Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Decorated defect construction of gapless-SPT states

  Linhao Li, Masaki Oshikawa, Yunqin Zheng

  SciPost Phys. 17, 013 (2024) · published 15 July 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases are one of the simplest, yet nontrivial, gapped systems that go beyond the Landau paradigm. In this work, we study an extension of the notion of SPT for gapless systems, namely, gapless symmetry protected topological states. We construct several simple gapless-SPT models using the decorated defect construction, which allow analytical understanding of non-trivial topological features including the symmetry charge under twisted boundary conditions, and boundary (quasi)-degeneracy under open boundary conditions. We also comment on the stability of the gapless-SPT models under symmetric perturbations, and apply small-scale exact diagonalization when direct analytic understanding is not available.

  30 citations

• Topological characterization of Lieb-Schultz-Mattis constraints and applications to symmetry-enriched quantum criticality

  Weicheng Ye, Meng Guo, Yin-Chen He, Chong Wang, Liujun Zou

  SciPost Phys. 13, 066 (2022) · published 26 September 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Lieb-Schultz-Mattis (LSM) theorems provide powerful constraints on the emergibility problem, i.e. whether a quantum phase or phase transition can emerge in a many-body system. We derive the topological partition functions that characterize the LSM constraints in spin systems with $G_s\times G_{int}$ symmetry, where $G_s$ is an arbitrary space group in one or two spatial dimensions, and $G_{int}$ is any internal symmetry whose projective representations are classified by $\mathbb{Z}_2^k$ with $k$ an integer. We then apply these results to study the emergibility of a class of exotic quantum critical states, including the well-known deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP), $U(1)$ Dirac spin liquid (DSL), and the recently proposed non-Lagrangian Stiefel liquid. These states can emerge as a consequence of the competition between a magnetic state and a non-magnetic state. We identify all possible realizations of these states on systems with $SO(3)\times \mathbb{Z}_2^T$ internal symmetry and either $p6m$ or $p4m$ lattice symmetry. Many interesting examples are discovered, including a DQCP adjacent to a ferromagnet, stable DSLs on square and honeycomb lattices, and a class of quantum critical spin-quadrupolar liquids of which the most relevant spinful fluctuations carry spin-$2$. In particular, there is a realization of spin-quadrupolar DSL that is beyond the usual parton construction. We further use our formalism to analyze the stability of these states under symmetry-breaking perturbations, such as spin-orbit coupling. As a concrete example, we find that a DSL can be stable in a recently proposed candidate material, NaYbO$_2$.

  30 citations

• A non-abelian analogue of DBI from $T \overline{T}$

  T. Daniel Brennan, Christian Ferko, Savdeep Sethi

  SciPost Phys. 8, 052 (2020) · published 7 April 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Dirac action describes the physics of the Nambu-Goldstone scalars found on branes. The Born-Infeld action defines a non-linear theory of electrodynamics. The combined Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action describes the leading interactions supported on a single D-brane in string theory. We define a non-abelian analogue of DBI using the $T \overline{T}$ deformation in two dimensions. The resulting quantum theory is compatible with maximal supersymmetry and such theories are quite rare.

  30 citations

• Non-invertible symmetries and higher representation theory II

  Thomas Bartsch, Mathew Bullimore, Andrea E. V. Ferrari, Jamie Pearson

  SciPost Phys. 17, 067 (2024) · published 26 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this paper we continue our investigation of the global categorical symmetries that arise when gauging finite higher groups and their higher subgroups with discrete torsion. The motivation is to provide a common perspective on the construction of non-invertible global symmetries in higher dimensions and a precise description of the associated symmetry categories. We propose that the symmetry categories obtained by gauging higher subgroups may be defined as higher group-theoretical fusion categories, which are built from the projective higher representations of higher groups. As concrete applications we provide a unified description of the symmetry categories of gauge theories in three and four dimensions based on the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{so}(N)$, and a fully categorical description of non-invertible symmetries obtained by gauging a 1-form symmetry with a mixed 't Hooft anomaly. We also discuss the effect of discrete torsion on symmetry categories, based a series of obstructions determined by spectral sequence arguments.

  30 citations

• Logarithmic CFT at generic central charge: from Liouville theory to the $Q$-state Potts model

  Rongvoram Nivesvivat, Sylvain Ribault

  SciPost Phys. 10, 021 (2021) · published 29 January 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Using derivatives of primary fields (null or not) with respect to the conformal dimension, we build infinite families of non-trivial logarithmic representations of the conformal algebra at generic central charge, with Jordan blocks of dimension $2$ or $3$. Each representation comes with one free parameter, which takes fixed values under assumptions on the existence of degenerate fields. This parameter can be viewed as a simpler, normalization-independent redefinition of the logarithmic coupling. We compute the corresponding non-chiral conformal blocks, and show that they appear in limits of Liouville theory four-point functions. As an application, we describe the logarithmic structures of the critical two-dimensional $O(n)$ and $Q$-state Potts models at generic central charge. The validity of our description is demonstrated by semi-analytically bootstrapping four-point connectivities in the $Q$-state Potts model to arbitrary precision. Moreover, we provide numerical evidence for the Delfino--Viti conjecture for the three-point connectivity. Our results hold for generic values of $Q$ in the complex plane and beyond.

