arXiv subjects

Fabien Alet

Publications and source records attributed to Fabien Alet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Finite-temperature symmetric tensor network for spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnets on the square lattice

Within the tensor network framework, the (positive) thermal density operator can be approximated by a double layer of infinite Projected Entangled Pair Operator (iPEPO) coupled via ancilla degrees of freedom. To investigate the thermal properties of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on the square lattice, we introduce a family of fully spin-$SU(2)$ and lattice-$C_{4v}$ symmetric on-site tensors (of bond dimensions $D=4$ or $D=7$) and a plaquette-based Trotter-Suzuki decomposition of the imaginary-time evolution operator. A variational optimization is performed on the plaquettes, using a full (for $D=4$) or simple (for $D=7$) environment obtained from the single-site Corner Transfer Matrix Renormalization Group fixed point. The method is benchmarked by a comparison to quantum Monte Carlo in the thermodynamic limit. Although the iPEPO spin correlation length starts to deviate from the exact exponential growth for inverse-temperature $β\gtrsim 2$, the behavior of various observables turns out to be quite accurate once plotted w.r.t the inverse correlation length. We also find that a direct $T=0$ variational energy optimization provides results in full agreement with the $β\rightarrow\infty$ limit of finite-temperature data, hence validating the imaginary-time evolution procedure. Extension of the method to frustrated models is described and preliminary results are shown.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Probing many-body localization in a disordered quantum dimer model on the honeycomb lattice

We numerically study the possibility of many-body localization transition in a disordered quantum dimer model on the honeycomb lattice. By using the peculiar constraints of this model and state-of-the-art exact diagonalization and time evolution methods, we probe both eigenstates and dynamical properties and conclude on the existence of a localization transition, on the available time and length scales (system sizes of up to N=108 sites). We critically discuss these results and their implications.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2020

Transition to a many-body localized regime in a two-dimensional disordered quantum dimer model

Many-body localization is a unique physical phenomenon driven by interactions and disorder for which a quantum system can evade thermalization. While the existence of a many-body localized phase is now well-established in one-dimensional systems, its fate in higher dimension is an open question. We present evidence for the occurrence of a transition to a many-body localized regime in a two-dimensional quantum dimer model with interactions and disorder. Our analysis is based on the results of large-scale simulations for static and dynamical properties of a consequent number of observables. Our results pave the way for a generic understanding of occurrence of a many-body localization transition in dimension larger than one, and highlight the unusual quantum dynamics that can be present in constrained systems.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2019

Neural network setups for a precise detection of the many-body localization transition: finite-size scaling and limitations

Determining phase diagrams and phase transitions semi-automatically using machine learning has received a lot of attention recently, with results in good agreement with more conventional approaches in most cases. When it comes to more quantitative predictions, such as the identification of universality class or precise determination of critical points, the task is more challenging. As an exacting test-bed, we study the Heisenberg spin-1/2 chain in a random external field that is known to display a transition from a many-body localized to a thermalizing regime, which nature is not entirely characterized. We introduce different neural network structures and dataset setups to achieve a finite-size scaling analysis with the least possible physical bias (no assumed knowledge on the phase transition and directly inputing wave-function coefficients), using state-of-the-art input data simulating chains of sizes up to L=24. In particular, we use domain adversarial techniques to ensure that the network learns scale-invariant features. We find a variability of the output results with respect to network and training parameters, resulting in relatively large uncertainties on final estimates of critical point and correlation length exponent which tend to be larger than the values obtained from conventional approaches. We put the emphasis on interpretability throughout the paper and discuss what the network appears to learn for the various used architectures. Our findings show that a it quantitative analysis of phase transitions of unknown nature remains a difficult task with neural networks when using the minimally engineered physical input.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2019

