Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Density-operator evolution: Complete positivity and the Keldysh real-time expansion

  Viktor Reimer, Maarten Rolf Wegewijs

  SciPost Phys. 7, 012 (2019) · published 25 July 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the reduced time-evolution of open quantum systems by combining quantum-information and statistical field theory. Inspired by prior work [EPL 102, 60001 (2013) and Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 050402 (2013)] we establish the explicit structure guaranteeing the complete positivity (CP) and trace-preservation (TP) of the real-time evolution expansion in terms of the microscopic system-environment coupling. This reveals a fundamental two-stage structure of the coupling expansion: Whereas the first stage defines the dissipative timescales of the system --before having integrated out the environment completely-- the second stage sums up elementary physical processes described by CP superoperators. This allows us to establish the nontrivial relation between the (Nakajima-Zwanzig) memory-kernel superoperator for the density operator and novel memory-kernel operators that generate the Kraus operators of an operator-sum. Importantly, this operational approach can be implemented in the existing Keldysh real-time technique and allows approximations for general time-nonlocal quantum master equations to be systematically compared and developed while keeping the CP and TP structure explicit. Our considerations build on the result that a Kraus operator for a physical measurement process on the environment can be obtained by 'cutting' a group of Keldysh real-time diagrams 'in half'. This naturally leads to Kraus operators lifted to the system plus environment which have a diagrammatic expansion in terms of time-nonlocal memory-kernel operators. These lifted Kraus operators obey coupled time-evolution equations which constitute an unraveling of the original Schr\"odinger equation for system plus environment. Whereas both equations lead to the same reduced dynamics, only the former explicitly encodes the operator-sum structure of the coupling expansion.

  11 citations

• Competing topological orders in three dimensions

  M. Mühlhauser, K. P. Schmidt , J. Vidal, M. R. Walther

  SciPost Phys. 12, 069 (2022) · published 22 February 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the competition between two different topological orders in three dimensions by considering the X-cube model and the three-dimensional toric code. The corresponding Hamiltonian can be decomposed into two commuting parts, one of which displaying a self-dual spectrum. To determine the phase diagram, we compute the high-order series expansions of the ground-state energy in all limiting cases. Apart from the topological order related to the toric code and the fractonic order related to the X-cube model, we found two new phases which are adiabatically connected to classical limits with nontrivial sub-extensive degeneracies. All phase transitions are found to be first order.

  11 citations

• Introduction to the PanScales framework, version 0.1

  Melissa van Beekveld, Mrinal Dasgupta, Basem Kamal El-Menoufi, Silvia Ferrario Ravasio, Keith Hamilton, Jack Helliwell, Alexander Karlberg, Rok Medves, Pier Francesco Monni, Gavin P. Salam, Ludovic Scyboz, Alba Soto-Ontoso, Gregory Soyez, Rob Verheyen

  SciPost Phys. Codebases 31 (2024) · published 25 June 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this article, we document version 0.1 of the PANSCALES code for parton shower simulations. With the help of a few examples, we discuss basic usage of the code, including tests of logarithmic accuracy of parton showers. We expose some of the numerical techniques underlying the logarithmic tests and include a description of how users can implement their own showers within the framework. Some of the simpler logarithmic tests can be performed in a few minutes on a modern laptop. As an early step towards phenomenology, we also outline some aspects of a preliminary interface to PYTHIA 8.3, for access to its hard matrix elements and its hadronisation modules.

  11 citations

• Anisotropy-mediated reentrant localization

  Xiaolong Deng, Alexander L. Burin, Ivan M. Khaymovich

  SciPost Phys. 13, 116 (2022) · published 24 November 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We consider a 2d dipolar system, $d=2$, with the generalized dipole-dipole interaction $\sim r^{-a}$, and the power $a$ controlled experimentally in trapped-ion or Rydberg-atom systems via their interaction with cavity modes. We focus on the dilute dipolar excitation case when the problem can be effectively considered as single-particle with the interaction providing long-range dipolar-like hopping. We show that the spatially homogeneous tilt $\beta$ of the dipoles giving rise to the anisotropic dipole exchange leads to the non-trivial reentrant localization beyond the locator expansion, $a<d$, unlike the models with random dipole orientation. The Anderson transitions are found to occur at the finite values of the tilt parameter $\beta = a$, $0<a<d$, and $\beta = a/(a-d/2)$, $d/2<a<d$, showing the robustness of the localization at small and large anisotropy values. Both exact analytical methods and extensive numerical calculations show power-law localized eigenstates in the bulk of the spectrum, obeying recently discovered duality $a\leftrightarrow 2d-a$ of their spatial decay rate, on the localized side of the transition, $a>a_{AT}$. This localization emerges due to the presence of the ergodic extended states at either spectral edge, which constitute a zero fraction of states in the thermodynamic limit, decaying though extremely slowly with the system size.

