Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• An index for quantum integrability

  Shota Komatsu, Raghu Mahajan, Shu-Heng Shao

  SciPost Phys. 7, 065 (2019) · published 26 November 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The existence of higher-spin quantum conserved currents in two dimensions guarantees quantum integrability. We revisit the question of whether classically-conserved local higher-spin currents in two-dimensional sigma models survive quantization. We define an integrability index $\mathcal{I}(J)$ for each spin $J$, with the property that $\mathcal{I}(J)$ is a lower bound on the number of quantum conserved currents of spin $J$. In particular, a positive value for the index establishes the existence of quantum conserved currents. For a general coset model, with or without extra discrete symmetries, we derive an explicit formula for a generating function that encodes the indices for all spins. We apply our techniques to the $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$ model, the $O(N)$ model, and the flag sigma model $\frac{U(N)}{U(1)^{N}}$. For the $O(N)$ model, we establish the existence of a spin-6 quantum conserved current, in addition to the well-known spin-4 current. The indices for the $\mathbb{CP}^{N-1}$ model for $N>2$ are all non-positive, consistent with the fact that these models are not integrable. The indices for the flag sigma model $\frac{U(N)}{U(1)^{N}}$ for $N>2$ are all negative. Thus, it is unlikely that the flag sigma models are integrable.

  6 citations

• Linearized regime of the generalized hydrodynamics with diffusion

  Miłosz Panfil, Jacek Pawełczyk

  SciPost Phys. Core 1, 002 (2019) · published 22 November 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We consider the generalized hydrodynamics including the recently introduced diffusion term for an initially inhomogeneous state in the Lieb-Liniger model. We construct a general solution to the linearized hydrodynamics equation in terms of the eigenstates of the evolution operator and study two prototypical classes of initial states: delocalized and localized spatially. We exhibit some general features of the resulting dynamics, among them, we highlight the difference between the ballistic and diffusive evolution. The first one governs a spatial scrambling, the second, a scrambling of the quasi-particles content. We also go one step beyond the linear regime and discuss the evolution of the zero momentum mode that does not evolve in the linear regime.

  18 citations

• Reproducing topological properties with quasi-Majorana states

  Adriaan Vuik, Bas Nijholt, Anton R. Akhmerov, Michael Wimmer

  SciPost Phys. 7, 061 (2019) · published 12 November 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Andreev bound states in hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices can have near-zero energy in the topologically trivial regime as long as the confinement potential is sufficiently smooth. These quasi-Majorana states show zero-bias conductance features in a topologically trivial phase, mimicking spatially separated topological Majorana states. We show that in addition to the suppressed coupling between the quasi-Majorana states, also the coupling of these states across a tunnel barrier to the outside is exponentially different for increasing magnetic field. As a consequence, quasi-Majorana states mimic most of the proposed Majorana signatures: quantized zero-bias peaks, the $4\pi$ Josephson effect, and the tunneling spectrum in presence of a normal quantum dot. We identify a quantized conductance dip instead of a peak in the open regime as a distinguishing feature of true Majorana states in addition to having a bulk topological transition. Because braiding schemes rely only on the ability to couple to individual Majorana states, the exponential control over coupling strengths allows to also use quasi-Majorana states for braiding. Therefore, while the appearance of quasi-Majorana states complicates the observation of topological Majorana states, it opens an alternative route towards braiding of non-Abelian anyons and protected quantum computation.

  212 citations

• Exceptional Chern-Simons-Matter dualities

  Clay Córdova, Po-Shen Hsin, Kantaro Ohmori

  SciPost Phys. 7, 056 (2019) · published 28 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We use conformal embeddings involving exceptional affine Kac-Moody algebras to derive new dualities of three-dimensional topological field theories. These generalize the familiar level-rank duality of Chern-Simons theories based on classical gauge groups to the setting of exceptional gauge groups. For instance, one duality sequence we discuss is $(E_{N})_{1}\leftrightarrow SU(9-N)_{-1}$. Others such as $SO(3)_{8}\leftrightarrow PSU(3)_{-6},$ are dualities among theories with classical gauge groups that arise due to their embedding into an exceptional chiral algebra. We apply these equivalences between topological field theories to conjecture new boson-boson Chern-Simons matter dualities. We also use them to determine candidate phase diagrams of time-reversal invariant $G_{2}$ gauge theory coupled to either an adjoint fermion, or two fundamental fermions.

  22 citations

• Conjectures about the structure of strong- and weak-coupling expansions of a few ground-state observables in the Lieb-Liniger and Yang-Gaudin models

  Guillaume Lang

  SciPost Phys. 7, 055 (2019) · published 23 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this paper, we apply experimental number theory to two integrable quantum models in one dimension, the Lieb-Liniger Bose gas and the Yang-Gaudin Fermi gas with contact interactions. We identify patterns in weak- and strong-coupling series expansions of the ground-state energy, local correlation functions and pressure. Based on the most accurate data available in the literature, we make a few conjectures about their mathematical structure and extrapolate to higher orders.

