Density fluctuations of a hard-core Bose gas in a one-dimensional lattice near the Mott insulating phase

The characteristic oscillations of the density-density correlation function and the resulting structure factor are studied for a hard-core Bose gas in a one-dimensional lattice. Their wavelength diverges as the system undergoes a continuous transition from an incommensurate to a Mott insulating phase. The transition is associated with a unit static structure factor and a vanishing sound velocity. The qualitative picture is unchanged when a weak confining potential is applied to the system.