Multifractal Scalings across the Many-Body Localization Transition

In contrast with Anderson localization where a genuine localization is observed in real space, the many-body localization (MBL) problem is much less understood in the Hilbert space, support of the eigenstates. In this work, using exact diagonalization techniques we address the ergodicity properties in the underlying ${\cal{N}}$-dimensional complex networks spanned by various computational bases for up to $L=24$ spin-1/2 particles (i.e. Hilbert space of size ${\cal{N}}\simeq 2.7\,10^6$). We report fully ergodic eigenstates in the delocalized phase (irrespective of the computational basis), while the MBL regime features a generically (basis-dependent) multifractal behavior, delocalized but non-ergodic. The MBL transition is signaled by a non-universal jump of the multifractal dimensions.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2019

NetKet: A Machine Learning Toolkit for Many-Body Quantum Systems

We introduce NetKet, a comprehensive open source framework for the study of many-body quantum systems using machine learning techniques. The framework is built around a general and flexible implementation of neural-network quantum states, which are used as a variational ansatz for quantum wave functions. NetKet provides algorithms for several key tasks in quantum many-body physics and quantum technology, namely quantum state tomography, supervised learning from wave-function data, and ground state searches for a wide range of customizable lattice models. Our aim is to provide a common platform for open research and to stimulate the collaborative development of computational methods at the interface of machine learning and many-body physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Many-body localization in a quasiperiodic Fibonacci chain

We study the many-body localization (MBL) properties of a chain of interacting fermions subject to a quasiperiodic potential such that the non-interacting chain is always delocalized and displays multifractality. Contrary to naive expectations, adding interactions in this systems does not enhance delocalization, and a MBL transition is observed. Due to the local properties of the quasiperiodic potential, the MBL phase presents specific features, such as additional peaks in the density distribution. We furthermore investigate the fate of multifractality in the ergodic phase for low potential values. Our analysis is based on exact numerical studies of eigenstates and dynamical properties after a quench.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2018

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

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.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2018

Many-body localization: an introduction and selected topics

What happens in an isolated quantum system when both disorder and interactions are present? Over the recent years, the picture of a non-thermalizing phase of matter, the many-localized phase, has emerged as a stable solution. We present a basic introduction to the topic of many-body localization, using the simple example of a quantum spin chain which allows us to illustrate several of the properties of this phase. We then briefly review the current experimental research efforts probing this physics. The largest part of this review is a selection of more specialized questions, some of which are currently under active investigation. We conclude by summarizing the connections between many-body localization and quantum simulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Observation of Slow Dynamics near the Many-Body Localization Transition in One-Dimensional Quasiperiodic Systems

In the presence of sufficiently strong disorder or quasiperiodic fields, an interacting many-body system can fail to thermalize and become many-body localized. The associated transition is of particular interest, since it occurs not only in the ground state but over an extended range of energy densities. So far, theoretical studies of the transition have focused mainly on the case of true-random disorder. In this work, we experimentally and numerically investigate the regime close to the many-body localization transition in quasiperiodic systems. We find slow relaxation of the density imbalance close to the transition, strikingly similar to the behavior near the transition in true-random systems. This dynamics is found to continuously slow down upon approaching the transition and allows for an estimate of the transition point. We discuss possible microscopic origins of these slow dynamics.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2018

Out-of-time-ordered measurements as a probe of quantum dynamics

Probing the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of quantum matter has gained renewed interest owing to immense experimental progress in artifcial quantum systems. Dynamical quantum measures such as the growth of entanglement entropy (EE) and out-of-time ordered correlators (OTOCs) have been shown, theoretically, to provide great insight by exposing subtle quantum features invisible to traditional measures such as mass transport. However, measuring them in experiments requires either identical copies of the system, an ancilla qubit coupled to the whole system, or many measurements on a single copy, thereby making scalability extremely complex and hence, severely limiting their potential. Here, we introduce an alternate quantity $-$ the out-of-time-ordered measurement (OTOM) $-$ which involves measuring a single observable on a single copy of the system, while retaining the distinctive features of the OTOCs. We show, theoretically, that OTOMs are closely related to OTOCs in a doubled system with the same quantum statistical properties as the original system. Using exact diagonalization, we numerically simulate classical mass transport, as well as quantum dynamics through computations of the OTOC, the OTOM, and the EE in quantum spin chain models in various interesting regimes (including chaotic and many-body localized systems). Our results demonstrate that an OTOM can successfully reveal subtle aspects of quantum dynamics hidden to classical measures, and crucially, provide experimental access to them.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2017

