Publications

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• Kinetics of quantum reaction-diffusion systems

  Federico Gerbino, Igor Lesanovsky, Gabriele Perfetto

  SciPost Phys. Core 8, 014 (2025) · published 4 February 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We discuss many-body fermionic and bosonic systems subject to dissipative particle losses in arbitrary spatial dimensions $d$, within the Keldysh path-integral formulation of the quantum master equation. This open quantum dynamics represents a generalisation of classical reaction-diffusion dynamics to the quantum realm. We first show how initial conditions can be introduced in the Keldysh path integral via boundary terms. We then study binary annihilation reactions $A+A\to \emptyset$, for which we derive a Boltzmann-like kinetic equation. The ensuing algebraic decay in time for the particle density depends on the particle statistics. In order to model possible experimental implementations with cold atoms, for fermions in $d=1$ we further discuss inhomogeneous cases involving the presence of a trapping potential. In this context, we quantify the irreversibility of the dynamics studying the time evolution of the system entropy for different quenches of the trapping potential. We find that the system entropy features algebraic decay for confining quenches, while it saturates in deconfined scenarios.

  1 citation

• Localization control born of intertwined quasiperiodicity and non-Hermiticity

  Junmo Jeon, SungBin Lee

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 077 (2023) · published 9 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Quasiperiodic systems are neither randomly disordered nor translationally invariant in the absence of periodic length scales. Based on their incommensurate order, novel physical properties such as critical states and self-similar wavefunctions have been actively discussed. However, in open systems generally described by the non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, it is hardly known how such quasiperiodic order would lead to new phenomena. In this work, we show that the intertwined quasiperiodicity and non-Hermiticity can give rise to striking effects: perfect delocalization of the critical and localized states to the extended states. In particular, we explore the wave function localization character in the Aubry-André-Fibonacci (AAF) model where non-reciprocal hopping phases are present. Here, the AAF model continuously interpolates the two different limits between metal to insulator transition and the critical states, and the non-Hermiticity is encoded in the hopping phase factors. Surprisingly, their interplay results in the perfect delocalization of the states, which is never allowed in quasiperiodic systems with Hermiticity. By quantifying the localization via the inverse participation ratio and the fractal dimension, we discuss that the non-Hermitian hopping phase leads to delicate control of localization characteristics of the wave function. Our work offers (1) emergent delocalization transition in quasiperiodic systems via non-Hermitian hopping phase and (2) detailed localization control of the critical states. In addition, we suggest an experimental realization of controllable localized, critical and delocalized states, using photonic crystals.

  1 citation

• Reconstructing partonic kinematics at colliders with machine learning

  David F. Rentería Estrada, Roger J. Hernández-Pinto, German F. R. Sborlini, Pia Zurita

  SciPost Phys. Core 5, 049 (2022) · published 31 October 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In the context of high-energy physics, a reliable description of the parton-level kinematics plays a crucial role for understanding the internal structure of hadrons and improving the precision of the calculations. In proton-proton collisions, this represents a challenging task since extracting such information from experimental data is not straightforward. With this in mind, we propose to tackle this problem by studying the production of one hadron and a direct photon in proton-proton collisions, including up to Next-to-Leading Order Quantum Chromodynamics and Leading-Order Quantum Electrodynamics corrections. Using Monte-Carlo integration, we simulate the collisions and analyze the events to determine the correlations among measurable and partonic quantities. Then, we use these results to feed three different Machine Learning algorithms that allow us to find the momentum fractions of the partons involved in the process, in terms of suitable combinations of the final state momenta. Our results are compatible with previous findings and suggest a powerful application of Machine-Learning to model high-energy collisions at the partonic-level with high-precision.

  1 citation

• Constraints on the spectrum of field theories with non-integer $O(N)$ symmetry from quantum evanescence

  Weiguang Cao, Xiaochuan Lu, Tom Melia

  SciPost Phys. Core 7, 055 (2024) · published 14 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We identify constraints in the energy spectra of quantum theories that have a global $O(N)$ symmetry, where $N$ is treated as a continuous parameter. We point out that a class of evanescent states fall out of the spectrum at integer values of $N$ in pairs, via an annihilation mechanism. This forces the energies of the states in such a pair to approach equality as $N$ approaches a certain integer, with both states disappearing at precisely integer $N$ and the point of would-be degeneracy. These constraints occur between different irreducible representations of the analytic continuation of $O(N)$ and hold non-perturbatively. We give examples in the spectra of the critical $O(N)$ model.

  1 citation

• Gravitational higher-form symmetries and the origin of hidden symmetries in Kaluza-Klein compactifications

  Carmen Gómez-Fayrén, Tomás Ortín, Matteo Zatti

  SciPost Phys. Core 8, 010 (2025) · published 29 January 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We show that, in presence of isometries and non-trivial topology, the Einstein–Hilbert action is invariant under certain transformations of the metric which are not diffeomorphisms. These transformations are similar to the higher-form symmetries of field theories with $p$-form fields. In the context of toroidal Kaluza–Klein compactifications, we show that these symmetries give rise to some of the "hidden symmetries" (dualities) of the dimensionally-reduced theories.

