Pseudospin S = 1 formalism and skyrmion-like excitations in the three-body constrained extended Bose–Hubbard model

Abstract

We discuss the most prominent and intensively studied S = 1 pseudospin formalism for the extended bosonic Hubbard model (EBHM) with the on-site Hilbert space truncated to the three lowest occupation states n = 0, 1, 2. The EBHM Hamiltonian is a paradigmatic model for the highly topical field of ultracold gases in optical lattices. The generalized non-Heisenberg effective pseudospin Hamiltonian does provide a deep link with a boson system and a physically clear description of “the myriad of phases,” from uniform Mott insulating phases and density waves to two types of superfluids and supersolids. We argue that the 2D pseudospin system is prone to a topological phase separation and focus on several types of unconventional skyrmion-like topological structures in 2D boson systems, which have not been analyzed until now. The structures are characterized by a complicated interplay of insulating and two superfluid phases with a single- boson and two-boson condensation, respectively. © 2015, Pleiades Publishing, Inc.