Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Lattice simulations of non-minimally coupled scalar fields in the Jordan frame

  Daniel G. Figueroa, Adrien Florio, Toby Opferkuch, and Ben A. Stefanek

  SciPost Phys. 15, 077 (2023) · published 4 September 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The presence of scalar fields with non-minimal gravitational interactions of the form $\xi |\phi|^2 R$ may have important implications for the physics of the early universe. We propose a procedure to solve the dynamics of non-minimally coupled scalar fields directly in the Jordan frame, where the non-minimal couplings are maintained explicitly. Our algorithm can be applied to lattice simulations that include minimally coupled fields and an arbitrary number of non-minimally coupled scalars, with the expansion of the universe sourced by all fields present. This includes situations when the dynamics become fully inhomogeneous, fully non-linear (due to e.g. backreaction or mode rescattering effects), and/or when the expansion of the universe is dominated by non-minimally coupled species. As an example, we study geometric preheating with a non-minimally coupled scalar spectator field when the inflaton oscillates following the end of inflation.

  5 citations

• MuSun - Muon Capture on the Deuteron

  P. Kammel on behalf of the MuSun collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 018 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The MuSun experiment is a precision measurement of the rate for nuclear muon capture on the deuteron, designed to resolve a long-standing disagreement between experiment and theory, and to determine an important low-energy constant relevant for a variety of weak and strong dynamics. The experiment is based on a novel active target method employing a pure deuterium cryogenic time-projection chamber. The data taking was completed in two main campaigns and the analysis is well advanced. The unique chal- lenges and corresponding strategy of the experiment as well as the status of the analysis are presented.

  5 citations

• Detecting nematic order in STM/STS data with artificial intelligence

  Jeremy B. Goetz, Yi Zhang, Michael J. Lawler

  SciPost Phys. 8, 087 (2020) · published 15 June 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Detecting the subtle yet phase defining features in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy data remains an important challenge in quantum materials. We meet the challenge of detecting nematic order from local density of states data with supervised machine learning and artificial neural networks for the difficult scenario without sharp features such as visible lattice Bragg peaks or Friedel oscillation signatures in the Fourier transform spectrum. We train the artificial neural networks to classify simulated data of isotropic and anisotropic two-dimensional metals in the presence of disorder. The supervised machine learning succeeds only with at least one hidden layer in the ANN architecture, demonstrating it is a higher level of complexity than nematic order detected from Bragg peaks which requires just two neurons. We apply the finalized ANN to experimental STM data on CaFe2As2, and it predicts nematic symmetry breaking with 99% confidence (probability 0.99), in agreement with previous analysis. Our results suggest ANNs could be a useful tool for the detection of nematic order in STM data and a variety of other forms of symmetry breaking.

  5 citations

• Plasmons in holographic graphene

  Ulf Gran, Marcus Tornsö, Tobias Zingg

  SciPost Phys. 8, 093 (2020) · published 25 June 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We demonstrate how self-sourced collective modes - of which the plasmon is a prominent example due to its relevance in modern technological applications - are identified in strongly correlated systems described by holographic Maxwell theories. The characteristic $\omega \propto \sqrt{k}$ plasmon dispersion for 2D materials, such as graphene, naturally emerges from this formalism. We also demonstrate this by constructing the first holographic model containing this feature. This provides new insight into modeling such systems from a holographic point of view, bottom-up and top-down alike. Beyond that, this method provides a general framework to compute the dynamical charge response of strange metals, which has recently become experimentally accessible due to the novel technique of momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (M-EELS). This framework therefore opens up the exciting possibility of testing holographic models for strange metals against actual experimental data.

