Exchange-induced crystallization of soft core bosons

We study the phase diagram of a two-dimensional assembly of bosons interacting via a soft core repulsive pair potential of varying strength, and compare it to that of the equivalent system in which particles are regarded as distinguishable. We show that quantum-mechanical exchanges stabilize a "cluster crystal" phase in a wider region of parameter space than predicted by calculations in which exchanges are neglected. This physical effect is diametrically opposite to that which takes place in hard core Bose systems such as $^4$He, wherein exchanges strengthen the fluid phase. It is underlain in the cluster crystal phase of soft core bosons by the free energy gain associated to the formation of local Bose-Einstein condensates.

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