Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Equal-time approach to real-time dynamics of quantum fields

  Robert Ott, Torsten V. Zache, Jürgen Berges

  SciPost Phys. 14, 011 (2023) · published 1 February 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We employ the equal-time formulation of quantum field theory to derive effective kinetic theories, first for a weakly coupled non-relativistic Bose gas, and then for a strongly correlated system of self-interacting $N$-component fields. Our results provide the link between state-of-the-art measurements of equal-time effective actions using quantum simulator platforms, as employed in [Phys. Rev. X 10, 011020 (2020); Nat. Phys. 16, 1012 (2020)], and observables underlying effective kinetic or hydrodynamic descriptions. New non-perturbative approximation schemes can be developed and certified this way, where the a priori time-local formulation of the equal-time effective action has crucial advantages over the conventional closed-time-path approach which is non-local in time.

• Boundary condition and reflection anomaly in $2+1$ dimensions

  Jiunn-Wei Chen, Chang-Tse Hsieh, Ryutaro Matsudo

  SciPost Phys. 17, 068 (2024) · published 26 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  It is known that the $2+1$d single Majorana fermion theory has an anomaly of the reflection, which is canceled out when 16 copies of the theory are combined. Therefore, it is expected that the reflection symmetric boundary condition is impossible for one Majorana fermion, but possible for 16 Majorana fermions. In this paper, we consider a reflection symmetric boundary condition that varies at a single point, and find that there is a problem with one Majorana fermion. The problem is the absence of a corresponding outgoing wave to a specific incoming wave into the boundary, which leads to the non-conservation of the energy. For 16 Majorana fermions, it is possible to connect every incoming wave to an outgoing wave without breaking the reflection symmetry. In addition, we discuss the connection with the fermion-monopole scattering in $3+1$ dimensions.

• Lattice phase shifts and mixing angles for an arbitrary number of coupled channels

  Lukas Bovermann, Evgeny Epelbaum, Hermann Krebs, Dean Lee

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 3, 052 (2020) · published 27 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a lattice method for determining scattering phase shifts and mixing angles for the case of an arbitrary number of coupled channels. The proposed method combines a spherical wall boundary condition and a channel-mixing auxiliary potential to extract the full-rank S-matrix from the radial wave functions. We consider the scattering problem of two spin-1 bosons interacting with a test potential involving up to four coupled channels. For this benchmark system, the phase shifts and mixing angles are shown to agree on the lattice and in the continuum. Our method should allow to extend previous two-channel nuclear lattice EFT simulations to mixing of more than two partial waves.

• Adiabatic gauge potential and integrability breaking with free fermions

  Balázs Pozsgay, Rustem Sharipov, Anastasiia Tiutiakina, István Vona

  SciPost Phys. 17, 075 (2024) · published 9 September 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We revisit the problem of integrability breaking in free fermionic quantum spin chains. We investigate the so-called adiabatic gauge potential (AGP), which was recently proposed as an accurate probe of quantum chaos. We also study the so-called weak integrability breaking, which occurs if the dynamical effects of the perturbation do not appear at leading order in the perturbing parameter. A recent statement in the literature claimed that integrability breaking should generally lead to an exponential growth of the AGP norm with respect to the volume. However, afterwards it was found that weak integrability breaking is a counter-example, leading to a cross-over between polynomial and exponential growth. Here we show that in free fermionic systems the AGP norm always grows polynomially, if the perturbation is local with respect to the fermions, even if the perturbation strongly breaks integrability. As a by-product of our computations we also find, that in free fermionic spin chains there are operators which weakly break integrability, but which are not associated with known long range deformations.

• Relative cluster entropy for power-law correlated sequences

  Anna Carbone, Linda Ponta

  SciPost Phys. 13, 076 (2022) · published 30 September 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We propose an information-theoretical measure, the \textit{relative cluster entropy} $\mathcal{D_{C}}[P \| Q] $, to discriminate among cluster partitions characterised by probability distribution functions $P$ and $Q$. The measure is illustrated with the clusters generated by pairs of fractional Brownian motions with Hurst exponents $H_1$ and $H_2$ respectively. For subdiffusive, normal and superdiffusive sequences, the relative entropy sensibly depends on the difference between $H_1$ and $H_2$. By using the \textit{minimum relative entropy} principle, cluster sequences characterized by different correlation degrees are distinguished and the optimal Hurst exponent is selected. As a case study, real-world cluster partitions of market price series are compared to those obtained from fully uncorrelated sequences (simple Browniam motions) assumed as a model. The \textit{minimum relative cluster entropy} yields optimal Hurst exponents $H_1=0.55$, $H_1=0.57$, and $H_1=0.63$ respectively for the prices of DJIA, S\&P500, NASDAQ: a clear indication of non-markovianity. Finally, we derive the analytical expression of the relative cluster entropy and the outcomes are discussed for arbitrary pairs of power-laws probability distribution functions of continuous random variables.

