Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• A tensor network study of the complete ground state phase diagram of the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model on the square lattice

  Ido Niesen, Philippe Corboz

  SciPost Phys. 3, 030 (2017) · published 28 October 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Using infinite projected entangled pair states, we study the ground state phase diagram of the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic Heisenberg model on the square lattice directly in the thermodynamic limit. We find an unexpected partially nematic partially magnetic phase in between the antiferroquadrupolar and ferromagnetic regions. Furthermore, we describe all observed phases and discuss the nature of the phase transitions involved.

  27 citations

• Collision rate ansatz for quantum integrable systems

  Takato Yoshimura, Herbert Spohn

  SciPost Phys. 9, 040 (2020) · published 15 September 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  For quantum integrable systems the currents averaged with respect to a generalized Gibbs ensemble are revisited. An exact formula is known, which we call “collision rate ansatz”.While there is considerable work to confirm this ansatz in various models, our approach uses the symmetry of the current-charge susceptibility matrix, which holds in great generality. Besides some technical assumptions, the main input is the availability of a self-conserved current, i.e. some current which is itself conserved. The collision rate ansatz is then derived. The argument is carried out in detail for the Lieb-Liniger model and the Heisenberg XXZ chain. The Fermi-Hubbard is not covered, since no self-conserved current seems to exist. It is also explained how from the existence of a boost operator a self-conserved current can be deduced.

  27 citations

• Statistics of correlation functions in the random Heisenberg chain

  Luis Colmenarez, Paul A. McClarty, Masudul Haque, David J. Luitz

  SciPost Phys. 7, 064 (2019) · published 21 November 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Ergodic quantum many-body systems satisfy the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH). However, strong disorder can destroy ergodicity through many-body localization (MBL) -- at least in one dimensional systems -- leading to a clear signal of the MBL transition in the probability distributions of energy eigenstate expectation values of local operators. For a paradigmatic model of MBL, namely the random-field Heisenberg spin chain, we consider the full probability distribution of eigenstate correlation functions across the entire phase diagram. We find gaussian distributions at weak disorder, as predicted by pure ETH. At intermediate disorder -- in the thermal phase -- we find further evidence for anomalous thermalization in the form of heavy tails of the distributions. In the MBL phase, we observe peculiar features of the correlator distributions: a strong asymmetry in $S_i^z S_{i+r}^z$ correlators skewed towards negative values; and a multimodal distribution for spin-flip correlators. A quantitative quasi-degenerate perturbation theory calculation of these correlators yields a surprising agreement of the full distribution with the exact results, revealing, in particular, the origin of the multiple peaks in the spin-flip correlator distribution as arising from the resonant and off-resonant admixture of spin configurations. The distribution of the $S_i^zS_{i+r}^z$ correlator exhibits striking differences between the MBL and Anderson insulator cases.

  27 citations

• Exact relaxation to Gibbs and non-equilibrium steady states in the quantum cellular automaton Rule 54

  Katja Klobas, Bruno Bertini

  SciPost Phys. 11, 106 (2021) · published 20 December 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the quantum cellular automaton Rule 54 using a time-channel approach. We exhibit a family of (non-equilibrium) product states for which we are able to describe exactly the full relaxation dynamics. We use this to prove that finite subsystems relax to a one-parameter family of Gibbs states. We also consider inhomogeneous quenches. Specifically, we show that when the two halves of the system are prepared in two different solvable states, finite subsystems at finite distance from the centre eventually relax to the non-equilibrium steady state (NESS) predicted by generalised hydrodynamics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first exact description of the relaxation to a NESS in an interacting system and, therefore, the first independent confirmation of generalised hydrodynamics for an inhomogeneous quench.

  27 citations

• Relative defects in relative theories: Trapped higher-form symmetries and irregular punctures in class S

  Lakshya Bhardwaj, Simone Giacomelli, Max Hübner, Sakura Schäfer-Nameki

  SciPost Phys. 13, 101 (2022) · published 26 October 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A relative theory is a boundary condition of a higher-dimensional topological quantum field theory (TQFT), and carries a non-trivial defect group formed by mutually non-local defects living in the relative theory. Prime examples are $6d$ $\mathcal{N}=(2,0)$ theories that are boundary conditions of $7d$ TQFTs, with the defect group arising from surface defects. In this paper, we study codimension-two defects in $6d$ $\mathcal{N}=(2,0)$ theories, and find that the line defects living inside these codimension-two defects are mutually non-local and hence also form a defect group. Thus, codimension-two defects in a $6d$ $\mathcal{N}=(2,0)$ theory are relative defects living inside a relative theory. These relative defects provide boundary conditions for topological defects of the $7d$ bulk TQFT. A codimension-two defect carrying a non-trivial defect group acts as an irregular puncture when used in the construction of $4d$ $\mathcal{N}=2$ Class S theories. The defect group associated to such an irregular puncture provides extra "trapped" contributions to the 1-form symmetries of the resulting Class S theories. We determine the defect groups associated to large classes of both conformal and non-conformal irregular punctures. Along the way, we discover many new classes of irregular punctures. A key role in the analysis of defect groups is played by two different geometric descriptions of the punctures in Type IIB string theory: one provided by isolated hypersurface singularities in Calabi-Yau threefolds, and the other provided by ALE fibrations with monodromies.

