Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• The Fröhlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism and quantum gravity

  Axel Maas

  SciPost Phys. 8, 051 (2020) · published 6 April 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Taking manifest invariance under both gauge symmetry and diffeomorphisms as a guiding principle physical objects are constructed for Yang-Mills-Higgs theory coupled to quantum gravity. These objects are entirely classified by quantum numbers defined in the tangent space. Applying the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism to these objects reveals that they coincide with ordinary correlation functions in quantum-field theory, if quantum fluctuations of gravity and curvature become small. Taking these descriptions literally exhibits how quantum gravity fields need to dress quantum fields to create physical objects, i.e. giving a graviton component to ordinary observed particles. The same mechanism provides access to the physical spectrum of pure gravitational degrees of freedom.

  9 citations

• Near-extremal limits of warped CFTs

  Ankit Aggarwal, Alejandra Castro, Stéphane Detournay, Beatrix Mühlmann

  SciPost Phys. 15, 056 (2023) · published 9 August 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Warped conformal field theories (WCFTs) are two-dimensional non-relativistic systems, with a chiral scaling and shift symmetry. We present a detailed derivation of the near-extremal limit for their torus partition function. This limit requires large values of the central charge, and is only consistent for non-unitary WCFT. We compare our analysis with previous studies of WCFT and its relation to a one-dimensional warped-Schwarzian theory. We discuss different ensembles of warped CFTs and contrast our results with analogous limits in two-dimensional CFTs.

  8 citations

• Exact entanglement in the driven quantum symmetric simple exclusion process

  Denis Bernard, Ludwig Hruza

  SciPost Phys. 15, 175 (2023) · published 20 October 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Entanglement properties of driven quantum systems can potentially differ from the equilibrium situation due to long range coherences. We confirm this observation by studying a suitable toy model for mesoscopic transport: the open quantum symmetric simple exclusion process (QSSEP). We derive exact formulae for its mutual information between different subsystems in the steady state and show that it satisfies a volume law. Surprisingly, the QSSEP entanglement properties only depend on data related to its transport properties and we suspect that such a relation might hold for more general mesoscopic systems. Exploiting the free probability structure of QSSEP, we obtain these results by developing a new method to determine the eigenvalue spectrum of sub-blocks of random matrices from their so-called local free cumulants - a mathematical result on its own with potential applications in the theory of random matrices. As an illustration of this method, we show how to compute expectation values of observables in systems satisfying the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH) from the local free cumulants.

  8 citations

• Crystal gravity

  Jan Zaanen, Floris Balm, Aron J. Beekman

  SciPost Phys. 13, 039 (2022) · published 30 August 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We address a subject that could have been analyzed century ago: how does the universe of general relativity look like when it would have been filled with solid matter? Solids break spontaneously the translations and rotations of space itself. Only rather recently it was realized in various context that the order parameter of the solid has a relation to Einsteins dynamical space time which is similar to the role of a Higgs field in a Yang-Mills gauge theory. Such a "crystal gravity" is therefore like the Higgs phase of gravity. The usual Higgs phases are characterized by a special phenomenology. A case in point is superconductivity exhibiting phenomena like the Type II phase, characterized by the emergence of an Abrikosov lattice of quantized magnetic fluxes absorbing the external magnetic field. What to expect in the gravitational setting? The theory of elasticity is the universal effective field theory associated with the breaking of space translations and rotations having a similar status as the phase action describing a neutral superfluid. A geometrical formulation appeared in its long history, similar in structure to general relativity, which greatly facilitates the marriage of both theories. With as main limitation that we focus entirely on stationary circumstances -- the dynamical theory is greatly complicated by the lack of Lorentz invariance -- we will present a first exploration of a remarkably rich and often simple physics of "Higgsed gravity".

  8 citations

• Radiation, entanglement and islands from a boundary local quench

  Lorenzo Bianchi, Stefano De Angelis, Marco Meineri

  SciPost Phys. 14, 148 (2023) · published 8 June 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the entanglement and the energy density of the radiation emitted after a local quench in a boundary conformal field theory. We use the operator product expansion (OPE) to predict the early- and late-time behavior of the entanglement entropy and we find, under mild assumptions, a universal form for the leading term, which we test on some treatable two-dimensional examples. We also derive a general upper bound on the entanglement, valid along the full time evolution. In two dimensions, the bound is computed analytically, while in higher dimensions it is evaluated at early and late time via the OPE. These CFT predictions are then compared with a doubly-holographic setup where the CFT is interpreted as a reservoir for the radiation produced on an end-of-the-world brane. After finding the gravitational dual of a boundary local quench, we compute the time evolution of the holographic entanglement entropy, whose late-time behavior is in perfect agreement with the CFT predictions. In the brane+bath picture, unitarity of the time evolution is preserved thanks to the formation of an island. The holographic results can be recovered explicitly from the island formula, in the limit where the tension of the brane is close to the maximal value.