• Probing hadronic interaction models with the hybrid data of the Pierre Auger Observatory

  Jakub Vícha for the Pierre Auger Collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 13, 026 (2023) · published 29 September 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Presently large systematic uncertainties remain in the description of hadronic interactions at ultra-high energies and a fully consistent description of air-shower experimental data is yet to be reached. The amount of data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory using simultaneously the fluorescence and surface detectors in the energy range 10$^{18.5}$ -10$^{19.0}$ eV has provided opportunity to perform a multi-parameter test of model predictions. We apply a global method to simultaneously fit the mass composition of cosmic rays and adjustments to the simulated depth of shower maximum, and hadronic signal at ground level. The best description of the hybrid data is obtained for a deeper scale of simulated depth of shower maximum than predicted by hadronic interaction models tuned to the LHC data. Consequently, the deficit of the simulated hadronic signal at ground level, dominated by muons, is alleviated with respect to the unmodified hadronic interaction models. Because of the size of the adjustments to simulated depth of shower maximum and hadronic signal and the large number of events in the sample, the statistical significance of these assumed adjustments is large, greater than 5$\sigma_{stat}$, even for the combination of the systematic experimental shifts within 1$\sigma_{sys}$ that are the most favorable for the models.

• A benchmark study of dioxygen complexes based on coupled cluster and density functional theory

  Marcel Swart, Marc Reimann

  SciPost Chem. 3, 001 (2024) · published 13 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A set of five compounds containing peroxo, superoxo or bis-μ-oxo moieties has been studied in the gas phase using CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVQZ, also in combination with Goodson’s continued fraction approach. The corresponding analytical frequencies corroborate assignments of bands from experiments, and thus provide a consistent set of reference data that can be used for benchmarking a range of density functional approximations. A total of 100 density functionals have been checked for the general bond lengths, the specific peroxo/superoxo bond lengths, angles, and vibrational frequencies. There is not one density functional that performs equally well for all of these properties, not even within one class of density functionals.

• Quenched dynamics and pattern formation in clean and disordered Bogoliubov-de Gennes superconductors

  Bo Fan, Antonio Miguel García García

  SciPost Phys. 17, 049 (2024) · published 13 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the quench dynamics of a two dimensional superconductor in a square lattice of size up to $200× 200$ employing the self-consistent time dependent Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) formalism. In the clean limit, the dynamics of the order parameter for short times, characterized by a fast exponential growth and an oscillatory pattern, agrees with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) prediction. However, unlike BCS, we observe for longer times a universal exponential decay of these time oscillations. We show explicitly that the origin of this exponential decay is the full emergence of spatial inhomogeneities of the order parameter characterized by the exponential growth of its variance. The addition of a weak disorder does not alter these results qualitatively. In this region, the spatial inhomogeneities rapidly develop into an intricate spatial structure consisting of ordered fragmented stripes in perpendicular directions where the order parameter is heavily suppressed. As the disorder strength increases, the fragmented stripes gradually turn into a square lattice of approximately circular spatial regions where the condensate is heavily suppressed. A further increase of disorder leads to the deformation and ultimate destruction of this lattice. We show these emergent spatial patterns are sensitive to the underlying lattice structure. We explore suitable settings for the experimental confirmation of these findings.

• Functional renormalization group for fermions on a one dimensional lattice at arbitrary filling

  Lucas Désoppi, Nicolas Dupuis, Claude Bourbonnais

  SciPost Phys. 17, 054 (2024) · published 15 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A formalism based on the fermionic functional-renormalization-group approach to interacting electron models defined on a lattice is presented. One-loop flow equations for the coupling constants and susceptibilities in the particle-particle and particle-hole channels are derived in weak-coupling conditions. It is shown that lattice effects manifest themselves through the curvature of the spectrum and the dependence of the coupling constants on momenta. This method is then applied to the one-dimensional extended Hubbard model; we thoroughly discuss the evolution of the phase diagram, and in particular the fate of the bond-centered charge-density-wave phase, as the system is doped away from half-filling. Our findings are compared to the predictions of the field-theory continuum limit and available numerical results.

• Ambitions for theory in the physics of life

  William Bialek

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 84 (2024) · published 15 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Theoretical physicists have been fascinated by the phenomena of life for more than a century. As we engage with more realistic descriptions of living systems, however, things get complicated. After reviewing different reactions to this complexity, I explore the optimization of information flow as a potentially general theoretical principle. The primary example is a genetic network guiding development of the fly embryo, but each idea also is illustrated by examples from neural systems. In each case, optimization makes detailed, largely parameter-free predictions that connect quantitatively with experiment.