Sturmian ground states in classical lattice-gas models

Abstract

We construct for the first time examples of non-frustrated, two-body, infinite-range, one-dimensional classical lattice-gas models without periodic ground-state configurations. Ground-state configurations of our models are Sturmian sequences defined by irrational rotations on the circle. We present minimal sets of forbidden patterns which define Sturmian sequences in a unique way. Our interactions assign positive energies to forbidden patterns and are equal to zero otherwise. We illustrate our construction by the well-known example of the Fibonacci sequences.