Contributor info: Prof. Kareljan Schoutens

Pietro Richelli, Kareljan Schoutens, Alberto Zorzato

SciPost Phys. 17, 087 (2024) · published 23 September 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We study brick wall quantum circuits enjoying a global fermionic symmetry. The constituent 2-qubit gate, and its fermionic symmetry, derive from a 2-particle scattering matrix in integrable, supersymmetric quantum field theory in 1+1 dimensions. Our 2-qubit gate, as a function of three free parameters, is of so-called free fermionic or matchgate form, allowing us to derive the spectral structure of both the brick wall unitary $U_F$ and its, non-trivial, Hamiltonian limit $H_{\gamma}$ in closed form. We find that the fermionic symmetry pins $H_{\gamma}$ to a surface of critical points, whereas breaking that symmetry leads to non-trivial topological phases. We briefly explore quench dynamics for this class of circuits.

Natalia Chepiga, Jiří Minář, Kareljan Schoutens

SciPost Phys. 11, 059 (2021) · published 16 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Supersymmetric lattice models of constrained fermions are known to feature exotic phenomena such as superfrustration, with an extensive degeneracy of ground states, the nature of which is however generally unknown. Here we address this issue by considering a superfrustrated model, which we deform from the supersymetric point. By numerically studying its two-parameter phase diagram, we reveal a rich phenomenology. The vicinity of the supersymmetric point features period-4 and period-5 density waves which are connected by a floating phase (incommensurate Luttinger liquid) with smoothly varying density. The supersymmetric point emerges as a multicritical point between these three phases. Inside the period-4 phase we report a valence-bond solid type ground state that persists up to the supersymmetric point. Our numerical data for transitions out of density-wave phases are consistent with the Pokrovsky-Talapov universality class. Furthermore, our analysis unveiled a period-3 phase with a boundary determined by a competition between single and two-particle instabilities accompanied by a doubling of the wavevector of the density profiles along a line in the phase diagram.

T. Fokkema, K. Schoutens

SciPost Phys. 3, 004 (2017) · published 13 July 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The M$_k$ models for 1D lattice fermions are characterised by ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetry and by an order-$k$ clustering property. This paper highlights connections with quantum field theories (QFTs) in various regimes. At criticality the QFTs are minimal models of ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric conformal field theory (CFT) - we analyse finite size spectra on open chains with a variety of supersymmetry preserving boundary conditions. Specific staggering perturbations lead to a gapped regime corresponding to massive ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric QFT with Chebyshev superpotentials. At `extreme staggering' we uncover a simple physical picture with degenerate supersymmetric vacua and mobile kinks. We connect this kink-picture to the Chebyshev QFTs and use it to derive novel CFT character formulas. For clarity the focus in this paper is on the simplest models, M$_1$, M$_2$ and M$_3$.