Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Investigating the roots of the nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology

  Lisa Markhof, Mikhail Pletyukhov, Volker Meden

  SciPost Phys. 7, 047 (2019) · published 9 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology of one-dimensional correlated Fermi systems is an attempt to describe the effect of the band curvature beyond the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid paradigm. It relies on the observation that the dynamical structure factor of the interacting electron gas shows a logarithmic threshold singularity when evaluated to first order perturbation theory in the two-particle interaction. This term was interpreted as the linear one in an expansion which was conjectured to resum to a power law. A field theory, the mobile impurity model, which is constructed such that it provides the power law in the structure factor, was suggested to be the proper effective model and used to compute the single-particle spectral function. This forms the basis of the nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology. Surprisingly, the second order perturbative contribution to the structure factor was so far not studied. We first close this gap and show that it is consistent with the conjectured power law. Secondly, we critically assess the steps leading to the mobile impurity Hamiltonian. We show that the model does not allow to include the effect of the momentum dependence of the (bulk) two-particle potential. This dependence was recently shown to spoil power laws in the single-particle spectral function which previously were believed to be part of the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid universality. Although our second order results for the structure factor are consistent with power-law scaling, this raises doubts that the conjectured nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology can be considered as universal. We conclude that more work is required to clarify this.

  5 citations

• Aspects of high energy scattering

  Chris D. White

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 13 (2020) · published 7 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Scattering amplitudes in quantum field theories are of widespread interest, due to a large number of theoretical and phenomenological applications. Much is known about the possible behaviour of amplitudes, that is independent of the details of the underlying theory. This knowledge is often neglected in modern QFT courses, and the aim of these notes - aimed at graduate students - is to redress this. We review the possible singularities that amplitudes can have, before examining the generic behaviour that can arise in the high-energy limit. Finally, we illustrate the results using examples from QCD and gravity.

  5 citations

• NNLO constraints on proton PDFs from the SeaQuest and STAR experiments and other developments in the CTEQ-TEA global analysis

  Marco Guzzi, T. J. Hobbs, Tie-Jiun Hou, Xiaoxian Jing, Keping Xie, Aurore Courtoy, Sayipjamal Dulat, Jun Gao, Joey Huston, Pavel M. Nadolsky, Carl Schmidt, Ibrahim Sitiwaldi, Mengshi Yan, C.-P. Yuan

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 005 (2022) · published 11 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We review progress in the global QCD analysis by the CTEQ-TEA group since the publication of CT18 parton distribution functions (PDFs) in the proton. Specifically, we discuss comparisons of CT18 NNLO predictions with the LHC 13 TeV measurements as well as with the FNAL SeaQuest and BNL STAR data on lepton pair production. The specialized CT18X PDFs approximating saturation effects are compared with the CT18sx PDFs obtained using NLL/NLO small-x resummation. Short summaries are presented for the special CT18 parton distributions with fitted charm and with lattice QCD inputs. A recent comparative analysis of the impact of deuteron nuclear effects on the parton distributions by the CTEQ-JLab and CTEQ-TEA groups is summarized.

  5 citations

• An objective collapse model without state dependent stochasticity

  Lotte Mertens, Matthijs Wesseling, Jasper van Wezel

  SciPost Phys. 14, 114 (2023) · published 16 May 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The impossibility of describing measurement in quantum mechanics while using a quantum mechanical model for the measurement machine, remains one of its central problems. Objective collapse theories attempt to resolve this problem by proposing alterations to Schrödinger's equation. Here, we present a minimal model for an objective collapse theory that, in contrast to previous proposals, does not employ state dependent stochastic terms in its construction. It is an explicit proof of principle that it is possible for Born's rule to emerge from a stochastic evolution in which no properties of the stochastic process depend on the state being evolved. We propose the presented model as a basis from which more realistic objective collapse theories can be constructed.

  5 citations

• An introduction to kinks in $\varphi^4$-theory

  Mariya Lizunova, Jasper van Wezel

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 23 (2021) · published 3 February 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  As a low-energy effective model emerging in disparate fields throughout all of physics, the ubiquitous $\varphi^4$-theory is one of the central models of modern theoretical physics. Its topological defects, or kinks, describe stable, particle-like excitations that play a central role in processes ranging from cosmology to particle physics and condensed matter theory. In these lecture notes, we introduce the description of kinks in $\varphi^4$-theory and the various physical processes that govern their dynamics. The notes are aimed at advanced undergraduate students, and emphasis is placed on stimulating qualitative insight into the rich phenomenology encountered in kink dynamics. The appendices contain more detailed derivations, and allow enquiring students to also obtain a quantitative understanding. Topics covered include the topological classification of stable solutions, kink collisions, the formation of bions, resonant scattering of kinks, and kink-impurity interactions.

