arXiv subjects

Ethan Lake

Publications and source records attributed to Ethan Lake.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

A Lattice Chiral Boson Theory in $1+1$d

Chiral field theories describe large classes of matter, from the edges of Quantum Hall systems to the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, but defining them on the lattice has been an ongoing challenge due to a no-go theorem precluding free local models, the potential of symmetry anomalies, and sign problems. Some approaches define a $1+1$d chiral field theory as the edge of a $2+1$d system and argue that the edge decouples from the bulk, but this can be difficult to verify due to finite size effects and strong interactions. On the other hand, recent work has shown how to define the $2+1$d bulk theory as an exactly solvable model with zero correlation length, in which case the edge theory may be extracted exactly. We use these techniques to derive a lattice field theory on a $1+1$d spacetime lattice which carries an anomalous chiral $U(1)$ symmetry with zero chiral central charge. The lattice theory with anomalous chiral $U(1)$ symmetry is always gapless, regardless of lattice interactions. We demonstrate the chiral anomaly by coupling to a background gauge field, develop a field theory which demonstrates the chiral behavior, and show how to assemble a chiral, anomaly-free theory where the gauge field may be taken to be dynamical.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Non-Fermi liquids from kinetic constraints in tilted optical lattices

We study Fermi-Hubbard models with kinetically constrained dynamics that conserves both total particle number and total center of mass, a situation that arises when interacting fermions are placed in strongly tilted optical lattices. Through a combination of analytics and numerics, we show how the kinetic constraints stabilize an exotic non-Fermi liquid phase described by fermions coupled to a gapless bosonic field, which in many respects mimics a dynamical gauge field. This offers a novel route towards the study of non-Fermi liquid phases in the precision environments afforded by ultracold atom platforms.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2022

Dipole condensates in tilted Bose-Hubbard chains

We study the quantum phase diagram of a Bose-Hubbard chain whose dynamics conserves both boson number and boson dipole moment, a situation which can arise in strongly tilted optical lattices. The conservation of dipole moment has a dramatic effect on the phase diagram, which we analyze by combining a field theory analysis with DMRG simulations. Unlike the conventional Bose-Hubbard model, the phase diagram contains no compressible phases, and is instead dominated by various types of exotic dipolar condensates. We suggest ways by which these condensates can be identified in near-term cold atom experiments.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2022

Pairing symmetry of twisted bilayer graphene: a phenomenological synthesis

One of the outstanding questions in the study of twisted bilayer graphene -- from both experimental and theoretical points of view -- is the nature of its superconducting phase. In this work we perform a comprehensive synthesis of existing experiments, and argue that experimental constraints are strong enough to allow the structure of the superconducting order parameter to be nearly uniquely determined. In particular, we argue that the order parameter is nodal, and is formed from an admixture of spin-singlet and spin-triplet Cooper pairs. This argument is made on phenomenological grounds, without committing to any particular microscopic model of the superconductor. Existing data is insufficient to determine the orbital parity of the order parameter, which could be either p-wave or d-wave. We propose a way in which the measurement of Andreev edge states can be used to distinguish between the two.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

The dipolar Bose-Hubbard model

We study a simple model of interacting bosons on a d-dimensional cubic lattice whose dynamics conserves both total boson number and total boson dipole moment. This model provides a simple framework in which several remarkable consequences of dipole conservation can be explored. As a function of chemical potential and hopping strength, the model can be tuned between gapped Mott insulating phases and various types of gapless condensates. The condensed phase realized at large hopping strengths, which we dub a Bose-Einstein insulator, is particularly interesting: despite having a Bose condensate, it is insulating, and despite being an insulator, it is compressible.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2022

Spontaneous breaking of multipole symmetries

Multipole symmetries are of interest both as a window on fracton physics and as a crucial ingredient in realizing new universality classes for quantum dynamics. Here we address the question of whether and when multipole symmetries can be spontaneously broken, both in thermal equilibrium and at zero temperature. We derive generalized Mermin-Wagner arguments for the total or partial breaking of multipolar symmetry groups and generalized Imry-Ma arguments for the robustness of such multipolar symmetry breaking to disorder. We present both general results and explicit examples. Our results should be directly applicable to quantum dynamics with multipolar symmetries and also provide a useful stepping stone to understanding the robustness of fracton phases to thermal fluctuations, quantum fluctuations, and disorder.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

