Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• The geometry of Casimir W-algebras

  Raphaël Belliard, Bertrand Eynard, Sylvain Ribault

  SciPost Phys. 5, 051 (2018) · published 23 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a simply laced Lie algebra, $\widehat{\mathfrak{g}}_1$ the corresponding affine Lie algebra at level one, and $\mathcal{W}(\mathfrak{g})$ the corresponding Casimir W-algebra. We consider $\mathcal{W}(\mathfrak{g})$-symmetric conformal field theory on the Riemann sphere. To a number of $\mathcal{W}(\mathfrak{g})$-primary fields, we associate a Fuchsian differential system. We compute correlation functions of $\widehat{\mathfrak{g}}_1$-currents in terms of solutions of that system, and construct the bundle where these objects live. We argue that cycles on that bundle correspond to parameters of the conformal blocks of the W-algebra, equivalently to moduli of the Fuchsian system.

• Walking, Weak first-order transitions, and Complex CFTs II. Two-dimensional Potts model at $Q>4$

  Victor Gorbenko, Slava Rychkov, Bernardo Zan

  SciPost Phys. 5, 050 (2018) · published 22 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study complex CFTs describing fixed points of the two-dimensional $Q$-state Potts model with $Q>4$. Their existence is closely related to the weak first-order phase transition and walking RG behavior present in the real Potts model at $Q>4$. The Potts model, apart from its own significance, serves as an ideal playground for testing this very general relation. Cluster formulation provides nonperturbative definition for a continuous range of parameter $Q$, while Coulomb gas description and connection to minimal models provide some conformal data of the complex CFTs. We use one and two-loop conformal perturbation theory around complex CFTs to compute various properties of the real walking RG flow. These properties, such as drifting scaling dimensions, appear to be common features of the QFTs with walking RG flows, and can serve as a smoking gun for detecting walking in Monte Carlo simulations. The complex CFTs discussed in this work are perfectly well defined, and can in principle be seen in Monte Carlo simulations with complexified coupling constants. In particular, we predict a pair of $S_5$-symmetric complex CFTs with central charges $c\approx 1.138 \pm 0.021 i$ describing the fixed points of a 5-state dilute Potts model with complexified temperature and vacancy fugacity.

  83 citations

• Absence of Luttinger's theorem for fermions with power-law Green functions

  Kridsanaphong Limtragool, Zhidong Leong, Philip W. Phillips

  SciPost Phys. 5, 049 (2018) · published 16 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We investigate the validity of Luttinger's theorem (or Luttinger sum rule) in two scale-invariant fermionic models. We find that, in general, Luttinger's theorem does not hold in a system of fermions with power-law Green functions which do not necessarily preserve particle-hole symmetry. However, Ref. \cite{Blagoev1997,Yamanaka1997} showed that Luttinger liquids, another scale-invariant fermionic model, respect Luttinger's theorem. To understand the difference, we examine the spinless Luttinger liquid model. We find two properties which make the Luttinger sum rule valid in this model: particle-hole symmetry and $\mathrm{Im} G(\omega=0,-\infty)=0$. We conjecture that these two properties represent sufficient, but not necessary, conditions for the validity of the Luttinger sum rule in condensed matter systems.

  4 citations

• An integrable Lorentz-breaking deformation of two-dimensional CFTs

  Monica Guica

  SciPost Phys. 5, 048 (2018) · published 12 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  It has been recently shown that the deformation of an arbitrary two-dimensional conformal field theory by the composite irrelevant operator $T \bar T$, built from the components of the stress tensor, is solvable; in particular, the finite-size spectrum of the deformed theory can be obtained from that of the original CFT through a universal formula. We study a similarly universal, Lorentz-breaking deformation of two-dimensional CFTs that posess a conserved $U(1)$ current, $J$. The deformation takes the schematic form $J \bar T$ and is interesting because it preserves an $SL(2,\mathbb{R}) \times U(1)$ subgroup of the original global conformal symmetries. For the case of a purely (anti)chiral current, we find the finite-size spectrum of the deformed theory and study its thermodynamic properties. We test our predictions in a simple example involving deformed free fermions.

  111 citations

• Abelian and non-abelian symmetries in infinite projected entangled pair states

  Claudius Hubig

  SciPost Phys. 5, 047 (2018) · published 9 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We explore in detail the implementation of arbitrary abelian and non-abelian symmetries in the setting of infinite projected entangled pair states on the two-dimensional square lattice. We observe a large computational speed-up; easily allowing bond dimensions $D = 10$ in the square lattice Heisenberg model at computational effort comparable to calculations at $D = 6$ without symmetries. We also find that implementing an unbroken symmetry does not negatively affect the representative power of the state and leads to identical or improved ground-state energies. Finally, we point out how to use symmetry implementations to detect spontaneous symmetry breaking.