  5 citations

• Ideal fracton superfluids

  Jay Armas, Emil Have

  SciPost Phys. 16, 039 (2024) · published 30 January 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We investigate the thermodynamics of equilibrium thermal states and their near-equilibrium dynamics in systems with fractonic symmetries in arbitrary curved space. By explicitly gauging the fracton algebra we obtain the geometry and gauge fields that field theories with conserved dipole moment couple to. We use the resultant fracton geometry to show that it is not possible to construct an equilibrium partition function for global thermal states unless part of the fractonic symmetries is spontaneously broken. This leads us to introduce two classes of fracton superfluids with conserved energy and momentum, namely $p$-wave and $s$-wave fracton superfluids. The latter phase is an Aristotelian superfluid at ideal order but with a velocity constraint and can be split into two separate regimes: The U(1) fracton superfluid and the pinned $s$-wave superfluid regimes. For each of these classes and regimes we formulate a hydrodynamic expansion and study the resultant modes. We find distinctive features of each of these phases and regimes at ideal order in gradients, without introducing dissipative effects. In particular we note the appearance of a sound mode for $s$-wave fracton superfluids. We show that previous work on fracton hydrodynamics falls into these classes. Finally, we study ultra-dense $p$-wave fracton superfluids with a large kinetic mass in addition to studying the thermodynamics of ideal Aristotelian superfluids.

  5 citations

• Ergodic edge modes in the 4D quantum Hall effect

  Benoit Estienne, Blagoje Oblak, Jean-Marie Stéphan

  SciPost Phys. 11, 016 (2021) · published 20 July 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The gapless modes on the edge of four-dimensional (4D) quantum Hall droplets are known to be anisotropic: they only propagate in one direction, foliating the 3D boundary into independent 1D conduction channels. This foliation is extremely sensitive to the confining potential and generically yields chaotic flows. Here we study the quantum correlations and entanglement of such edge modes in 4D droplets confined by harmonic traps, whose boundary is a squashed three-sphere. Commensurable trapping frequencies lead to periodic trajectories of electronic guiding centers; the corresponding edge modes propagate independently along $S^1$ fibers, forming a bundle of 1D conformal field theories over a 2D base space. By contrast, incommensurable frequencies produce quasi-periodic, ergodic trajectories, each of which covers its invariant torus densely; the corresponding correlation function of edge modes has fractal features. This wealth of behaviors highlights the sharp differences between 4D Hall droplets and their 2D peers; it also exhibits the dependence of 4D edge modes on the choice of trap, suggesting the existence of observable bifurcations due to droplet deformations.

  5 citations

• GrassmannTN: A Python package for Grassmann tensor network computations

  Atis Yosprakob

  SciPost Phys. Codebases 20 (2023) · published 16 November 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present GrassmannTN, a Python package for the computation of the Grassmann tensor network. The package is built to assist in the numerical computation without the need to input the fermionic sign factor manually. It prioritizes coding readability by designing every tensor manipulating function around the tensor subscripts. The computation of the Grassmann tensor renormalization group and Grassmann isometries using GrassmannTN are given as the use case examples.

  5 citations

• Fusion in the periodic Temperley-Lieb algebra and connectivity operators of loop models

  Yacine Ikhlef, Alexi Morin-Duchesne

  SciPost Phys. 12, 030 (2022) · published 20 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In two-dimensional loop models, the scaling properties of critical random curves are encoded in the correlators of connectivity operators. In the dense O($n$) loop model, any such operator is naturally associated to a standard module of the periodic Temperley-Lieb algebra. We introduce a new family of representations of this algebra, with connectivity states that have two marked points, and argue that they define the fusion of two standard modules. We obtain their decomposition on the standard modules for generic values of the parameters, which in turn yields the structure of the operator product expansion of connectivity operators.

  5 citations

• Sterile neutrinos as dark matter candidates

  Joachim Kopp

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 36 (2022) · published 19 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In these brief lecture notes, we introduce sterile neutrinos as dark matter candidates. We discuss in particular their production via oscillations, their radiative decay, as well as possible observational signatures and constraints.

  5 citations

• Normal modes in thermal AdS via the Selberg zeta function

  Victoria L. Martin, Andrew Svesko

  SciPost Phys. 9, 009 (2020) · published 21 July 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The heat kernel and quasinormal mode methods of computing 1-loop partition functions of spin $s$ fields on hyperbolic quotient spacetimes $\mathbb{H}^{3}/\mathbb{Z}$ are related via the Selberg zeta function. We extend that analysis to thermal $\text{AdS}_{2n+1}$ backgrounds, with quotient structure $\mathbb{H}^{2n+1}/\mathbb{Z}$. Specifically, we demonstrate the zeros of the Selberg function encode the normal mode frequencies of spin fields upon removal of non-square-integrable modes. With this information we construct the 1-loop partition functions for symmetric transverse traceless tensors in terms of the Selberg zeta function and find exact agreement with the heat kernel method.

  5 citations