Topological Mott Insulators and Discontinuous $U(1)$ $θ$-Terms

We introduce a lattice field theory that describes the transition between a superfluid (SF) and a bosonic topological Mott Insulator (tMI) -- a $U(1)$ symmetry protected topological phase labeled by an integer level $k$ and possessing an even integer $2k\frac{e^2}{h}$ quantized Hall conductance. Our model differs from the usual $2+1$d XY model by a topological term that vanishes on closed manifolds and in the absence of an applied gauge field, which implies that the critical exponents of the SF-tMI transition are identical to those of the well-studied $2+1$d XY transition. Our formalism predicts a "level-shift" symmetry: in the absence of an applied gauge field, the bulk correlation functions of all local operators are identical for models differing by the topological term. %, for example, near the SF-MI and SF-tMI transitions, and hence the extremely well-studied critical exponents of the $2+1$d XY model apply to the SF-tMI transition. In the presence of a background gauge field, the topological term leads to a quantized Hall response in the tMI phase, and we argue that this quantized Hall effect persists in the vicinity of the phase transition into the SF phase. Our formalism paves the way for other exact lattice descriptions of symmetry-protected-topological (SPT) phases, and mappings of critical exponents between transitions from symmetry-breaking to trivial states and transitions from symmetry-breaking to SPT states. A similar "level shift" symmetry should appear between all group cohomology SPT states protected by the same symmetry.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

RG and Stability in the Exciton Bose Liquid

The exciton Bose liquid (EBL) is a hypothesized phase of bosons in 2+1D which possesses a dispersion that is gapless along the coordinate axes in momentum space. The low energy theory of the EBL involves modes on all length scales, extending all the way down to the lattice spacing. In this note, we discuss an RG scheme that can be used to address the stability of this and related phases of matter. We argue that in the absence of an extensively large symmetry group, realizing the simplest formulation of the EBL always requires fine-tuning. However, we also argue that the addition of certain marginal interactions can likely be used to realize a stable phase, without the need for fine-tuning. A simple generalization to 3+1D is also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Re-entrant Superconductivity Through a Quantum Lifshitz Transition in Twisted Trilayer Graphene

A series of recent experiments have demonstrated robust superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene (TTG). In particular, a recent work by Cao et al. (arxiv:2103.12083) studies the behavior of the superconductor in an in-plane magnetic field and out-of-plane displacement field, finding that the superconductor is unlikely to be spin-singlet. This work also finds that at high magnetic fields and a smaller range of dopings and displacement fields, it undergoes a transition to a distinct field-induced superconducting state. Inspired by these results, we develop an understanding of superconductivity in TTG using a combination of phenomenological reasoning and microscopic theory. We describe role that that an in-plane field plays in TTG, and use this understanding to argue that the re-entrant transition may be associated with a quantum Lifshitz phase transition, with the high-field phase possessing finite-momentum pairing. We argue that the superconductor is likely to involve a superposition of singlet singlet and triplet pairing, and describe the structure of the normal state. We also draw lessons for twisted bilayer graphene (TBG), and explain the differences in the phenomenology with TTG despite their close microscopic relationship. We propose that a singlet-triplet superposition is realized in the TBG superconductor as well, and that the $ν= -2$ correlated insulator may be a time reversal protected $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological insulator obtained through spontaneous spin symmetry breaking.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Subdimensional criticality: condensation of lineons and planons in the X-cube model

We study quantum phase transitions out of the fracton ordered phase of the $\mathbb{Z}_N$ X-cube model. These phase transitions occur when various types of sub-dimensional excitations and their composites are condensed. The condensed phases are either trivial paramagnets, or are built from stacks of $d=2$ or $d=3$ deconfined gauge theories, where $d$ is the spatial dimension. The nature of the phase transitions depends on the excitations being condensed. Upon condensing dipolar bound states of fractons or lineons, for $N \geq 4$ we find stable critical points described by decoupled stacks of $d=2$ conformal field theories. Upon condensing lineon excitations, when $N > 4$ we find a gapless phase intermediate between the X-cube and condensed phases, described as an array of $d=1$ conformal field theories. In all these cases, effective subsystem symmetries arise from the mobility constraints on the excitations of the X-cube phase and play an important role in the analysis of the phase transitions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Bose-Luttinger Liquids