  17 citations

• Projective phase measurements in one-dimensional Bose gases

  Yuri D. van Nieuwkerk, Jörg Schmiedmayer, Fabian H. L. Essler

  SciPost Phys. 5, 046 (2018) · published 8 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We consider time-of-flight measurements in split one-dimensional Bose gases. It is well known that the low-energy sector of such systems can be described in terms of two compact phase fields $\hat{\phi}_{a,s}(x)$. Building on existing results in the literature we discuss how a single projective measurement of the particle density after trap release is in a certain limit related to the eigenvalues of the vertex operator $e^{i\hat{\phi}_a(x)}$. We emphasize the theoretical assumptions underlying the analysis of "single-shot" interference patterns and show that such measurements give direct access to multi-point correlation functions of $e^{i\hat{\phi}_a(x)}$ in a substantial parameter regime. For experimentally relevant situations, we derive an expression for the measured particle density after trap release in terms of convolutions of the eigenvalues of vertex operators involving both sectors of the two-component Luttinger liquid that describes the low-energy regime of the split condensate. This opens the door to accessing properties of the symmetric sector via an appropriate analysis of existing experimental data.

  20 citations

• Shift-invert diagonalization of large many-body localizing spin chains

  Francesca Pietracaprina, Nicolas Macé, David J. Luitz, Fabien Alet

  SciPost Phys. 5, 045 (2018) · published 6 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We provide a pedagogical review on the calculation of highly excited eigenstates of disordered interacting quantum systems which can undergo a many-body localization (MBL) transition, using shift-invert exact diagonalization. We also provide an example code at https://bitbucket.org/dluitz/sinvert_mbl/. Through a detailed analysis of the simulational parameters of the random field Heisenberg spin chain, we provide a practical guide on how to perform efficient computations. We present data for mid-spectrum eigenstates of spin chains of sizes up to $L=26$. This work is also geared towards readers with interest in efficiency of parallel sparse linear algebra techniques that will find a challenging application in the MBL problem.

  89 citations

• Reweighting Lefschetz Thimbles

  Stefan Bluecher, Jan M. Pawlowski, Manuel Scherzer, Mike Schlosser, Ion-Olimpiu Stamatescu, Sebastian Syrkowski, Felix P. G. Ziegler

  SciPost Phys. 5, 044 (2018) · published 5 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  One of the main challenges in simulations on Lefschetz thimbles is the computation of the relative weights of contributing thimbles. In this paper we propose a solution to that problem by means of computing those weights using a reweighting procedure. Besides we present recipes for finding parametrizations of thimbles and anti-thimbles for a given theory. Moreover, we study some approaches to combine the Lefschetz thimble method with the Complex Langevin evolution. Our numerical investigations are carried out by using toy models among which we consider a one-site z^4 model as well as a U(1) one-link model.

  14 citations

• Cooling phonon modes of a Bose condensate with uniform few body losses

  Isabelle Bouchoule, Max Schemmer, Carsten Henkel

  SciPost Phys. 5, 043 (2018) · published 2 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a general analysis of the cooling produced by losses on condensates or quasi-condensates. We study how the occupations of the collective phonon modes evolve in time, assuming that the loss process is slow enough so that each mode adiabatically follows the decrease of the mean density. The theory is valid for any loss process whose rate is proportional to the $j$th power of the density, but otherwise spatially uniform. We cover both homogeneous gases and systems confined in a smooth potential. For a low-dimensional gas, we can take into account the modified equation of state due to the broadening of the cloud width along the tightly confined directions, which occurs for large interactions. We find that at large times, the temperature decreases proportionally to the energy scale $mc^2$, where $m$ is the mass of the particles and $c$ the sound velocity. We compute the asymptotic ratio of these two quantities for different limiting cases: a homogeneous gas in any dimension and a one-dimensional gas in a harmonic trap.

  10 citations

• Modular invariance faces precision neutrino data

  Juan Carlos Criado, Ferruccio Feruglio

  SciPost Phys. 5, 042 (2018) · published 1 November 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We analyze a modular invariant model of lepton masses, with neutrino masses originating either from the Weinberg operator or from the seesaw. The constraint provided by modular invariance is so strong that neutrino mass ratios, lepton mixing angles and Dirac/Majorana phases do not depend on any Lagrangian parameter. They only depend on the vacuum of the theory, parametrized in terms of a complex modulus and a real field. Thus eight measurable quantities are described by the three vacuum parameters, whose optimization provides an excellent fit to data for the Weinberg operator and a good fit for the seesaw case. Neutrino masses from the Weinberg operator (seesaw) have inverted (normal) ordering. Several sources of potential corrections, such as higher dimensional operators, renormalization group evolution and supersymmetry breaking effects, are carefully discussed and shown not to affect the predictions under reasonable conditions.

  156 citations