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SciPost Physics

SciPost Physics Vol. 7 issue 5 (November 2019)

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Why are fractional charges of orientifolds compatible with Dirac quantization?

Yuji Tachikawa, Kazuya Yonekura

SciPost Phys. 7, 058 (2019) · published 1 November 2019 | · pdf

Orientifold $p$-planes with $p\le4$ have fractional D$p$-charges, and therefore appear inconsistent with Dirac quantization with respect to D$(6-p)$-branes. We explain in detail how this issue is resolved by taking into account the anomaly of the worldvolume fermions using the $\eta$ invariants. We also point out relationships to the classification of interacting fermionic symmetry protected topological phases. In an appendix, we point out that the duality group of type IIB string theory is the pin+ version of the double cover of $GL(2,\mathbb{Z})$.
If the weak were strong and the strong were weak

Nakarin Lohitsiri, David Tong

SciPost Phys. 7, 059 (2019) · published 8 November 2019 | · pdf

We explore the phase structure of the Standard Model as the relative strengths of the SU(2) weak force and SU(3) strong force are varied. With a single generation of fermions, the structure of chiral symmetry breaking suggests that there is no phase transition as we interpolate between the SU(3)-confining phase and the SU(2)-confining phase. Remarkably, the massless left-handed neutrino, familiar in our world, morphs smoothly into a massless right-handed down-quark. With multiple generations, a similar metamorphosis occurs, but now proceeding via a phase transition. In the second half of the paper we introduce a two-parameter extension of the Standard Model, a chiral gauge theory with gauge group U(1) x Sp(r) x SU(N). We again explore the phase structure of the theory as the relative strengths of the Sp(r) and SU(N) gauge couplings vary.
Fast counting with tensor networks

Stefanos Kourtis, Claudio Chamon, Eduardo R. Mucciolo, Andrei E. Ruckenstein

SciPost Phys. 7, 060 (2019) · published 12 November 2019 | · pdf

We introduce tensor network contraction algorithms for counting satisfying assignments of constraint satisfaction problems (#CSPs). We represent each arbitrary #CSP formula as a tensor network, whose full contraction yields the number of satisfying assignments of that formula, and use graph theoretical methods to determine favorable orders of contraction. We employ our heuristics for the solution of #P-hard counting boolean satisfiability (#SAT) problems, namely monotone #1-in-3SAT and #Cubic-Vertex-Cover, and find that they outperform state-of-the-art solvers by a significant margin.
Reproducing topological properties with quasi-Majorana states

Adriaan Vuik, Bas Nijholt, Anton R. Akhmerov, Michael Wimmer

SciPost Phys. 7, 061 (2019) · published 12 November 2019 | · pdf

Andreev bound states in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices can have near-zero energy in the topologically trivial regime as long as the confinement potential is sufficiently smooth. These quasi-Majorana states show zero-bias conductance features in a topologically trivial phase, mimicking spatially separated topological Majorana states. We show that in addition to the suppressed coupling between the quasi-Majorana states, also the coupling of these states across a tunnel barrier to the outside is exponentially different for increasing magnetic field. As a consequence, quasi-Majorana states mimic most of the proposed Majorana signatures: quantized zero-bias peaks, the $4\pi$ Josephson effect, and the tunneling spectrum in presence of a normal quantum dot. We identify a quantized conductance dip instead of a peak in the open regime as a distinguishing feature of true Majorana states in addition to having a bulk topological transition. Because braiding schemes rely only on the ability to couple to individual Majorana states, the exponential control over coupling strengths allows to also use quasi-Majorana states for braiding. Therefore, while the appearance of quasi-Majorana states complicates the observation of topological Majorana states, it opens an alternative route towards braiding of non-Abelian anyons and protected quantum computation.
Real-time discrimination of photon pairs using machine learning at the LHC

Sean Benson, Adrián Casais Vidal, Xabier Cid Vidal, Albert Puig Navarro

SciPost Phys. 7, 062 (2019) · published 13 November 2019 | · pdf

ALP-mediated decays and other as-yet unobserved $B$ decays to di-photon final states are a challenge to select in hadron collider environments due to the large backgrounds that come directly from the $pp$ collision. We present the strategy implemented by the LHCb experiment in 2018 to efficiently select such photon pairs. A fast neural network topology, implemented in the LHCb real-time selection framework achieves high efficiency across a mass range of $4-20$ GeV$/c^{2}$. We discuss implications and future prospects for the LHCb experiment.
Thermal decay without information loss in horizonless microstate geometries