We study systems of bosons whose low-energy excitations are located along a spherical submanifold of momentum space. We argue for the existence of gapless phases which we dub "Bose-Luttinger liquids", which in some respects can be regarded as bosonic versions of Fermi liquids, while in other respects exhibit striking differences. These phases have bosonic analogues of Fermi surfaces, and like Fermi liquids they possess a large number of emergent conservation laws. Unlike Fermi liquids however these phases lack quasiparticles, possess different RG flows, and have correlation functions controlled by a continuously varying exponent $η$, which characterizes the anomalous dimension of the bosonic field. We show that when $η>1$, these phases are stable with respect to all symmetric perturbations. These theories may be of relevance to several physical situations, including frustrated quantum magnets, rotons in superfluid He, and superconductors with finite-momentum pairing. As a concrete application, we show that coupling a Bose-Luttinger liquid to a conventional Fermi liquid produces a resistivity scaling with temperature as $T^η$. We argue that this may provide an explanation for the non-Fermi liquid resistivity observed in the paramagnetic phase of MnSi.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Landau ordering phase transitions beyond the Landau paradigm

Continuous phase transitions associated with the onset of a spontaneously broken symmetry are thought to be successfully described by the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson-Fisher theory of fluctuating order parameters. In this work we show that such transitions can admit new universality classes which cannot be understood in terms of a theory of order parameter fluctuations. We explicitly demonstrate continuous time reversal symmetry breaking quantum phase transitions of $3+1$-D bosonic systems described by critical theories expressed in terms of a deconfined gauge theory with massless Dirac fermions instead of the fluctuating Ising order parameter. We dub such phase transitions "Landau transitions beyond Landau description" (LBL). A key feature of our examples is that the stability of the LBL fixed points requires a crucial global symmetry, which is non-anomalous, unbroken, and renders no symmetry protected topological phase throughout the phase diagram. Despite this, there are elementary critical fluctuations of the phase transition that transform projectively under this symmetry group. We also construct examples of other novel quantum critical phenomena, notably a continuous Landau-forbidden deconfined critical point between two Landau-allowed phases in $3+1$-D.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Fermion condensation and super pivotal categories

We study fermionic topological phases using the technique of fermion condensation. We give a prescription for performing fermion condensation in bosonic topological phases which contain a fermion. Our approach to fermion condensation can roughly be understood as coupling the parent bosonic topological phase to a phase of physical fermions, and condensing pairs of physical and emergent fermions. There are two distinct types of objects in fermionic theories, which we call "m-type" and "q-type" particles. The endomorphism algebras of q-type particles are complex Clifford algebras, and they have no analogues in bosonic theories. We construct a fermionic generalization of the tube category, which allows us to compute the quasiparticle excitations in fermionic topological phases. We then prove a series of results relating data in condensed theories to data in their parent theories; for example, if $\mathcal{C}$ is a modular tensor category containing a fermion, then the tube category of the condensed theory satisfies $\textbf{Tube}(\mathcal{C}/ψ) \cong \mathcal{C} \times (\mathcal{C}/ψ)$. We also study how modular transformations, fusion rules, and coherence relations are modified in the fermionic setting, prove a fermionic version of the Verlinde dimension formula, construct a commuting projector lattice Hamiltonian for fermionic theories, and write down a fermionic version of the Turaev-Viro-Barrett-Westbury state sum. A large portion of this work is devoted to three detailed examples of performing fermion condensation to produce fermionic topological phases: we condense fermions in the Ising theory, the $SO(3)_6$ theory, and the $\frac{1}{2}\text{E}_6$ theory, and compute the quasiparticle excitation spectrum in each of these examples.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Higher-form symmetries and spontaneous symmetry breaking