  11 citations

• Minimal lectures on two-dimensional conformal field theory

  Sylvain Ribault

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 1 (2018) · published 10 June 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We provide a brief but self-contained review of conformal field theory on the Riemann sphere. We first introduce general axioms such as local conformal invariance, and derive Ward identities and BPZ equations. We then define minimal models and Liouville theory by specific axioms on their spectrums and degenerate fields. We solve these theories by computing three- and four-point functions, and discuss their existence and uniqueness.

  11 citations

• Self-consistent dynamical maps for open quantum systems

  Orazio Scarlatella, Marco Schirò

  SciPost Phys. 16, 026 (2024) · published 24 January 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In several cases, open quantum systems can be successfully described using master equations relying on Born-Markov approximations, but going beyond these approaches has become often necessary. In this work, we introduce the NCA and NCA-Markov dynamical maps for open quantum systems, which go beyond these master equations replacing the Born approximation with a self-consistent approximation, known as non-crossing approximation (NCA). These maps are formally similar to master equations, but allow to capture non-perturbative effects of the environment at a moderate extra numerical cost. To demonstrate their capabilities, we apply them to the spin-boson model at zero temperature for both a Ohmic and a sub-Ohmic environment, showing that they can both qualitatively capture its strong-coupling behaviour, and be quantitatively correct beyond standard master equations.

  11 citations

• Anisotropic scaling of the two-dimensional Ising model I: the torus

  Hendrik Hobrecht, Alfred Hucht

  SciPost Phys. 7, 026 (2019) · published 2 September 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present detailed calculations for the partition function and the free energy of the finite two-dimensional square lattice Ising model with periodic and antiperiodic boundary conditions, variable aspect ratio, and anisotropic couplings, as well as for the corresponding universal free energy finite-size scaling functions. Therefore, we review the dimer mapping, as well as the interplay between its topology and the different types of boundary conditions. As a central result, we show how both the finite system as well as the scaling form decay into contributions for the bulk, a characteristic finite-size part, and - if present - the surface tension, which emerges due to at least one antiperiodic boundary in the system. For the scaling limit we extend the proper finite-size scaling theory to the anisotropic case and show how this anisotropy can be absorbed into suitable scaling variables.

  11 citations

• Self-force framework for transition-to-plunge waveforms

  Lorenzo Küchler, Geoffrey Compère, Leanne Durkan, Adam Pound

  SciPost Phys. 17, 056 (2024) · published 16 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Compact binaries with asymmetric mass ratios are key expected sources for next-generation gravitational wave detectors. Gravitational self-force theory has been successful in producing post-adiabatic waveforms that describe the quasi-circular inspiral around a non-spinning black hole with sub-radian accuracy, in remarkable agreement with numerical relativity simulations. Current inspiral models, however, break down at the innermost stable circular orbit, missing part of the waveform as the secondary body transitions to a plunge into the black hole. In this work we derive the transition-to-plunge expansion within a multiscale framework and asymptotically match its early-time behaviour with the late inspiral. Our multiscale formulation facilitates rapid generation of waveforms: we build second post-leading transition-to-plunge waveforms, named 2PLT waveforms. Although our numerical results are limited to low perturbative orders, our framework contains the analytic tools for building higher-order waveforms consistent with post-adiabatic inspirals, once all the necessary numerical self-force data becomes available. We validate our framework by comparing against numerical relativity simulations, surrogate models and the effective one-body approach.

  11 citations

• Putting a spin on metamaterials: Mechanical incompatibility as magnetic frustration

  Ben Pisanty, Erdal C. Oguz, Cristiano Nisoli, Yair Shokef

  SciPost Phys. 10, 136 (2021) · published 8 June 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Mechanical metamaterials present a promising platform for seemingly impossible mechanics. They often require incompatibility of their elementary building blocks, yet a comprehensive understanding of its role remains elusive. Relying on an analogy to ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic binary spin interactions, we present a universal approach to identify and analyze topological mechanical defects for arbitrary building blocks. We underline differences between two- and three-dimensional metamaterials, and show how topological defects can steer stresses and strains in a controlled and non-trivial manner and can inspire the design of materials with hitherto unknown complex mechanical response.

  11 citations

• How a skyrmion can appear both massive and massless

  Xiaofan Wu, Oleg Tchernyshyov

  SciPost Phys. 12, 159 (2022) · published 12 May 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  When a magnetic skyrmion is modeled as a point particle, its dynamics depends on the precise definition of the skyrmion center. The guiding-center position, defined as the first moment of the skyrmion density, exhibits Thiele's massless dynamics; position based on the first moment of magnetization component $m_z$ shows Larmor oscillations characteristic of a massive particle. We show that, even with the latter definition, the Larmor oscillations may be absent for certain types of external forces such as adiabatic spin torque. We offer an alternative mechanical model of a skyrmion featuring two coupled massless particles.

  11 citations