Abstract

We study a one-dimensional multicomponent anyon model that reduces to a multicomponent Lieb-Liniger gas of impenetrable bosons (Tonks-Girardeau gas) for vanishing statistics parameter. At fixed component densities, the coordinate Bethe ansatz gives a family of quantum phase transitions at special values of the statistics parameter. We show that the ground-state energy changes extensively between different phases. Special regimes are studied and a general classification for the transition points is given. An interpretation in terms of statistics of composite particles is proposed. © 2012 American Physical Society.