Publications

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• An exact mapping between loop-erased random walks and an interacting field theory with two fermions and one boson

  Assaf Shapira, Kay Jörg Wiese

  SciPost Phys. 9, 063 (2020) · published 4 November 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We give a simplified proof for the equivalence of loop-erased random walks to a lattice model containing two complex fermions, and one complex boson. This equivalence works on an arbitrary directed graph. Specifying to the $d$-dimensional hypercubic lattice, at large scales this theory reduces to a scalar $\phi^4$-type theory with two complex fermions, and one complex boson. While the path integral for the fermions is the Berezin integral, for the bosonic field we can either use a complex field $\phi(x)\in \mathbb C$ (standard formulation) or a nilpotent one satisfying $\phi(x)^2 =0$. We discuss basic properties of the latter formulation, which has distinct advantages in the lattice model.

  4 citations

• Effective field theory for quasicrystals and phasons dynamics

  Matteo Baggioli, Michael Landry

  SciPost Phys. 9, 062 (2020) · published 4 November 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We build an effective field theory (EFT) for quasicrystals -- aperiodic incommensurate lattice structures -- at finite temperature, entirely based on symmetry arguments and a well-define action principle. By means of Schwinger-Keldysh techniques, we derive the full dissipative dynamics of the system and we recover the experimentally observed diffusion-to-propagation crossover of the phason mode. From a symmetry point of view, the diffusive nature of the phason at long wavelengths is due to the fact that the internal translations, or phason shifts, are symmetries of the system with no associated Noether currents. The latter feature is compatible with the EFT description only because of the presence of dissipation (finite temperature) and the lack of periodic order. Finally, we comment on the similarities with certain homogeneous holographic models and we formally derive the universal relation between the pinning frequency of the phonons and the damping and diffusion constant of the phason.

  34 citations

• Light-induced topological magnons in two-dimensional van der Waals magnets

  Emil Viñas Boström, Martin Claassen, James W. McIver, Gregor Jotzu, Angel Rubio, Michael A. Sentef

  SciPost Phys. 9, 061 (2020) · published 30 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Driving a two-dimensional Mott insulator with circularly polarized light breaks time-reversal and inversion symmetry, which induces an optically-tunable synthetic scalar spin chirality interaction in the effective low-energy spin Hamiltonian. Here, we show that this mechanism can stabilize topological magnon excitations in honeycomb ferromagnets and in optical lattices. We find that the irradiated quantum magnet is described by a Haldane model for magnons that hosts topologically-protected edge modes. We study the evolution of the magnon spectrum in the Floquet regime and via time propagation of the magnon Hamiltonian for a slowly varying pulse envelope. Compared to similar but conceptually distinct driving schemes based on the Aharanov-Casher effect, the dimensionless light-matter coupling parameter $\lambda = eEa/\hbar\omega$ at fixed electric field strength is enhanced by a factor $\sim 10^5$. This increase of the coupling parameter allows to induce a topological gap of the order of $\Delta \approx 2$ meV with realistic laser pulses, bringing an experimental realization of light-induced topological magnon edge states within reach.

  19 citations

• Separation of variables bases for integrable $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ and Hubbard models

  Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli, Louis Vignoli

  SciPost Phys. 9, 060 (2020) · published 27 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We construct quantum Separation of Variables (SoV) bases for both the fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model both defined with quasi-periodic twisted boundary conditions given by twist matrices having simple spectrum. The SoV bases are obtained by using the integrable structure of these quantum models,i.e. the associated commuting transfer matrices, following the general scheme introduced in [1]; namely, they are given by set of states generated by the multiple action of the transfer matrices on a generic co-vector. The existence of such SoV bases implies that the corresponding transfer matrices have non degenerate spectrum and that they are diagonalizable with simple spectrum if the twist matrices defining the quasi-periodic boundary conditions have that property. Moreover, in these SoV bases the resolution of the transfer matrix eigenvalue problem leads to the resolution of the full spectral problem, i.e. both eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Indeed, to any eigenvalue is associated the unique (up to a trivial overall normalization) eigenvector whose wave-function in the SoV bases is factorized into products of the corresponding transfer matrix eigenvalue computed on the spectrum of the separate variables. As an application, we characterize completely the transfer matrix spectrum in our SoV framework for the fundamental $gl_{1|2}$ supersymmetric integrable model associated to a special class of twist matrices. From these results we also prove the completeness of the Bethe Ansatz for that case. The complete solution of the spectral problem for fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model under the general twisted boundary conditions will be addressed in a future publication.

  10 citations

• Schrödinger approach to Mean Field Games with negative coordination

  Thibault Bonnemain, Thierry Gobron, Denis Ullmo

  SciPost Phys. 9, 059 (2020) · published 23 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Mean Field Games provide a powerful framework to analyze the dynamics of a large number of controlled agents in interaction. Here we consider such systems when the interactions between agents result in a negative coordination and analyze the behavior of the associated system of coupled PDEs using the now well established correspondence with the non linear Schr\"odinger equation. We focus on the long optimization time limit and on configurations such that the game we consider goes through different regimes in which the relative importance of disorder, interactions between agents and external potential varies, which makes possible to get insights on the role of the forward-backward structure of the Mean Field Game equations in relation with the way these various regimes are connected.

