arXiv subjects

Dmitri E. Kharzeev

Publications and source records attributed to Dmitri E. Kharzeev.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Gibbs entropy from entanglement in electric quenches

In quantum electrodynamics with charged fermions, a background electric field is the source of the chiral anomaly which creates a chirally imbalanced state of fermions. This chiral state is realized through the production of entangled pairs of right-moving fermions and left-moving antifermions (or vice versa, depending on the orientation of the electric field). Here we show that the statistical Gibbs entropy associated with these pairs is equal to the entropy of entanglement between the right-moving particles and left-moving antiparticles. We then derive an asymptotic expansion for the entanglement entropy in terms of the cumulants of the multiplicity distribution of produced particles and explain how to re-sum this asymptotic expansion. Finally, we study the time dependence of the entanglement entropy in a specific time-dependent pulsed background electric field, the so-called "Sauter pulse", and illustrate how our resummation method works in this specific case. We also find that short pulses (such as the ones created by high energy collisions) result in an approximately thermal distribution for the produced particles.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Shear-induced anomalous transport and charge asymmetry of triangular flow in heavy-ion collisions

Chiral anomaly implies the existence of non-dissipative transport phenomena, such as the chiral magnetic effect. At second order in the derivative expansion, novel quantum transport phenomena emerge. In this paper, we focus on the anomalous transport driven by a combination of shear, vorticity and magnetic field. We find that the corresponding transport phenomena -- shear-induced chiral magnetic and chiral vortical effects (siCME and siCVE) -- induce characteristic charge correlations among the hadrons produced in heavy ion collisions. We propose the charge asymmetry of triangular flow as a signature of the anomalous transport, and estimate the strength of the signal, as well as the background, using hydrodynamical model simulations. We find that the signal-to-background ratio for the proposed observable is favorable for experimental detection.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Chiral magnetic effect in heavy ion collisions and beyond

Chirality is a ubiquitous concept in modern science, from particle physics to biology. In quantum physics, chirality of fermions is linked to topology of gauge fields by the chiral anomaly. While the chiral anomaly is usually associated with the short-distance behavior in field theory, in recent years it has been realized that it also affects the macroscopic behavior of systems with chiral fermions. In particular, the local imbalance between left- and right-handed fermions in the presence of a magnetic field induces non-dissipative transport of electric charge ("the Chiral Magnetic Effect", CME). In heavy ion collisions, there is an ongoing search for this effect at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, with results from a dedicated isobar run presented very recently. An observation of CME in heavy ion collisions could shed light on the mechanism of baryon asymmetry generation in the Early Universe. Recently, the CME has been discovered in Dirac and Weyl semimetals possessing chiral quasi-particles. This observation opens a path towards quantum sensors, and potentially a new kind of quantum computers.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Quantum information approach to high energy interactions

High energy hadron interactions are commonly described by using a probabilistic parton model that ignores quantum entanglement present in the light-cone wave functions. Here we argue that since a high energy interaction samples an instant snapshot of the hadron wave function, the phases of different Fock state wave functions cannot be measured - therefore the light-cone density matrix has to be traced over these unobservable phases. Performing this trace with the corresponding $U(1)$ Haar integration measure leads to "Haar scrambling" of the density matrix, and to the emergence of entanglement entropy. This entanglement entropy is determined by the Fock state probability distribution, and is thus directly related to the parton structure functions. As proposed earlier, at large rapidity $η$ the hadron state becomes maximally entangled, and the entanglement entropy is $S_E \sim η$ according to QCD evolution equations. When the phases of Fock state components are controlled, for example in spin asymmetry measurements, the Haar average cannot be performed, and the probabilistic parton description breaks down.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

The BEST framework for the search for the QCD critical point and the chiral magnetic effect

The Beam Energy Scan Theory (BEST) Collaboration was formed with the goal of providing a theoretical framework for analyzing data from the Beam Energy Scan (BES) program at the relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The physics goal of the BES program is the search for a conjectured QCD critical point as well as for manifestations of the chiral magnetic effect. We describe progress that has been made over the previous five years. This includes studies of the equation of state and equilibrium susceptibilities, the development of suitable initial state models, progress in constructing a hydrodynamic framework that includes fluctuations and anomalous transport effects, as well as the development of freezeout prescriptions and hadronic transport models. Finally, we address the challenge of integrating these components into a complete analysis framework. This document describes the collective effort of the BEST Collaboration and its collaborators around the world.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Vortical Quantum Memory

