) > 0 and unfrustrated (J(perpendicular) < 0) or frustrated (J(perpendicular) >0) kinetic terms in a zero magnetic field. Incorporating long-range Jastrow correlations over a mean-field spin state, we obtain the variational phase diagram of this model on large lattices for arbitrary J(z) and either sign of J(perpendicular). For J(perpendicular) < 0, we find a square root(3) x square root(3) supersolid for J(z)/J(perpendicular)| approximately > 4.7, in excellent agreement with quantum Monte Carlo data. For J(perpendicular) > 0, a distinct square root(3) x square root(3) supersolid is found to emerge for J(z)/J(perpendicular) > or = 1. Both supersolids exhibit a spontaneous density deviation from half-filling. At J(z)/J(perpendicular) = infinity, the crystalline order parameters of these two supersolids are nearly identical, consistent with exact results.

Persistent supersolid phase of hard-core bosons on the triangular lattice.

We study hard-core bosons with unfrustrated hopping (t) and nearest neighbor repulsion (U) (spin S=1/2 XXZ model) on the triangular lattice. At half filling, the system undergoes a zero temperature (T) quantum phase transition from a superfluid phase at small U to a supersolid at Uc approximately 4.45 in units of 2t. This supersolid phase breaks the lattice translation symmetry in a characteristic sqrt[3] x square root of 3 pattern, and is remarkably stable--indeed, a smooth extrapolation of our results indicates that the supersolid phase persists for arbitrarily large U/t.

Inhomogeneous metallic phase in a disordered Mott insulator in two dimensions.

We show that, with increasing randomness, the spectral gap in a 2D Mott-Hubbard insulator is destroyed first at a disorder V(c1), while antiferromagnetism persists up to a higher V(c2). Most unexpectedly, between V(c1) and V(c2) the system is metallic and is sandwiched between the Mott insulator below V(c1) and the Anderson insulator above V(c2). The metal is formed when the spectral gap gets destroyed locally in regions where the disorder potential is high enough to overcome the interelectron repulsion. This generates puddles with enhanced charge fluctuations that percolate with increasing disorder, resulting in a spatially inhomogeneous metallic phase.