  3 citations

• Relaxation of bosons in one dimension and the onset of dimensional crossover

  Chen Li, Tianwei Zhou, Igor Mazets, Hans-Peter Stimming, Frederik S. Møller, Zijie Zhu, Yueyang Zhai, Wei Xiong, Xiaoji Zhou, Xuzong Chen, Jörg Schmiedmayer

  SciPost Phys. 9, 058 (2020) · published 22 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study ultra-cold bosons out of equilibrium in a one-dimensional (1D) setting and probe the breaking of integrability and the resulting relaxation at the onset of the crossover from one to three dimensions. In a quantum Newton's cradle type experiment, we excite the atoms to oscillate and collide in an array of 1D tubes and observe the evolution for up to 4.8 seconds (400 oscillations) with minimal heating and loss. By investigating the dynamics of the longitudinal momentum distribution function and the transverse excitation, we observe and quantify a two-stage relaxation process. In the initial stage single-body dephasing reduces the 1D densities, thus rapidly drives the 1D gas out of the quantum degenerate regime. The momentum distribution function asymptotically approaches the distribution of quasimomenta (rapidities), which are conserved in an integrable system. In the subsequent long time evolution, the 1D gas slowly relaxes towards thermal equilibrium through the collisions with transversely excited atoms. Moreover, we tune the dynamics in the dimensional crossover by initializing the evolution with different imprinted longitudinal momenta (energies). The dynamical evolution towards the relaxed state is quantitatively described by a semiclassical molecular dynamics simulation.

  22 citations

• The high-temperature expansion of the thermal sunset

  Andreas Ekstedt, Johan Löfgren

  SciPost Phys. Core 3, 008 (2020) · published 22 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We give a prescription for calculating the high-temperature expansion of the thermal sunset integral to arbitrary order. We derive all terms odd in $T$, and rederive previous results up to $\mathcal{O}(T^0) $ for both bosonic and fermionic thermal sunsets in dimensional regularisation. We perform analytical and numerical cross-checks. Intermediate steps involve integrals over three Bessel functions.

  1 citation

• Bistabilities and domain walls in weakly open quantum systems

  Florian Lange, Achim Rosch

  SciPost Phys. 9, 057 (2020) · published 21 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Weakly pumped systems with approximate conservation laws can be efficiently described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble if the steady state of the system is unique. However, such a description can fail if there are multiple steady state solutions, for example, a bistability. In this case domains and domain walls may form. In one-dimensional (1D) systems any type of noise (thermal or non-thermal) will in general lead to a proliferation of such domains. We study this physics in a 1D spin chain with two approximate conservation laws, energy and the $z$-component of the total magnetization. A bistability in the magnetization is induced by the coupling to suitably chosen Lindblad operators. We analyze the theory for a weak coupling strength $\epsilon$ to the non-equilibrium bath. In this limit, we argue that one can use hydrodynamic approximations which describe the system locally in terms of space- and time-dependent Lagrange parameters. Here noise terms enforce the creation of domains, where the typical width of a domain wall goes as $\sim 1/\sqrt{\epsilon}$ while the density of domain walls is exponentially small in $1/\sqrt{\epsilon}$. This is shown by numerical simulations of a simplified hydrodynamic equation in the presence of noise.

• Charge order from structured coupling in VSe$_2$

  Jans Henke, Felix Flicker, Jude Laverock, Jasper van Wezel

  SciPost Phys. 9, 056 (2020) · published 21 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Charge order -- ubiquitous among correlated materials -- is customarily described purely as an instability of the electronic structure. However, the resulting theoretical predictions often do not match high-resolution experimental data. A pertinent case is $1T$-VSe$_2$, whose single-band Fermi surface and weak-coupling nature make it qualitatively similar to the Peierls model underlying the traditional approach. Despite this, its Fermi surface is poorly nested, the thermal evolution of its charge density wave (CDW) ordering vectors displays an unexpected jump, and the CDW gap itself evades detection in direct probes of the electronic structure. We demonstrate that the thermal variation of the CDW vectors is naturally reproduced by the electronic susceptibility when incorporating a structured, momentum-dependent electron-phonon coupling, while the evasive CDW gap presents itself as a localized suppression of spectral weight centered above the Fermi level. Our results showcase the general utility of incorporating a structured coupling in the description of charge ordered materials, including those that appear unconventional.

  12 citations

• Kibble–Zurek mechanism in the Ising Field Theory

  Kristóf Hódsági, Marton Kormos

  SciPost Phys. 9, 055 (2020) · published 20 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Kibble-Zurek mechanism captures universality when a system is driven through a continuous phase transition. Here we study the dynamical aspect of quantum phase transitions in the Ising Field Theory where the quantum critical point can be crossed in different directions in the two-dimensional coupling space leading to different scaling laws. Using the Truncated Conformal Space Approach, we investigate the microscopic details of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism in terms of instantaneous eigenstates in a genuinely interacting field theory. For different protocols, we demonstrate dynamical scaling in the non-adiabatic time window and provide analytic and numerical evidence for specific scaling properties of various quantities. In particular, we argue that the higher cumulants of the excess heat exhibit universal scaling in generic interacting models for a slow enough ramp.

  17 citations