  27 citations

• The vacua of dipolar cavity quantum electrodynamics

  Michael Schuler, Daniele De Bernardis, Andreas M. Läuchli, Peter Rabl

  SciPost Phys. 9, 066 (2020) · published 9 November 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The structure of solids and their phases is mainly determined by static Coulomb forces while the coupling of charges to the dynamical, i.e., quantized degrees of freedom of the electromagnetic field plays only a secondary role. Recently, it has been speculated that this general rule can be overcome in the context of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), where the coupling of dipoles to a single field mode can be dramatically enhanced. Here we present a first exact analysis of the ground states of a dipolar cavity QED system in the non-perturbative coupling regime, where electrostatic and dynamical interactions play an equally important role. Specifically, we show how strong and long-range vacuum fluctuations modify the states of dipolar matter and induce novel phases with unusual properties. Beyond a purely fundamental interest, these general mechanisms can be important for potential applications, ranging from cavity-assisted chemistry to quantum technologies based on ultrastrongly coupled circuit QED systems.

  26 citations

• The partial Bondi gauge: Further enlarging the asymptotic structure of gravity

  Marc Geiller, Céline Zwikel

  SciPost Phys. 13, 108 (2022) · published 15 November 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a detailed analysis of gravity in a partial Bondi gauge, where only the three conditions $g_{rr}=0=g_{rA}$ are fixed. We relax in particular the so-called determinant condition on the transverse metric, which is only assumed to admit a polyhomogeneous radial expansion. This is sufficient in order to build the solution space, which here includes a cosmological constant, time-dependent sources in the boundary metric, logarithmic branches, and an extra trace mode at subleading order in the transverse metric. The evolution equations are studied using the Newman--Penrose formalism in terms of covariant functionals identified from the Weyl scalars, and we build the explicit dictionary between this formalism and the tensorial Einstein equations. This provides in particular a new derivation of the (A)dS mass loss formula. We then study the holographic renormalisation of the symplectic potential, and the transformation laws under residual asymptotic symmetries. The advantage of the partial Bondi gauge is that it allows to contrast and treat in a unified manner the Bondi–Sachs and Newman--Unti gauges, which can each be reached upon imposing a further specific gauge condition. The differential determinant condition leads to the $\Lambda$-BMSW gauge, while a differential condition on $g_{ur}$ leads to a generalized Newman--Unti gauge. This latter gives access to a new asymptotic symmetry which acts on the asymptotic shear and further extends the $\Lambda$-BMSW group by an extra abelian radial translation. This generalizes results which we have recently obtained in three dimensions.

  26 citations

• Investigating ultrafast quantum magnetism with machine learning

  Giammarco Fabiani, Johan H. Mentink

  SciPost Phys. 7, 004 (2019) · published 5 July 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We investigate the efficiency of the recently proposed Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) representation of quantum many-body states to study both the static properties and quantum spin dynamics in the two-dimensional Heisenberg model on a square lattice. For static properties we find close agreement with numerically exact Quantum Monte Carlo results in the thermodynamical limit. For dynamics and small systems, we find excellent agreement with exact diagonalization, while for systems up to N=256 spins close consistency with interacting spin-wave theory is obtained. In all cases the accuracy converges fast with the number of network parameters, giving access to much bigger systems than feasible before. This suggests great potential to investigate the quantum many-body dynamics of large scale spin systems relevant for the description of magnetic materials strongly out of equilibrium.

  26 citations

• Entanglement Entropy in Lifshitz Theories

  Temple He, Javier M. Magan, Stefan Vandoren

  SciPost Phys. 3, 034 (2017) · published 16 November 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We discuss and compute entanglement entropy (EE) in (1+1)-dimensional free Lifshitz scalar field theories with arbitrary dynamical exponents. We consider both the subinterval and periodic sublattices in the discretized theory as subsystems. In both cases, we are able to analytically demonstrate that the EE grows linearly as a function of the dynamical exponent. Furthermore, for the subinterval case, we determine that as the dynamical exponent increases, there is a crossover from an area law to a volume law. Lastly, we deform Lifshitz field theories with certain relevant operators and show that the EE decreases from the ultraviolet to the infrared fixed point, giving evidence for a possible $c$-theorem for deformed Lifshitz theories.

  26 citations

• Living on the walls of super-QCD

  Vladimir Bashmakov, Francesco Benini, Sergio Benvenuti, Matteo Bertolini

  SciPost Phys. 6, 044 (2019) · published 15 April 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study BPS domain walls in four-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ massive SQCD with gauge group $SU(N)$ and $F<N$ flavors. We propose a class of three-dimensional Chern-Simons-matter theories to describe the effective dynamics on the walls. Our proposal passes several checks, including the exact matching between its vacua and the solutions to the four-dimensional BPS domain wall equations, that we solve in the small mass regime. As the flavor mass is varied, domain walls undergo a second-order phase transition, where multiple vacua coalesce into a single one. For special values of the parameters, the phase transition exhibits supersymmetry enhancement. Our proposal includes and extends previous results in the literature, providing a complete picture of BPS domain walls for $F<N$ massive SQCD. A similar picture holds also for SQCD with gauge group $Sp(N)$ and $F < N+1$ flavors.

  26 citations