Positivity and dense matter

Abstract

We elaborate on previous results concerning the positivity of the Euclidean path integral measure for low-energy modes in dense fermionic matter. We show that the sign problem usually associated with fermions is absent if one considers only low-energy degrees of freedom. We describe a method for simulating dense QCD on the lattice and give a proof using rigorous inequalities that the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase is the true vacuum of three flavor, massless QCD. We also discuss applications to electronic systems in condensed matter, such as generalized Hubbard models.