We consider the extended hard-core Bose-Hubbard model on a kagome lattice with boundary conditions on two edges. We find that the sharp edges lift the degeneracy and freeze the system into a striped order at $1/3$ and $2/3$ filling for zero hopping. At small hopping strengths, holes spontaneously appear and separate into fractional charges which move to the edges of the system. This leads to a novel edge liquid phase, which is characterized by fractional charges near the edges and a finite edge compressibility but no superfluid density. The compressibility is due to excitations on the edge which display a chiral symmetry breaking that is reminiscent of the quantum Hall effect and topological insulators. Large scale Monte Carlo simulations confirm the analytical considerations.

• Received 14 May 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.147201