  30 citations

• Quantum aspects of chaos and complexity from bouncing cosmology: A study with two-mode single field squeezed state formalism

  Parth Bhargava, Sayantan Choudhury, Satyaki Chowdhury, Anurag Mishara, Sachin Panneer Selvam, Sudhakar Panda, Gabriel D. Pasquino

  SciPost Phys. Core 4, 026 (2021) · published 7 October 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  $Circuit~ Complexity$, a well known computational technique has recently become the backbone of the physics community to probe the chaotic behaviour and random quantum fluctuations of quantum fields. This paper is devoted to the study of out-of-equilibrium aspects and quantum chaos appearing in the universe from the paradigm of two well known bouncing cosmological solutions viz. $Cosine~ hyperbolic$ and $Exponential$ models of scale factors. Besides $circuit~ complexity$, we use the $Out-of-Time~ Ordered~ correlation~ (OTOC)$ functions for probing the random behaviour of the universe both at early and the late times. In particular, we use the techniques of well known two-mode squeezed state formalism in cosmological perturbation theory as a key ingredient for the purpose of our computation. To give an appropriate theoretical interpretation that is consistent with the observational perspective we use the scale factor and the number of e-foldings as a dynamical variable instead of conformal time for this computation. From this study, we found that the period of post bounce is the most interesting one. Though it may not be immediately visible, but an exponential rise can be seen in the $complexity$ once the post bounce feature is extrapolated to the present time scales. We also find within the very small acceptable error range a universal connecting relation between Complexity computed from two different kinds of cost functionals-$linearly~ weighted$ and $geodesic~ weighted$ with the OTOC. Furthermore, from the $complexity$ computation obtained from both the cosmological models and also using the well known MSS bound on quantum Lyapunov exponent, $\lambda\leq 2\pi/\beta$ for the saturation of chaos, we estimate the lower bound on the equilibrium temperature of our universe at late time scale. Finally, we provide a rough estimation of the scrambling time in terms of the conformal time.

  30 citations

• String correlators on $\text{AdS}_3$: Analytic structure and dual CFT

  Andrea Dei, Lorenz Eberhardt

  SciPost Phys. 13, 053 (2022) · published 6 September 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We continue our study of string correlators on Euclidean $\text{AdS}_3$ with pure NS-NS flux. The worldsheet and spacetime correlators have a rich analytic structure, which we analyse completely for genus 0 four-point functions. We show that correlators exhibit a simple behaviour near their singularities. The spacetime correlators are meromorphic functions in the $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$-spins, whose pole structure is shown to agree with the prediction of a recent proposal for the dual $\text{CFT}_2$. Moreover, we also compute the residues of the spacetime correlators for some of the poles exactly and find again a perfect match with the proposal for the dual $\text{CFT}_2$, thereby checking the duality for some non-trivial four-point functions exactly. Our computations simplify drastically in the tensionless limit of $\mathrm{AdS}_3 \times \mathrm{S}^3 \times \mathbb{T}^4$ where the behaviour near the poles gives in fact the exact answer. This paper is the third in a series with several installments.

  29 citations

• Phase diagram and conformal string excitations of square ice using gauge invariant matrix product states

  Ferdinand Tschirsich, Simone Montangero, Marcello Dalmonte

  SciPost Phys. 6, 028 (2019) · published 6 March 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We investigate the ground state phase diagram of square ice -- a U(1) lattice gauge theory in two spatial dimensions -- using gauge invariant tensor network techniques. By correlation function, Wilson loop, and entanglement diagnostics, we characterize its phases and the transitions between them, finding good agreement with previous studies. We study the entanglement properties of string excitations on top of the ground state, and provide direct evidence of the fact that the latter are described by a conformal field theory. Our results pave the way to the application of tensor network methods to confining, two-dimensional lattice gauge theories, to investigate their phase diagrams and low-lying excitations.

  29 citations

• Holography for people with no time

  Henry W. Lin, Juan Maldacena, Liza Rozenberg, Jieru Shan

  SciPost Phys. 14, 150 (2023) · published 12 June 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the gravitational description of extremal supersymmetric black holes. We point out that the $AdS_2$ near horizon geometry can be used to compute interesting observables, such as correlation functions of operators. In this limit, the Hamiltonian is zero and correlation functions are time independent. We discuss some possible implications for the gravity description of black hole microstates. We also compare with numerical results in a supersymmetric version of SYK. These results can also be interpreted as providing a construction of wormholes joining two extremal black holes. This is the short version of a longer and more technical companion paper [SciPost Phys. 14, 128 (2023)].

  29 citations

• Crossed product algebras and generalized entropy for subregions

  Shadi Ali Ahmad, Ro Jefferson

  SciPost Phys. Core 7, 020 (2024) · published 10 April 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  An early result of algebraic quantum field theory is that the algebra of any subregion in a QFT is a von Neumann factor of type III$_{1}$, in which entropy cannot be well-defined because such algebras do not admit a trace or density states. However, associated to the algebra is a modular group of automorphisms characterizing the local dynamics of degrees of freedom in the region, and the crossed product of the algebra with its modular group yields a type II$_∞$ factor, in which traces and hence von Neumann entropy can be well-defined. In this work, we generalize recent constructions of the crossed product algebra for the TFD to, in principle, arbitrary spacetime regions in arbitrary QFTs, formally paving the way to the study of entanglement entropy without UV divergences. In contrast to previous works, we emphasize that this construction is independent of gravity. In this sense, the crossed product construction represents a refinement of Haag's assignment of nets of observable algebras to spacetime regions by providing a natural construction of a type II factor. We present several concrete examples: a QFT in Rindler space, a CFT in an open ball of Minkowski space, and arbitrary boundary subregions in AdS/CFT. In the holographic setting, we provide a novel argument for why the bulk dual must be the entanglement wedge, and discuss the distinction arising from boundary modular flow between causal and entanglement wedges for excited states and disjoint regions.

  29 citations