Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Electric manipulation of domain walls in magnetic Weyl semimetals via the axial anomaly

  Julia D. Hannukainen, Alberto Cortijo, Jens H. Bardarson, Yago Ferreiros

  SciPost Phys. 10, 102 (2021) · published 11 May 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We show how the axial (chiral) anomaly induces a spin torque on the magnetization in magnetic Weyl semimetals. The anomaly produces an imbalance in left- and right-handed chirality carriers when non-orthogonal electric and magnetic fields are applied. Such imbalance generates a spin density which exerts a torque on the magnetization, the strength of which can be controlled by the intensity of the applied electric field. We show how this results in an electric control of the chirality of domain walls, as well as in an improvement of the domain wall dynamics, by delaying the onset of the Walker breakdown. The measurement of the electric field mediated changes in the domain wall chirality would constitute a direct proof of the axial anomaly. Additionally, we show how quantum fluctuations of electronic Fermi arc states bound to the domain wall naturally induce an effective magnetic anisotropy, allowing for high domain wall velocities even if the intrinsic anisotropy of the magnetic Weyl semimetal is small.

  14 citations

• Out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the XY spin chain from form factor expansion

  Etienne Granet, Henrik Dreyer, Fabian H.L. Essler

  SciPost Phys. 12, 019 (2022) · published 13 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We consider the XY spin chain with arbitrary time-dependent magnetic field and anisotropy. We argue that a certain subclass of Gaussian states, called Coherent Ensemble (CE) following [1], provides a natural and unified framework for out-of-equilibrium physics in this model. We show that all correlation functions in the CE can be computed using form factor expansion and expressed in terms of Fredholm determinants. In particular, we present exact out-of-equilibrium expressions in the thermodynamic limit for the previously unknown order parameter 1-point function, dynamical 2-point function and equal-time 3-point function.

  14 citations

• Similarity between the kinematic viscosity of quark-gluon plasma and liquids at the viscosity minimum

  Kostya Trachenko, Vadim Brazhkin, Matteo Baggioli

  SciPost Phys. 10, 118 (2021) · published 27 May 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Recently, it has been found that the kinematic viscosity of liquids at the minimum, $\nu_m$, can be expressed in terms of fundamental physical constants, giving $\nu_m$ on the order of $10^{-7}~{\rm m^2/s}$. Here, we show that the kinematic viscosity of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) has a similar value and support this finding by experimental data and theoretical estimations. The similarity is striking, given that the dynamic viscosity and the density of QGP are about 16 orders of magnitude larger than in liquids and that the two systems have disparate interactions and fundamental theories. We discuss the implications of this result for understanding the QGP including the similarity of flow and particle dynamics at the viscosity minimum, the associated dynamical crossover and universality of shear diffusivity.

  14 citations

• Feynman diagrams and $Ω$-deformed M-theory

  Jihwan Oh, Yehao Zhou

  SciPost Phys. 10, 029 (2021) · published 5 February 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We derive the simplest commutation relations of operator algebras associated to M2 branes and an M5 brane in the $\Omega$-deformed M-theory, which is a natural set-up for Twisted holography. Feynman diagram 1-loop computations in the twisted-holographic dual side reproduce the same algebraic relations.

  14 citations

• The WIMP paradigm: Theme and variations

  Jonathan L. Feng

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 71 (2023) · published 13 June 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  WIMPs, ↑ weakly-interacting massive particles, have been leading candidates for particle dark matter for decades, and they remain a viable and highly motivated possibility. In these lectures, I describe the basic motivations for WIMPs, beginning with the WIMP miracle and its under-appreciated cousin, the discrete WIMP miracle. I then give an overview of some of the basic features of WIMPs and how to find them. These lectures conclude with some variations on the WIMP theme that have by now become significant topics in their own right and illustrate the richness of the WIMP paradigm.