Extended slow dynamical regime close to the many-body localization transition

Many-body localization is characterized by a slow logarithmic growth of the entanglement entropy after a global quantum quench while the local memory of an initial density imbalance remains at infinite time. We investigate how much the proximity of a many-body localized phase can influence the dynamics in the delocalized ergodic regime where thermalization is expected. Using an exact Krylov space technique, the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the random-field Heisenberg chain is studied up to $L=28$ sites, starting from an initially unentangled high-energy product state. Within most of the delocalized phase, we find a sub-ballistic entanglement growth $S(t)\propto t^{1/z}$ with a disorder-dependent exponent $z\ge1$, in contrast with the pure ballistic growth $z=1$ of clean systems. At the same time, anomalous relaxation is also observed for the spin imbalance ${\cal{I}}(t)\propto t^{-ζ}$ with a continuously varying disorder-dependent exponent $ζ$, vanishing at the transition. This provides a clear experimental signature for detecting this non-conventional regime.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2016

Sign-problem-free Monte Carlo simulation of certain frustrated quantum magnets

We introduce a Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method which efficiently simulates in a sign-problem-free way a broad class of frustrated $S=1/2$ models with competing antiferromagnetic interactions. Our scheme uses the basis of total spin eigenstates of clusters of spins to avoid the severe sign problem faced by other QMC methods. We also flag important limitations of the new method, and comment on possibilities for further progress.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Engineering SU(2) invariant spin models to mimic quantum dimer physics on the square lattice

We consider the spin-1/2 hamiltonians proposed by Cano and Fendley [J. Cano and P. Fendley, Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 067205 (2010)] which were built to promote the well-known Rokshar-Kivelson (RK) point of quantum dimer models to spin-1/2 wavefunctions. We first show that these models, besides the exact degeneracy of RK point, support gapless spinless excitations as well as a spin gap in the thermodynamic limit, signatures of an unusual spin liquid. We then extend the original construction to create a continuous family of SU(2) invariant spin models that reproduces the phase diagram of the quantum dimer model, and in particular show explicit evidences for existence of columnar and staggered phases. The original models thus appear as multicritical points in an extended phase diagram. Our results are based on the use of a combination of numerical exact simulations and analytical mapping to effective generalized quantum dimer models.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Entanglement entropies of the $J_1 - J_2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice

Using a modified spin-wave theory which artificially restores zero sublattice magnetization on finite lattices, we investigate the entanglement properties of the Néel ordered $J_1 - J_2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the square lattice. Different kinds of subsystem geometries are studied, either corner-free (line, strip) or with sharp corners (square). Contributions from the $n_G=2$ Nambu-Goldstone modes give additive logarithmic corrections with a prefactor ${n_G}/{2}$ independent of the Rényi index. On the other hand, corners lead to additional (negative) logarithmic corrections with a prefactor $l^{c}_q$ which does depend on both $n_G$ and the Rényi index $q$, in good agreement with scalar field theory predictions. By varying the second neighbor coupling $J_2$ we also explore universality across the Néel ordered side of the phase diagram of the $J_1 - J_2$ antiferromagnet, from the frustrated side $0<J_2/J_1<1/2$ where the area law term is maximal, to the strongly ferromagnetic regime $-J_2/J_1\gg1$ with a purely logarithmic growth $S_q=\frac{n_G}{2}\ln N$, thus recovering the mean-field limit for a subsystem of $N$ sites. Finally, a universal subleading constant term $γ_q^{\rm ord}$ is extracted in the case of strip subsystems, and a direct relation is found (in the large-S limit) with the same constant extracted from free lattice systems. The singular limit of vanishing aspect ratios is also explored, where we identify for $γ_q^\text{ord}$ a regular part and a singular component, explaining the discrepancy of the linear scaling term for fixed width {\it{vs}} fixed aspect ratio subsystems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Universal logarithmic corrections to entanglement entropies in two dimensions with spontaneously broken continuous symmetries