Quantum memory is a crucial component of a quantum information processor, just like a classical memory is a necessary ingredient of a conventional computer. Moreover, quantum memory of light would serve as a quantum repeater needed for quantum communication networks. Here we propose to realize the quantum memory coupled to magnetic modes of electromagnetic radiation (e.g. those found in cavities and optical fibers) using vortices in Quantum Hall systems. We describe the response to an external magnetic mode as a quench, and find that it sets an oscillation between vortices and antivortices, with the period controlled by the amplitude of the magnetic mode, and the phase locked to the phase of the magnetic mode. We support our proposal by real-time Hamiltonian field theory simulations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Deep inelastic scattering as a probe of entanglement: confronting experimental data

Parton distributions can be defined in terms of the entropy of entanglement between the spatial region probed by deep inelastic scattering (DIS) and the rest of the proton. For very small $x$, the proton becomes a maximally entangled state. This approach leads to a simple relation $S = \ln N $ between the average number $N$ of color-singlet dipoles in the proton wave function and the entropy of the produced hadronic state $S$. At small $x$, the multiplicity of dipoles is given by the gluon structure function, $N = x G(x,Q^2)$. Recently, the H1 Collaboration analyzed the entropy of the produced hadronic state in DIS, and studied its relation to the gluon structure function; poor agreement with the predicted relation was found. In this letter we argue that a more accurate account of the number of color-singlet dipoles in the kinematics of H1 experiment (where hadrons are detected in the current fragmentation region) is given not by $xG(x,Q^2)$ but by the sea quark structure function $xΣ(x,Q^2)$. Sea quarks originate from the splitting of gluons, so at small $x$ $xΣ(x,Q^2)\,\sim\, xG(x,Q^2)$, but in the current fragmentation region this proportionality is distorted by the contribution of the quark-antiquark pair produced by the virtual photon splitting. In addition, the multiplicity of color-singlet dipoles in the current fragmentation region is quite small, and one needs to include $\sim 1/N$ corrections to $S= \ln N$ asymptotic formula. Taking both of these modifications into account, we find that the data from the H1 Collaboration in fact agree well with the prediction based on entanglement.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Chiral kinetic theory of anomalous transport induced by torsion

In Weyl semimetals subjected to torsion, there are two different kinds of chirality: i) the (coordinate-space) shape of the twisted crystal is chiral, and ii) the momentum space contains chiral quasi-particles. Here we construct a general kinetic theory of anomalous transport using the phase space (coordinate and momentum spaces combined) Berry curvature induced by torsion in Weyl systems. We describe how torsion generates the chiral chemical potential, and thus leads to the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) in the presence of a background magnetic field. We propose to measure the CME current induced by the torsion as a way to detect the anomalous coupling between the coordinate-space and momentum-space chiralities.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Anomalous gravitomagnetic moment and non-universality of the axial vortical effect at finite temperature

The coupling between the spin of a massive Dirac fermion and the angular momentum of the medium, i.e. the gravitomagnetic moment, is shown here to be renormalized by QED interactions at finite temperature. This means that the anomalous gravitomagnetic moment (AGM) does not vanish, and implies that thermal effects can break the Einstein equivalence principle in quantum field theory, as argued previously. We also show that the AGM causes radiative corrections to the axial current of massive fermions induced by vorticity in quantum relativistic fluids, similarly to the previous findings for massless fermions. The radiative QCD effects on the AGM should significantly affect the production of polarized hadrons in heavy-ion collisions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Chiral propulsion: the method of effective boundary conditions