  4 citations

• Long-distance entanglement in Motzkin and Fredkin spin chains

  Luca Dell'Anna

  SciPost Phys. 7, 053 (2019) · published 22 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We derive some entanglement properties of the ground states of two classes of quantum spin chains described by the Fredkin model, for half-integer spins, and the Motzkin model, for integer ones. Since the ground states of the two models are known analytically, we can calculate the entanglement entropy, the negativity and the quantum mutual information exactly. We show, in particular, that these systems exhibit long-distance entanglement, namely two disjoint regions of the chains remain entangled even when the separation is sent to infinity, i.e. these systems are not affected by decoherence. This strongly entangled behavior, occurring both for colorful versions of the models (with spin larger than 1/2 or 1, respectively) and for colorless cases (spin 1/2 and 1), is consistent with the violation of the cluster decomposition property. Moreover we show that this behavior involves disjoint segments located both at the edges and in the bulk of the chains.

  10 citations

• Spectral response of Josephson junctions with low-energy quasiparticles

  Anna Keselman, Chaitanya Murthy, Bernard van Heck, Bela Bauer

  SciPost Phys. 7, 050 (2019) · published 16 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study nanowire-based Josephson junctions shunted by a capacitor and take into account the presence of low-energy quasiparticle excitations. These are treated by extending conventional models used to describe superconducting qubits to include the coherent coupling between fermionic quasiparticles, in particular the Majorana zero modes that emerge in topological superconductors, and the plasma mode of the junction. Using accurate, unbiased matrix-product state techniques, we compute the energy spectrum and response function of the system across the topological phase transition. Furthermore, we develop a perturbative approach, valid in the harmonic limit with small charging energy, illustrating how the presence of low-energy quasiparticles affects the spectrum and response of the junction. Our results are of direct interest to on-going experimental investigations of nanowire-based superconducting qubits.

  23 citations

• General continuum model for twisted bilayer graphene and arbitrary smooth deformations

  Leon Balents

  SciPost Phys. 7, 048 (2019) · published 10 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a simple derivation of a continuum Hamiltonian for bilayer graphene with an arbitrary smooth lattice deformation -- technically in a fashion parametrized by displacement fields with small gradients. We show that this subsumes the continuum model of Bistritzer and Macdonald for twisted bilayer graphene as well as many generalizations and extensions of it. The derivation is carried out entirely in real space.

  52 citations

• Investigating the roots of the nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology

  Lisa Markhof, Mikhail Pletyukhov, Volker Meden

  SciPost Phys. 7, 047 (2019) · published 9 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology of one-dimensional correlated Fermi systems is an attempt to describe the effect of the band curvature beyond the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid paradigm. It relies on the observation that the dynamical structure factor of the interacting electron gas shows a logarithmic threshold singularity when evaluated to first order perturbation theory in the two-particle interaction. This term was interpreted as the linear one in an expansion which was conjectured to resum to a power law. A field theory, the mobile impurity model, which is constructed such that it provides the power law in the structure factor, was suggested to be the proper effective model and used to compute the single-particle spectral function. This forms the basis of the nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology. Surprisingly, the second order perturbative contribution to the structure factor was so far not studied. We first close this gap and show that it is consistent with the conjectured power law. Secondly, we critically assess the steps leading to the mobile impurity Hamiltonian. We show that the model does not allow to include the effect of the momentum dependence of the (bulk) two-particle potential. This dependence was recently shown to spoil power laws in the single-particle spectral function which previously were believed to be part of the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid universality. Although our second order results for the structure factor are consistent with power-law scaling, this raises doubts that the conjectured nonlinear Luttinger liquid phenomenology can be considered as universal. We conclude that more work is required to clarify this.

  7 citations

• Unfrustrating the t-J Model: d-wave BCS Superconductivity in the t'-J_z-V Model

  Kevin Slagle

  SciPost Phys. 7, 046 (2019) · published 9 October 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The t-J model is believed to be a minimal model that may be capable of describing the low-energy physics of the cuprate superconductors. However, although the t-J model is simple in appearance, obtaining a detailed understanding of its phase diagram has proved to be challenging. We are therefore motivated to study modifications to the t-J model such that its phase diagram and mechanism for d-wave superconductivity can be understood analytically without making uncontrolled approximations. The modified model we consider is a t'-J_z-V model on a square lattice, which has a second-nearest-neighbor hopping t' (instead of a nearest-neighbor hopping t), an Ising (instead of Heisenberg) antiferromagnetic coupling J_z, and a nearest-neighbor repulsion V. In a certain strongly interacting limit, the ground state is an antiferromagnetic superconductor that can be described exactly by a Hamiltonian where the only interaction is a nearest-neighbor attraction. BCS theory can then be applied with arbitrary analytical control, from which nodeless d-wave or s-wave superconductivity can result.