Quantum fluids of self-assembled chains of polar molecules at finite temperature

The finite temperature properties of self-assembled dipole chains of polar molecules in strongly confined pancake traps are investigated. The single-chain vibrations at finite temperature, which become important for long chains in a strongly interacting regime, are found to lower the transition temperature and to shift the chain distribution by less than 10%. We also propose experimental parameters to observe such quantum phase transition. © 2008 Chinese Physical Society and IOP Publishing Ltd.