We propose to apply an "effective boundary condition" method to the problem of chiral propulsion. For the case of a rotating helix moving through a fluid at a low Reynolds number, the method amounts to replacing the original helix (in the limit of small pitch) by a cylinder, but with a special kind of partial slip boundary conditions replacing the non-slip boundary conditions on the original helix. These boundary conditions are constructed to reproduce far-field velocities of the original problem, and are defined by a few parameters (slipping lengths) that can be extracted from a problem in planar rather than cylindrical geometry. We derive the chiral propulsion coefficients for spirals, helicoids, helically modulated cylinders, and some of their generalizations using the introduced method. In the case of spirals, we compare our results with the ones derived by Lighthill and find a very good agreement. The proposed method is general and can be applied to any helical shape in the limit of a small pitch. We have established that for a broad class of helical surfaces the dependence of the chiral propulsion on the helical angle $θ$ is universal, $χ\sim \cosθ\sin 2θ$ with the maximal propulsion achieved at the universal angle $θ_m = \tan^{-1}(1/\sqrt{2})\approx 35.26^\circ$.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

Real-time dynamics of Chern-Simons fluctuations near a critical point

The real-time topological susceptibility is studied in $(1+1)$-dimensional massive Schwinger model with a $θ$-term. We evaluate the real-time correlation function of electric field that represents the topological Chern-Pontryagin number density in $(1+1)$ dimensions. Near the parity-breaking critical point located at $θ=π$ and fermion mass $m$ to coupling $g$ ratio of $m/g \approx 0.33$, we observe a sharp maximum in the topological susceptibility. We interpret this maximum in terms of the growth of critical fluctuations near the critical point, and draw analogies between the massive Schwinger model, QCD near the critical point, and ferroelectrics near the Curie point.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Chiral magnetic effect reveals the topology of gauge fields in heavy-ion collisions

The topological structure of vacuum is the cornerstone of non-Abelian gauge theories describing strong and electroweak interactions within the standard model of particle physics. However, transitions between different topological sectors of the vacuum (believed to be at the origin of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe) have never been observed directly. An experimental observation of such transitions in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) has become possible in heavy-ion collisions, where the chiral magnetic effect converts the chiral asymmetry (generated by topological transitions in hot QCD matter) into an electric current, under the presence of the magnetic field produced by the colliding ions. The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider program on heavy-ion collisions such as the Zr-Zr and Ru-Ru isobars, thus has the potential to uncover the topological structure of vacuum in a laboratory experiment. This discovery would have far-reaching implications for the understanding of QCD, the origin of the baryon asymmetry in the present-day Universe, and for other areas, including condensed matter physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

The mass radius of the proton

The mass radius is a fundamental property of the proton that so far has not been determined from experiment. Here we show that the mass radius of the proton can be rigorously defined through the formfactor of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor (EMT) of QCD in the weak gravitational field approximation, as appropriate for this problem. We then demonstrate that the scale anomaly of QCD enables the extraction of the formfactor of the trace of the EMT from the data on threshold photoproduction of $J/ψ$ and $Υ$ quarkonia, and use the recent GlueX Collaboration data to extract the r.m.s. mass radius of the proton ${\rm R_m = 0.55 \pm 0.03 \ fm}$. The extracted mass radius is significantly smaller than the charge radius of the proton ${\rm R_C = 0.8409 \pm 0.0004 \ fm}$. We attribute this difference to the interplay of asymptotic freedom and spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in QCD, and outline future measurements needed to determine the mass radius more precisely.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Vortices with magnetic field inversion in noncentrosymmetric superconductors

Superconducting materials with noncentrosymmetric lattices lacking space inversion symmetry exhibit a variety of interesting parity-breaking phenomena, including the magneto-electric effect, spin-polarized currents, helical states, and the unusual Josephson effect. We demonstrate, within a Ginzburg-Landau framework describing noncentrosymmetric superconductors with $O$ point group symmetry, that vortices can exhibit an inversion of the magnetic field at a certain distance from the vortex core. In stark contrast to conventional superconducting vortices, the magnetic-field reversal in the parity-broken superconductor leads to non-monotonic intervortex forces, and, as a consequence, to the exotic properties of the vortex matter such as the formation of vortex bound states, vortex clusters, and the appearance of metastable vortex/anti-vortex bound states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Transverse Chiral Magnetic Photocurrent Induced by Linearly Polarized Light in Mirror-Symmetric Weyl Semimetals