Iosif Bena, Pierre Heidmann, Ruben Monten, Nicholas P. Warner

SciPost Phys. 7, 063 (2019) · published 14 November 2019 | · pdf

We develop a new hybrid WKB technique to compute boundary-to-boundary scalar Green functions in asymptotically-AdS backgrounds in which the scalar wave equation is separable and is explicitly solvable in the asymptotic region. We apply this technique to a family of six-dimensional $\frac{1}{8}$-BPS asymptotically AdS$_3\,\times\,$S$^3$ horizonless geometries that have the same charges and angular momenta as a D1-D5-P black hole with a large horizon area. At large and intermediate distances, these geometries very closely approximate the extremal-BTZ$\,\times\,$S$^3$ geometry of the black hole, but instead of having an event horizon, these geometries have a smooth highly-redshifted global-AdS$_3\,\times\,$S$^3$ cap in the IR. We show that the response function of a scalar probe, in momentum space, is essentially given by the pole structure of the highly-redshifted global-AdS$_3$ modulated by the BTZ response function. In position space, this translates into a sharp exponential black-hole-like decay for times shorter than $N_1 N_5$, followed by the emergence of evenly spaced "echoes from the cap," with period $\sim N_1 N_5$. Our result shows that horizonless microstate geometries can have the same thermal decay as black holes without the associated information loss.
Statistics of correlation functions in the random Heisenberg chain

Luis Colmenarez, Paul A. McClarty, Masudul Haque, David J. Luitz

SciPost Phys. 7, 064 (2019) · published 21 November 2019 | · pdf

Ergodic quantum many-body systems satisfy the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH). However, strong disorder can destroy ergodicity through many-body localization (MBL) -- at least in one dimensional systems -- leading to a clear signal of the MBL transition in the probability distributions of energy eigenstate expectation values of local operators. For a paradigmatic model of MBL, namely the random-field Heisenberg spin chain, we consider the full probability distribution of eigenstate correlation functions across the entire phase diagram. We find gaussian distributions at weak disorder, as predicted by pure ETH. At intermediate disorder -- in the thermal phase -- we find further evidence for anomalous thermalization in the form of heavy tails of the distributions. In the MBL phase, we observe peculiar features of the correlator distributions: a strong asymmetry in $S_i^z S_{i+r}^z$ correlators skewed towards negative values; and a multimodal distribution for spin-flip correlators. A quantitative quasi-degenerate perturbation theory calculation of these correlators yields a surprising agreement of the full distribution with the exact results, revealing, in particular, the origin of the multiple peaks in the spin-flip correlator distribution as arising from the resonant and off-resonant admixture of spin configurations. The distribution of the $S_i^zS_{i+r}^z$ correlator exhibits striking differences between the MBL and Anderson insulator cases.
An index for quantum integrability

Shota Komatsu, Raghu Mahajan, Shu-Heng Shao

SciPost Phys. 7, 065 (2019) · published 26 November 2019 | · pdf

The existence of higher-spin quantum conserved currents in two dimensions guarantees quantum integrability. We revisit the question of whether classically-conserved local higher-spin currents in two-dimensional sigma models survive quantization. We define an integrability index $\mathcal{I}(J)$ for each spin $J$, with the property that $\mathcal{I}(J)$ is a lower bound on the number of quantum conserved currents of spin $J$. In particular, a positive value for the index establishes the existence of quantum conserved currents. For a general coset model, with or without extra discrete symmetries, we derive an explicit formula for a generating function that encodes the indices for all spins. We apply our techniques to the $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$ model, the $O(N)$ model, and the flag sigma model $\frac{U(N)}{U(1)^{N}}$. For the $O(N)$ model, we establish the existence of a spin-6 quantum conserved current, in addition to the well-known spin-4 current. The indices for the $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$ model for $N>2$ are all non-positive, consistent with the fact that these models are not integrable. The indices for the flag sigma model $\frac{U(N)}{U(1)^{N}}$ for $N>2$ are all negative. Thus, it is unlikely that the flag sigma models are integrable.
From "weak" to "strong" hole confinement in a Mott insulator

Krzysztof Bieniasz, Piotr Wrzosek, Andrzej M. Oles, Krzysztof Wohlfeld

SciPost Phys. 7, 066 (2019) · published 27 November 2019 | · pdf

We study the problem of a single hole in an Ising antiferromagnet and, using the magnon expansion and analytical methods, determine the expansion coefficients of its wave function in the magnon basis. In the 1D case, the hole is "weakly" confined in a potential well and the magnon coefficients decay exponentially in the absence of a string potential. This behavior is in sharp contrast to the 2D square plane where the hole is "strongly" confined by a string potential and the magnon coefficients decay superexponentially. The latter is identified here to be a fingerprint of the strings in doped antiferromagnets that can be recognized in the numerical or cold atom simulations of the 2D doped Hubbard model. Finally, we attribute the differences between the 1D and 2D cases to the magnon-magnon interactions being crucially important in a 1D spin system.
Dissipation-induced topological insulators: A no-go theorem and a recipe

