CONFINEMENT-DECONFINEMENT TRANSITION IN DISSIPATIVE GAUGE FIELD

The effect of dissipation on confinement is studied for compact QED. T his model is relevant to the recently developed gauge theory of high-T (c) superconductors. The global phase diagram of the gauge field is cl arified in the parameter space of the coupling constant g, the strengt h of dissipation gamma, and the temperature T. Confinement is drastica lly suppressed by dissipation, and the deconfining phase appears even in the strong-coupling and zero temperature limit when gamma exceeds a critical value. This result supports the spin-charge separation in th e resonating-valence-bond state.