Static potential, force, and flux-tube profile in 4D compact U(1) lattice gauge theory with the multi-level algorithm Original Research Article

The long range properties of four-dimensional compact U(1) lattice gauge theory with the Wilson action in the confinement phase is studied by using the multi-level algorithm. The static potential, force and flux-tube profile between two static charges are successfully measured from the correlation function involving the Polyakov loop. The universality of the coefficient of the 1/r correction to the static potential, known as the Lüscher term, and the transversal width of the flux-tube profile as a function of its length are investigated. While the result supports the presence of the 1/r correction, the width of the flux tube shows an almost constant behavior at a large distance.