Moshe Goldstein

SciPost Phys. 7, 067 (2019) · published 27 November 2019 | · pdf

Nonequilibrium conditions are traditionally seen as detrimental to the appearance of quantum-coherent many-body phenomena, and much effort is often devoted to their elimination. Recently this approach has changed: It has been realized that driven-dissipative dynamics could be used as a resource. By proper engineering of the reservoirs and their couplings to a system, one may drive the system towards desired quantum-correlated steady states, even in the absence of internal Hamiltonian dynamics. An intriguing category of equilibrium many-particle phases are those which are distinguished by topology rather than by symmetry. A natural question thus arises: which of these topological states can be achieved as the result of dissipative Lindblad-type (Markovian) evolution? Beside its fundamental importance, it may offer novel routes to the realization of topologically-nontrivial states in quantum simulators, especially ultracold atomic gases. Here I give a general answer for Gaussian states and quadratic Lindblad evolution, mostly concentrating on 2D Chern insulator states. I prove a no-go theorem stating that a finite-range Lindbladian cannot induce finite-rate exponential decay towards a unique topological pure state above 1D. I construct a recipe for creating such state by exponentially-local dynamics, or a mixed state arbitrarily close to the desired pure one via finite-range dynamics. I also address the cold-atom realization, classification, and detection of these states. Extensions to other types of topological insulators and superconductors are also discussed.
Gauging permutation symmetries as a route to non-Abelian fractons

Abhinav Prem, Dominic J. Williamson

SciPost Phys. 7, 068 (2019) · published 28 November 2019 | · pdf

We discuss the procedure for gauging on-site $\mathbb{Z}_2$ global symmetries of three-dimensional lattice Hamiltonians that permute quasi-particles and provide general arguments demonstrating the non-Abelian character of the resultant gauged theories. We then apply this general procedure to lattice models of several well known fracton phases: two copies of the X-Cube model, two copies of Haah's cubic code, and the checkerboard model. Where the former two models possess an on-site $\mathbb{Z}_2$ layer exchange symmetry, that of the latter is generated by the Hadamard gate. For each of these models, upon gauging, we find non-Abelian subdimensional excitations, including non-Abelian fractons, as well as non-Abelian looplike excitations and Abelian fully mobile pointlike excitations. By showing that the looplike excitations braid non-trivially with the subdimensional excitations, we thus discover a novel gapped quantum order in 3D, which we term a "panoptic" fracton order. This points to the existence of parent states in 3D from which both topological quantum field theories and fracton states may descend via quasi-particle condensation. The gauged cubic code model represents the first example of a gapped 3D phase supporting (inextricably) non-Abelian fractons that are created at the corners of fractal operators.
Entanglement spectrum and symmetries in non-Hermitian fermionic non-interacting models

Loïc Herviou, Nicolas Regnault, Jens H. Bardarson

SciPost Phys. 7, 069 (2019) · published 28 November 2019 | · pdf

We study the properties of the entanglement spectrum in gapped non-interacting non-Hermitian systems, and its relation to the topological properties of the system Hamiltonian. Two different families of entanglement Hamiltonians can be defined in non-Hermitian systems, depending on whether we consider only right (or equivalently only left) eigenstates or a combination of both left and right eigenstates. We show that their entanglement spectra can still be computed efficiently, as in the Hermitian limit. We discuss how symmetries of the Hamiltonian map into symmetries of the entanglement spectrum depending on the choice of the many-body state. Through several examples in one and two dimensions, we show that the biorthogonal entanglement Hamiltonian directly inherits the topological properties of the Hamiltonian for line gapped phases, with characteristic singular and energy zero modes. The right (left) density matrix carries distinct information on the topological properties of the many-body right (left) eigenstates themselves. In purely point gapped phases, when the energy bands are not separable, the relation between the entanglement Hamiltonian and the system Hamiltonian breaks down.
Constraining the SMEFT with Bayesian reweighting

Samuel van Beek, Emanuele R. Nocera, Juan Rojo, Emma Slade

SciPost Phys. 7, 070 (2019) · published 29 November 2019 | · pdf

We illustrate how Bayesian reweighting can be used to incorporate the constraints provided by new measurements into a global Monte Carlo analysis of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). This method, extensively applied to study the impact of new data on the parton distribution functions of the proton, is here validated by means of our recent SMEFiT analysis of the top quark sector. We show how, under well-defined conditions and for the SMEFT operators directly sensitive to the new data, the reweighting procedure is equivalent to a corresponding new fit. We quantify the amount of information added to the SMEFT parameter space by means of the Shannon entropy and of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic. We investigate the dependence of our results upon the choice of alternative expressions of the weights.
Quenching the Kitaev honeycomb model

Louk Rademaker

SciPost Phys. 7, 071 (2019) · published 29 November 2019 | · pdf

I studied the non-equilibrium response of an initial N\'{e}el state under time evolution with the Kitaev honeycomb model. With isotropic interactions ($J_x = J_y = J_z$) the system quickly loses its antiferromagnetic order and crosses over into a steady state valence bond solid, which can be inferred from the long-range dimer correlations. There is no signature of a dynamical phase transition. Upon including anisotropy ($J_x = J_y \neq J_z$), an exponentially long prethermal regime appears with persistent magnetization oscillations whose period derives from an effective toric code.