  A generalization of the one-dimensional frustrated quantum XY model is
considered in which the inter and intra-chain coupling constants of the two
infinite XY (planar rotor) chains have different strengths. The model can
describe the superconductor to insulator transition due to charging effects in
a ladder of Josephson junctions in a magnetic field with half a flux quantum
per plaquette. From a fluctuation-effective action, this transition is expected
to be in the universality class of the two-dimensional classical XY-Ising
model. The critical behavior is studied using a Monte Carlo transfer matrix
applied to the path-integral representation of the model and a
finite-size-scaling analysis of data on small system sizes. It is found that,
unlike the previous studied case of equal inter and intra-chain coupling
constants, the XY and Ising-like excitations of the quantum model decouple for
large interchain coupling, giving rise to pure Ising model critical behavior
for the chirality order parameter and a superconductor-insulator transition in
the universality class of the 2D classical XY model.
