Topological multicritical point in the Toric Code and 3D gauge Higgs Models

We report a new type of multicritical point that arises from competition between the Higgs and confinement transitions in a Z_2 gauge system. The phase diagram of the 3d gauge Higgs model has been obtained by Monte-Carlo simulation on large (up to 60^3) lattices. We find the transition lines continue as 2nd-order until merging into a 1st-order line. These findings pose the question of an effective field theory for a multicritical point involving noncommuting order parameters. A similar phase diagram is predicted for the 2-dimensional quantum toric code model with two external fields, h_z and h_x; this problem can be mapped onto an anisotropic 3D gauge Higgs model.