  5 citations

• Anomalous phase ordering of a quenched ferromagnetic superfluid

  Lewis A. Williamson, P. Blair Blakie

  SciPost Phys. 7, 029 (2019) · published 9 September 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Coarsening dynamics, the canonical theory of phase ordering following a quench across a symmetry breaking phase transition, is thought to be driven by the annihilation of topological defects. Here we show that this understanding is incomplete. We simulate the dynamics of an isolated spin-1 condensate quenched into the easy-plane ferromagnetic phase and find that the mutual annihilation of spin vortices does not take the system to the equilibrium state. A nonequilibrium background of long wavelength spin waves remain at the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless temperature, an order of magnitude hotter than the equilibrium temperature. The coarsening continues through a second much slower scale invariant process with a length scale that grows with time as $t^{1/3}$. This second regime of coarsening is associated with spin wave energy transport from low to high wavevectors, bringing about the the eventual equilibrium state. Because the relevant spin waves are noninteracting, the transport occurs through a dynamic coupling to other degrees of freedom of the system. The transport displays features of a spin wave energy cascade, providing a potential profitable connection with the emerging field of spin wave turbulence. Strongly coupling the system to a reservoir destroys the second regime of coarsening, allowing the system to thermalise following the annihilation of vortices.

  5 citations

• 2-group global symmetries, hydrodynamics and holography

  Nabil Iqbal, Napat Poovuttikul

  SciPost Phys. 15, 063 (2023) · published 16 August 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  2-group global symmetries are a particular example of how higher-form and conventional global symmetries can fuse together into a larger structure. We construct a theory of hydrodynamics describing the finite-temperature realization of a 2-group global symmetry composed out of $U(1)$ zero-form and $U(1)$ one-form symmetries. We study aspects of the thermodynamics from a Euclidean partition function and derive constitutive relations for ideal hydrodynamics from various points of view. Novel features of the resulting theory include an analogue of the chiral magnetic effect and a chiral sound mode propagating along magnetic field lines. We also discuss a minimalist holographic description of a theory dual to 2-group global symmetry and verify predictions from hydrodynamic descriptions. Along the way we clarify some aspects of symmetry breaking in higher-form theories at finite temperature.

  5 citations

• A comment on instantons and their fermion zero modes in adjoint QCD_2

  Andrei Smilga

  SciPost Phys. 10, 152 (2021) · published 22 June 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The adjoint 2-dimensional $QCD$ with the gauge group $SU(N)/Z_N$ admits topologically nontrivial gauge field configurations associated with nontrivial $\pi_1[SU(N)/Z_N] = Z_N$. The topological sectors are labelled by an integer $k=0,\ldots, N-1$. However, in contrast to $QED_2$ and $QCD_4$, this topology is not associated with an integral invariant like the magnetic flux or Pontryagin index. These instantons may admit fermion zero modes, but there is always an equal number of left-handed and right-handed modes, so that the Atiyah-Singer theorem, which determines in other cases the number of the modes, does not apply. The mod. 2 argument suggests that, for a generic gauge field configuration, there is either a single doublet of such zero modes or no modes whatsoever. However, the known solution of the Dirac problem for a wide class of gauge field configurations indicates the presence of $k(N-k)$ zero mode doublets in the topological sector $k$. In this note, we demonstrate in an explicit way that these modes are not robust under a generic enough deformation of the gauge background and confirm thereby the mod. 2 conjecture. The implications for the physics of this theory (screening vs. confinement issue) are briefly discussed.

  5 citations

• Density induced vacuum instability

  Reuven Balkin, Javi Serra, Konstantin Springmann, Stefan Stelzl, Andreas Weiler

  SciPost Phys. 14, 071 (2023) · published 14 April 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We consider matter density effects in theories with a false ground state. Large and dense systems, such as stars, can destabilize a metastable minimum and allow for the formation of bubbles of the true minimum. We derive the conditions under which these bubbles form, as well as the conditions under which they either remain confined to the dense region or escape to infinity. The latter case leads to a phase transition in the universe at star formation. We explore the phenomenological consequences of such seeded phase transitions.

  5 citations

• Edge mode locality in perturbed symmetry protected topological order

  Marcel Goihl, Christian Krumnow, Marek Gluza, Jens Eisert, Nicolas Tarantino

  SciPost Phys. 6, 072 (2019) · published 21 June 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Spin chains with symmetry-protected edge zero modes can be seen as prototypical systems for exploring topological signatures in quantum systems. These are useful for robustly encoding quantum information. However in an experimental realization of such a system, spurious interactions may cause the edge zero modes to delocalize. To stabilize against this influence beyond simply increasing the bulk gap, it has been proposed to harness suitable notions of disorder. Equipped with numerical tools for constructing locally conserved operators that we introduce, we comprehensively explore the interplay of local interactions and disorder on localized edge modes in the XZX cluster Hamiltonian. This puts us in a position to challenge the narrative that disorder necessarily stabilizes topological order. Contrary to heuristic reasoning, we find that disorder has no effect on the edge modes in the Anderson localized regime. Moreover, disorder helps localize only a subset of edge modes in the many-body interacting regime. We identify one edge mode operator that behaves as if subjected to a non-interacting perturbation, i.e., shows no disorder dependence. This implies that in finite systems, edge mode operators effectively delocalize at distinct interaction strengths. In essence, our findings suggest that the ability to identify and control the best localized edge mode trumps any gains from introducing disorder.

  5 citations