  14 citations

• Dark matter in astrophysics/cosmology

  Anne M. Green

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 37 (2022) · published 25 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  These lecture notes aim to provide an introduction to dark matter from the perspective of astrophysics/cosmology. We start with a rapid overview of cosmology, including the evolution of the Universe, its thermal history and structure formation. Then we look at the observational evidence for dark matter, from observations of galaxies, galaxy clusters, the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background radiation and large scale structure. To detect dark matter we need to know how it's distributed, in particular in the Milky Way, so next we overview relevant results from numerical simulations and observations. Finally, we conclude by looking at what astrophysical and cosmological observations can tell us about the nature of dark matter, focusing on two particular cases: warm and self-interacting dark matter.

  14 citations

• Magnetisation and Mean Field Theory in the Ising Model

  Dalton A R Sakthivadivel

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 35 (2022) · published 19 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this set of notes, a complete, pedagogical tutorial for applying mean field theory to the two-dimensional Ising model is presented. Beginning with the motivation and basis for mean field theory, we formally derive the Bogoliubov inequality and discuss mean field theory itself. We proceed with the use of mean field theory to determine a magnetisation function, and the results of the derivation are interpreted graphically, physically, and mathematically. We give a new interpretation of the self-consistency condition in terms of intersecting surfaces and constrained solution sets. We also include some more general comments on the thermodynamics of the phase transition. We end by evaluating symmetry considerations in magnetisation, and some more subtle features of the Ising model. Together, a self-contained overview of the mean field Ising model is given, with some novel presentation of important results.

  14 citations

• Electromagnetically induced transparency with Rydberg atoms across the Breit-Rabi regime

  J. B. Naber, A. Tauschinsky, H. B. van Linden van den Heuvell, R. J. C. Spreeuw

  SciPost Phys. 2, 015 (2017) · published 25 April 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present experimental results on the influence of magnetic fields and laser polarization on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using Rydberg levels of $^{87}$Rb atoms. The measurements are performed in a room temperature vapor cell with two counter-propagating laser beams at 480nm and 780nm in a ladder-type energy level scheme. We measure the EIT spectrum of a range of $ns_{1/2}$ Rydberg states for $n=19-27$, where the hyperfine structure can still be resolved. Our measurements span the range of magnetic fields from the low field linear Zeeman regime to the high field Paschen-Back regimes. The observed spectra are very sensitive to small changes in magnetic fields and the polarization of the laser beams. We model our observations using optical Bloch equations that take into account the full multi-level structure of the atomic states involved and the decoupling of the electronic $J$ and nuclear $I$ angular momenta in the Breit-Rabi regime. The numerical model yields excellent agreement with the observations. In addition to EIT related experiments, our results are relevant for experiments involving coherent excitation to Rydberg levels in the presence of magnetic fields.

  14 citations

• Many-body chaos and anomalous diffusion across thermal phase transitions in two dimensions

  Sibaram Ruidas, Sumilan Banerjee

  SciPost Phys. 11, 087 (2021) · published 3 November 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Chaos is an important characterization of classical dynamical systems. How is chaos linked to the long-time dynamics of collective modes across phases and phase transitions? We address this by studying chaos across Ising and Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions in classical XXZ model. We show that spatio-temporal chaotic properties have crossovers across the transitions and distinct temperature dependence in the high and low-temperature phases which show normal and anomalous diffusions, respectively. Our results also provide new insights into the dynamics of interacting quantum systems in the semiclassical limit.

  14 citations

• Generalized eigenproblem without fermion doubling for Dirac fermions on a lattice

  M. J. Pacholski, G. Lemut, J. Tworzydło, C. W. J. Beenakker

  SciPost Phys. 11, 105 (2021) · published 14 December 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The spatial discretization of the single-cone Dirac Hamiltonian on the surface of a topological insulator or superconductor needs a special "staggered" grid, to avoid the appearance of a spurious second cone in the Brillouin zone. We adapt the Stacey discretization from lattice gauge theory to produce a generalized eigenvalue problem, of the form ${\mathcal H}\psi=E {\mathcal P}\psi$, with Hermitian tight-binding operators ${\mathcal H}$, ${\mathcal P}$, a locally conserved particle current, and preserved chiral and symplectic symmetries. This permits the study of the spectral statistics of Dirac fermions in each of the four symmetry classes A, AII, AIII, and D.

  14 citations