  Quantum dimer models on bipartite lattices exhibit Rokhsar-Kivelson (RK)
points with exactly known critical ground states and deconfined spinons. We
examine generic, weak, perturbations around these points. In d=2+1 we find a
first order transition between a ``plaquette'' valence bond crystal and a
region with a devil's staircase of commensurate and incommensurate valence bond
crystals. In the part of the phase diagram where the staircase is incomplete,
the incommensurate states exhibit a gapless photon and deconfined spinons on a
set of finite measure, almost but not quite a deconfined phase in a compact
U(1) gauge theory in d=2+1! In d=3+1 we find a continuous transition between
the U(1) resonating valence bond (RVB) phase and a deconfined staggered valence
bond crystal. In an appendix we comment on analogous phenomena in quantum
vertex models, most notably the existence of a continuous transition on the
triangular lattice in d=2+1.
