Universal non-Gaussian order parameter statistics in 2D superfluids
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866915747892035584 |
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| author | Beregi, Abel Chang, En Rydow, Erik Foot, Christopher J. Sunami, Shinichi |
| author_facet | Beregi, Abel Chang, En Rydow, Erik Foot, Christopher J. Sunami, Shinichi |
| contents | Fluctuations are an intrinsic feature of many-body systems, and their full statistical distributions reveal a wealth of information about the underlying physics. Of particular interest are non-Gaussian, extreme-value statistics that arise when nontrivial correlations and criticality dominate over the central limit theorem. Strikingly, in two-dimensional (2D) quantum fluids, such effects have been predicted to manifest in the order parameter distribution in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) superfluid phase, which approaches a universal extreme-value form in the low-temperature limit. Here, we measure the order parameter statistics of 2D Bose gases across the BKT critical point using matter-wave interferometry. This allows us to confirm the predicted convergence of the observed statistics to a universal Gumbel distribution at low temperatures, to the 0.1% level of the probability density. Furthermore, the intrinsic precision of the atom interferometer allows the robust extraction of higher-moment observables such as skewness and kurtosis; in particular, we report direct measurements of the Binder cumulant which allows us to precisely identify the onset of the phase transition. Extending this approach to the investigation of non-equilibrium systems, we probe vortex unbinding dynamics following a quench across the BKT critical point and identify parameter-independent scaling behaviour of higher moments. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_16204 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Universal non-Gaussian order parameter statistics in 2D superfluids Beregi, Abel Chang, En Rydow, Erik Foot, Christopher J. Sunami, Shinichi Quantum Gases Atomic Physics Fluctuations are an intrinsic feature of many-body systems, and their full statistical distributions reveal a wealth of information about the underlying physics. Of particular interest are non-Gaussian, extreme-value statistics that arise when nontrivial correlations and criticality dominate over the central limit theorem. Strikingly, in two-dimensional (2D) quantum fluids, such effects have been predicted to manifest in the order parameter distribution in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) superfluid phase, which approaches a universal extreme-value form in the low-temperature limit. Here, we measure the order parameter statistics of 2D Bose gases across the BKT critical point using matter-wave interferometry. This allows us to confirm the predicted convergence of the observed statistics to a universal Gumbel distribution at low temperatures, to the 0.1% level of the probability density. Furthermore, the intrinsic precision of the atom interferometer allows the robust extraction of higher-moment observables such as skewness and kurtosis; in particular, we report direct measurements of the Binder cumulant which allows us to precisely identify the onset of the phase transition. Extending this approach to the investigation of non-equilibrium systems, we probe vortex unbinding dynamics following a quench across the BKT critical point and identify parameter-independent scaling behaviour of higher moments. |
| title | Universal non-Gaussian order parameter statistics in 2D superfluids |
| topic | Quantum Gases Atomic Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.16204 |