A new class of photocurrents is predicted to occur in both type-I and type-II Weyl semimetals. Unlike the previously studied photocurrents in chiral materials, the proposed current requires neither circularly polarized light, nor an absence of symmetry with respect to a plane of reflection. We show that if a Weyl semimetal has a broken inversion symmetry then linearly polarized light can induce a photocurrent transverse to the direction of an applied magnetic field, in spite of the symmetry with respect to a reflection plane and the time reversal symmetry. The class of materials in which we expect this to occur is sufficiently broad and includes the transition metal monopnictides such as TaAs. The effect stems from the dynamics of Weyl chiral quasi-particles in a magnetic field, restricted by the symmetries described above; because the resulting current is transverse to the direction of magnetic field, we call it the transverse chiral magnetic photocurrent. The magnitude of the resulting photocurrent is predicted to be significant in the THz frequency range, about $0.75\; \mathrm{μA}$ for type-I and $2.5\; \mathrm{μA}$ for type-II Weyl semimetals. This opens the possibility to utilize the predicted transverse chiral magnetic photocurrent for sensing unpolarized THz radiation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Real-time chiral dynamics from a digital quantum simulation

The chiral magnetic effect in a strong magnetic field can be described using the chiral anomaly in the $(1+1)$-dimensional massive Schwinger model with a time-dependent $θ$-term. We perform a digital quantum simulation of the model at finite $θ$-angle and vanishing gauge coupling using an IBM-Q digital quantum simulator, and observe the corresponding vector current induced in a system of relativistic fermions by a global {\it chiral quench} -- a sudden change in the chiral chemical potential or $θ$-angle. At finite fermion mass, there appears an additional contribution to this current that stems from the non-anomalous relaxation of chirality. Our results are relevant for the real-time dynamics of chiral magnetic effect in heavy ion collisions and in chiral materials, as well as for modeling high-energy processes at hadron colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Magnetic fields in heavy ion collisions: flow and charge transport

At the earliest times after a heavy-ion collision, the magnetic field created by the spectator nucleons will generate an extremely strong, albeit rapidly decreasing in time, magnetic field. The impact of this magnetic field may have detectable consequences, and is believed to drive anomalous transport effects like the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME). We detail an exploratory study on the effects of a dynamical magnetic field on the hydrodynamic medium created in the collisions of two ultrarelativistic heavy-ions, using the framework of numerical ideal MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) with the ECHO-QGP code. In this study, we consider a magnetic field captured in a conducting medium, where the conductivity can receive contributions from the electromagnetic conductivity $σ$ and the chiral magnetic conductivity $σ_χ$. We first study the elliptic flow of pions, which we show is relatively unchanged by the introduction of a magnetic field. However, by increasing the magnitude of the magnetic field, we find evidence for an enhancement of the elliptic flow in peripheral collisions. Next, we explore the impact of the chiral magnetic conductivity on electric charges produced at the edges of the fireball. This initial $σ_χ$ can be understood as a long-wavelength effective description of chiral fermion production. We then demonstrate that this chiral charge, when transported by the MHD medium, produces a charge dipole perpendicular to the reaction plane which extends a few units in rapidity. Assuming charge conservation at the freeze-out surface, we show that the produced charge imbalance can have measurable effects on some experimental observables, like $v_1$ or $\langle \sin ϕ\rangle$. This demonstrates the ability of a MHD fluid to transport the signature of the initial chiral magnetic fields to late times.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Tensor supercurrent in QCD

An external Abelian magnetic field excites in the QCD vacuum a tensor supercurrent that represents the tensor polarization of the chiral condensate. This tensor supercurrent can be deduced from the chiral lagrangian in the presence of anomalies; a similar tensor supercurrent emerges in rotating systems at finite chemical potential. We discuss the microscopic origin of this supercurrent and argue that it screens the instanton--anti-instanton $I\bar{I}$ molecules in the QCD vacuum, similarly to the vector supercurrent screening Abrikosov vortices in a superconductor. A number of possible experimental manifestations of the tensor supercurrent are discussed: {\it i}) spin alignment of axial-vector and vector mesons in heavy ion collisions; {\it ii}) tensor charge of the nucleon; {\it iii}) transversity of quark distributions in polarized nucleons.

hep-th↗