  1 citation

• Identifying hadronic charmonium decays in hadron colliders

  Nicolo de Groot, Sergi Castells

  SciPost Phys. Core 2, 008 (2020) · published 2 June 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Identification of charmonium states at hadron colliders has mostly been limited to leptonic decays of the J/{\psi}. In this paper we present and algorithm to identify hadronic decays of charmonium states (J/{\psi}, {\psi}(2S), \chi_{c0,1,2}) which make up the large majority of all decays. The algorithm is able to identify hadronic $J/\psi$ decays with an efficiency of 36\% while suppressing a background of quark and gluon jets by a factor 100.

  1 citation

• Dipole symmetry breaking and fractonic Nambu-Goldstone mode

  Evangelos Afxonidis, Alessio Caddeo, Carlos Hoyos, Daniele Musso

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 082 (2023) · published 28 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We introduce a family of quantum field theories for fields carrying monopole and dipole charges. In contrast to previous realizations, fields have quadratic two-derivative kinetic terms. The dipole symmetry algebra is realized in a discretized internal space and connected to the physical space through a background gauge field. We study spontaneous symmetry breaking of dipole symmetry in 1+1 dimensions in a large-$N$ limit. The trivial classical vacuum is lifted by quantum corrections into a vacuum which breaks dipole symmetry while preserving monopole charge. By means of a Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation, heat-kernel and large-$N$ techniques, we compute the effective action for the low-energy modes. We encounter a fractonic immobile Nambu-Goldstone mode whose dispersion characteristics avoid Coleman-Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem independently of the large-$N$ limit.

  1 citation

• Probing a leptophobic top-colour model with cross section measurements and precise signal and background predictions: A case study

  Mohammad Mahdi Altakach, Jonathan Mark Butterworth, Tomáš Ježo, Michael Klasen, Ingo Schienbein

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 014 (2023) · published 17 March 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The sensitivity of particle-level fiducial cross section measurements from ATLAS, CMS and LHCb to a leptophobic top-colour model is studied. The model has previously been the subject of resonance searches. Here we compare it directly to state-of-the-art predictions for Standard Model top quark production and also take into account next-to-leading order predictions for the new physics signal. We make use of the Contur framework to evaluate the sensitivity of the current measurements, first under the default Contur assumption that the measurement and the SM exactly coincide, and then using the full SM theory calculation for $t\bar{t}$ at next-to-leading and next-to-next-to-leading order as the background model. We derive exclusion limits, discuss the differences between these approaches, and compare to the limits from resonance searches by ATLAS and CMS.

  1 citation

• Excitation transfer in disordered spin chains with long-range exchange interactions

  Nikolaos E. Palaiodimopoulos, Maximilian Kiefer-Emmanouilidis, Gershon Kurizki, David Petrosyan

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 017 (2023) · published 22 March 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We examine spin excitation or polarization transfer via spin chains with long-range exchange interactions in the presence of diagonal and off-diagonal disorder. To this end, we determine the mean localization length of the single-excitation eigenstates of the chain for various strengths of the disorder. We then identify the energy eigenstates of the system with large localization length and sufficient support at the chain boundaries that are suitable to transfer an excitation between the sender and receiver spins connected to the opposite ends of the chain. We quantify the performance of two transfer schemes involving weak static couplings of the sender and receiver spins to the chain, and time-dependent couplings realizing stimulated adiabatic passage of the excitation via the intermediate eigenstates of the chain which exhibits improved performance.

  1 citation

• Beyond PT-symmetry: Towards a symmetry-metric relation for time-dependent non-Hermitian Hamiltonians

  Luís F. Alves da Silva, Rodrigo A. Dourado, Miled H. Y. Moussa

  SciPost Phys. Core 5, 012 (2022) · published 14 March 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this work we first propose a method for the derivation of a general continuous antilinear time-dependent (TD) symmetry operator I(t) for a TD non-Hermitian Hamiltonian H(t). Assuming H(t) to be simultaneously ρ(t)-pseudo-Hermitian and Ξ(t)-anti-pseudo-Hermitian, we also derive the antilinear symmetry I(t)=Ξ⁻¹(t)ρ(t), which retrieves an important result obtained by Mostafazadeh [J. Math, Phys. 43, 3944 (2002)] for the time-independent (TI) scenario. We apply our method for the derivaton of the symmetry associated with TD non-Hermitian linear and quadratic Hamiltonians. The computed TD symmetry operators for both cases are then particularized for their equivalent TI lHamiltonians and PT-symmetric restrictions. In the TI scenario we retrieve the well-known Bender-Berry-Mandilara result for the symmetry operator: I^{2k}=1 with k odd [J. Phys. A 35, L467 (2002)]. The results here derived allow us to propose a useful symmetry-metric relation for TD non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. From this relation the TD metric is automatically derived from the TD symmetry of the problem. Then, when placed in perspective with the antilinear symmetry I(t)=Ξ⁻¹(t)ρ(t), the symmetry-metric relation finally allow us to derive the Ξ(t)-anti-pseudo-Hermitian operator. Our results reinforce the prospects of going beyond PT-symmetric quantum mechanics making the field of pseudo-Hermiticity even more comprehensive and promising.

  1 citation