We explore the Rényi entanglement entropies of a one-dimensional (line) subsystem of length $L$ embedded in two-dimensional $L\times L$ square lattice for quantum spin models whose ground-state breaks a continuous symmetry in the thermodynamic limit. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we first study the $J_1 - J_2$ Heisenberg model with antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor $J_1>0$ and ferromagnetic second-neighbor couplings $J_2\le 0$. The signature of SU(2) symmetry breaking on finite size systems, ranging from $L=4$ up to $L=40$ clearly appears as a universal additive logarithmic correction to the Rényi entanglement entropies: $l_q \ln L$ with $l_q\simeq 1$, independent of the Rényi index and values of $J_2$. We confirm this result using a high precision spin-wave analysis (with restored spin rotational symmetry) on finite lattices up to $10^5\times 10^5$ sites, allowing to explore further non-universal finite size corrections and study in addition the case of U(1) symmetry breaking. Our results fully agree with the prediction $l_q=n_G/2$ where $n_G$ is the number of Goldstone modes, by Metlitski and Grover [arXiv:1112.5166].

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Transitions to valence-bond solid order in a honeycomb lattice antiferromagnet

We use Quantum Monte-Carlo methods to study the ground state phase diagram of a S=1/2 honeycomb lattice magnet in which a nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic exchange J (favoring Néel order) competes with two different multi-spin interaction terms: a six-spin interaction Q_3 that favors columnar valence-bond solid (VBS) order, and a four-spin interaction Q_2 that favors staggered VBS order. For Q_3 ~ Q_2 >> J, we establish that the competition between the two different VBS orders stabilizes Néel order in a large swathe of the phase diagram even when J is the smallest energy-scale in the Hamiltonian. When Q_3 >> (Q_2,J) (Q_2 >> (Q_3,J)), this model exhibits at zero temperature phase transition from the Néel state to a columnar (staggered) VBS state. We establish that the Néel-columnar VBS transition is continuous for all values of Q_2, and that critical properties along the entire phase boundary are well-characterized by critical exponents and amplitudes of the non-compact CP^1 (NCCP^1) theory of deconfined criticality, similar to what is observed on a square lattice. However, a surprising three-fold anisotropy of the phase of the VBS order parameter at criticality, whose presence was recently noted at the Q_2=0 deconfined critical point, is seen to persist all along this phase boundary. We use a classical analogy to explore this by studying the critical point of a three-dimensional XY model with a four-fold anisotropy field which is known to be weakly irrelevant at the three-dimensional XY critical point. In this case, we again find that the critical anisotropy appears to saturate to a nonzero value over the range of sizes accessible to our simulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Many-body localization edge in the random-field Heisenberg chain

We present a large scale exact diagonalization study of the one dimensional spin $1/2$ Heisenberg model in a random magnetic field. In order to access properties at varying energy densities across the entire spectrum for system sizes up to $L=22$ spins, we use a spectral transformation which can be applied in a massively parallel fashion. Our results allow for an energy-resolved interpretation of the many body localization transition including the existence of an extensive many-body mobility edge. The ergodic phase is well characterized by Gaussian orthogonal ensemble statistics, volume-law entanglement, and a full delocalization in the Hilbert space. Conversely, the localized regime displays Poisson statistics, area-law entanglement and non ergodicity in the Hilbert space where a true localization never occurs. We perform finite size scaling to extract the critical edge and exponent of the localization length divergence.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