  8 citations

• (SPT-)LSM theorems from projective non-invertible symmetries

  Salvatore D. Pace, Ho Tat Lam, and Ömer M. Aksoy

  SciPost Phys. 18, 028 (2025) · published 22 January 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Projective symmetries are ubiquitous in quantum lattice models and can be leveraged to constrain their phase diagram and entanglement structure. In this paper, we investigate the consequences of projective algebras formed by non-invertible symmetries and lattice translations in a generalized $1+1$D quantum XY model based on group-valued qudits. This model is specified by a finite group $G$ and enjoys a projective $\mathsf{Rep}(G)× Z(G)$ and translation symmetry, where symmetry operators obey a projective algebra in the presence of symmetry defects. For invertible symmetries, such projective algebras imply Lieb-Schultz-Mattis (LSM) anomalies. However, this is not generally true for non-invertible symmetries, and we derive a condition on $G$ for the existence of an LSM anomaly. When this condition is not met, we prove an SPT-LSM theorem: any unique and gapped ground state is necessarily a non-invertible weak symmetry protected topological (SPT) state with non-trivial entanglement, for which we construct an example fixed-point Hamiltonian. The projectivity also affects the dual symmetries after gauging $\mathsf{Rep}(G)× Z(G)$ sub-symmetries, giving rise to non-Abelian and non-invertible dipole symmetries, as well as non-invertible translations. We complement our analysis with the SymTFT, where the projectivity causes it to be a topological order non-trivially enriched by translations. Throughout the paper, we develop techniques for gauging $\mathsf{Rep}(G)$ symmetry and inserting its symmetry defects on the lattice, which are applicable to other non-invertible symmetries.

  8 citations

• Black hole mirages: Electron lensing and Berry curvature effects in inhomogeneously tilted Weyl semimetals

  Andreas Haller, Suraj Hegde, Chen Xu, Christophe De Beule, Thomas L. Schmidt, Tobias Meng

  SciPost Phys. 14, 119 (2023) · published 17 May 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study electronic transport in Weyl semimetals with spatially varying nodal tilt profiles. We find that the flow of electrons can be guided precisely by judiciously chosen tilt profiles. In a broad regime of parameters, we show that electron flow is described well by semiclassical equations of motion similar to the ones governing gravitational attraction. This analogy provides a physically transparent tool for designing tiltronic devices like electronic lenses. The analogy to gravity circumvents the notoriously difficult full-fledged description of inhomogeneous solids. A comparison to microscopic lattice simulations shows that it is only valid for trajectories sufficiently far from analogue black holes. We finally comment on the Berry curvature-driven transverse motion and relate the latter to spin precession physics.

  8 citations

• Integrability for Feynman integrals

  Florian Loebbert

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 14, 008 (2023) · published 23 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We give a brief overview of the Yangian symmetry of Feynman integrals. After a short introduction to the Yangian and integrability, we motivate the emergence of integrable structures for Feynman integrals via the fishnet limit of AdS/CFT. We discuss the resulting Yangian differential equations for massless fishnets in four dimensions as well as generalizations to massive propagators and generic dimensions. We also comment on the relation to momentum space conformal symmetry and on examples in dimensional regularization. Finally we sketch the recent application to fishnet integrals in two spacetime dimensions and the curious identification of Yangian invariants with period integrals of Calabi-Yau geometries.

  8 citations

• Skating on slippery ice

  J. M. J. van Leeuwen

  SciPost Phys. 3, 042 (2017) · published 23 December 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The friction of a stationary moving skate on smooth ice is investigated, in particular in relation to the formation of a thin layer of water between skate and ice. It is found that the combination of ploughing and sliding gives a friction force that is rather insensitive for parameters such as velocity and temperature. The weak dependence originates from the pressure adjustment inside the water layer. For instance, high velocities, which would give rise to high friction, also lead to large pressures, which, in turn, decrease the contact zone and so lower the friction. The theory is a combination and completion of two existing but conflicting theories on the formation of the water layer.

  8 citations

• Sixfold fermion near the Fermi level in cubic PtBi2

  S. Thirupathaiah, Y. S. Kushnirenk, K. Koepernik, B. R. Piening, B. Buechner, S. Aswartham, J. van den Brink, S. V. Borisenko, I. C. Fulga

  SciPost Phys. 10, 004 (2021) · published 11 January 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We show that the cubic compound PtBi2, is a topological semimetal hosting a sixfold band touching point in close proximity to the Fermi level. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we map the bandstructure of the system, which is in good agreement with results from density functional theory. Further, by employing a low energy effective Hamiltonian valid close to the crossing point, we study the effect of a magnetic field on the sixfold fermion. The latter splits into a total of twenty Weyl cones for a Zeeman field oriented in the diagonal, [111] direction. Our results mark cubic PtBi2, as an ideal candidate to study the transport properties of gapless topological systems beyond Dirac and Weyl semimetals.

  8 citations