We study various aspects of spontaneous symmetry breaking in theories that possess higher-form symmetries, which are symmetries whose charged objects have a dimension $p>0$. We first sketch a proof of a higher version of Goldstone's theorem, and then discuss how boundary conditions and gauge-fixing issues are dealt with in theories with spontaneously broken higher symmetries, focusing in particular on $p$-form $U(1)$ gauge theories. We then elaborate on a generalization of the Coleman-Mermin-Wagner theorem for higher-form symmetries, namely that in spacetime dimension $D$, continuous $p$-form symmetries can never be spontaneously broken if $p\geq D-2$. We also make a few comments on relations between higher symmetries and asymptotic symmetries in Abelian gauge theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

Spinon magnetic resonance of quantum spin liquids

We describe electron spin resonance in a quantum spin liquid with significant spin-orbit coupling. We find that the resonance directly probes spinon continuum which makes it an efficient and informative probe of exotic excitations of the spin liquid. Specifically, we consider spinon resonance of three different spinon mean-field Hamiltonians, obtained with the help of projective symmetry group analysis, which model a putative quantum spin liquid state of the triangular rare-earth antiferromagnet YbMgGaO4. The band of absorption is found to be very broad and exhibit strong van Hove singularities of single spinon spectrum as well as pronounced polarization dependence.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Fracton topological order via coupled layers

In this work, we develop a coupled layer construction of fracton topological orders in $d=3$ spatial dimensions. These topological phases have sub-extensive topological ground-state degeneracy and possess excitations whose movement is restricted in interesting ways. Our coupled layer approach is used to construct several different fracton topological phases, both from stacked layers of simple $d=2$ topological phases and from stacks of $d=3$ fracton topological phases. This perspective allows us to shed light on the physics of the X-cube model recently introduced by Vijay, Haah, and Fu, which we demonstrate can be obtained as the strong-coupling limit of a coupled three-dimensional stack of toric codes. We also construct two new models of fracton topological order: a semionic generalization of the X-cube model, and a model obtained by coupling together four interpenetrating X-cube models, which we dub the "Four Color Cube model." The couplings considered lead to fracton topological orders via mechanisms we dub "p-string condensation" and "p-membrane condensation," in which strings or membranes built from particle excitations are driven to condense. This allows the fusion properties, braiding statistics, and ground-state degeneracy of the phases we construct to be easily studied in terms of more familiar degrees of freedom. Our work raises the possibility of studying fracton topological phases from within the framework of topological quantum field theory, which may be useful for obtaining a more complete understanding of such phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

The structure of fixed-point tensor network states characterizes patterns of long-range entanglement

The algebraic structure of representation theory naturally arises from 2D fixed-point tensor network states, which conceptually formulates the pattern of long-range entanglement realized in such states. In 3D, the same underlying structure is also shared by Turaev-Viro state-sum topological quantum field theory (TQFT). We show that a 2D fixed-point tensor network state arises naturally on the boundary of the 3D manifold on which the TQFT is defined, and the fact that exactly the same information is needed to construct either the tensor network or the TQFT is made explicit in a form of holography. Furthermore, the entanglement of the fixed-point states leads to an emergence of pre-geometry in the 3D TQFT bulk. We further extend these ideas to the case where an additional global onsite unitary symmetry is imposed on the tensor network states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Anomalies and symmetry fractionalization in reflection-symmetric topological order

One of the central ideas regarding anomalies in topological phases of matter is that they imply the existence of higher-dimensional physics, with an anomaly in a D-dimensional theory typically being cancelled by a bulk (D+1)-dimensional symmetry-protected topological phase (SPT). We demonstrate that for some topological phases with reflection symmetry, anomalies may actually be cancelled by a D-dimensional SPT, provided that it comes embedded in an otherwise trivial (D+1)-dimensional bulk. We illustrate this for the example of $\mathbb{Z}_N$ topological order enriched with reflection symmetry in (2+1)D, and along the way establish a classification of anomalous reflection symmetry fractionalization patterns. In particular, we show that anomalies occur if and only if both electric and magnetic quasiparticle excitations possess nontrivial fractional reflection quantum numbers.

cond-mat.str-el↗