Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition in the one-dimensional quantum roughening model

We present numerical simulations of the one-dimensional quantum roughening model. We show that the system undergoes a zero-temperature phase transition of the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii type. This transition leads to a superfluid state (nondissipative mass transfer). The mechanism responsible for this transition is very similar to that of the phase transition in two-dimensional smectic crystals. © 1992 The American Physical Society.