Dual simulation of finite density lattice QED at large mass

Abstract

We discuss a mapping of lattice QED with two flavors and a chemical potential to dual variables, which are surfaces for the gauge fields and loops for the fermions. The gauge fields are completely dualized and the corresponding dual variables are integer valued plaquette occupation numbers with constraints that lead to a structure of surfaces that are either closed or bounded by fermion loops. The fermion loops are obtained from a resummed hopping expansion (large mass expansion) of the determinant of the Wilson-Dirac operator. The loops can come with both positive and negative signs. We identify a sub-class of loops, which we refer to as quasi-planar loops, where the total sign is positive. For this sub-class a dual Monte Carlo simulation is possible and we discuss its implementation and some results. In particular we address condensation phenomena at finite chemical potential.