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  • Featured in Physics
  • Open Access

Low-Energy Excitations in Bosonic Quantum Quasicrystals

A. Mendoza-Coto1,2,*, M. Bonifacio2, and F. Piazza2,3

  • *Contact author: alejandro.mendoza@ufsc.br
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 136003 – Published 2 April, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.136003

Abstract

We present the first principles construction of the low energy effective action for bosonic self-organized quantum quasicrystals. Our generalized elasticity approach retains the appropriate number of phase and corresponding conjugate density degrees of freedom required for a proper description of the gapless modes. For the dodecagonal and decagonal quasicrystal structures we obtain collective longitudinal and transverse excitations with an isotropic speed of sound. Meanwhile, for the octagonal structure, the coupling between phononic and phasonic degrees of freedom leads in turn to hybridization of the latter with the condensate sound mode, producing collective excitations with a longitudinal and transverse component and an anisotropic speed of sound. Finally, we discuss the fate of each excitation mode at the low and high density phase transitions limiting the quantum quasicrystal phase.

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synopsis

Hidden Behavior of Quantum Quasicrystals

Published 2 April, 2025

A new theory unveils the exotic low-energy excitations of quasicrystals formed of quantum particles.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 136003– Published 2 April, 2025
  • Received 3 August 2024
  • Accepted 11 February 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.

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