arXiv subjects

Guifre Vidal

Publications and source records attributed to Guifre Vidal.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Quantum Criticality with the Multi-scale Entanglement Renormalization Ansatz

The goal of this manuscript is to provide an introduction to the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA) and its application to the study of quantum critical systems. Only systems in one spatial dimension are considered. The MERA, in its scale-invariant form, is seen to offer direct numerical access to the scale-invariant operators of a critical theory. As a result, given a critical Hamiltonian on the lattice, the scale-invariant MERA can be used to characterize the underlying conformal field theory. The performance of the MERA is benchmarked for several critical quantum spin chains, namely Ising, Potts, XX and (modified) Heisenberg models, and an insightful comparison with results obtained using a matrix product state is made. The extraction of accurate conformal data, such as scaling dimensions and operator product expansion coefficients of both local and non-local primary fields, is also illustrated.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Scaling of entanglement entropy in the (branching) multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz

We investigate the scaling of entanglement entropy in both the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA) and in its generalization, the branching MERA. We provide analytical upper bounds for this scaling, which take the general form of a boundary law with various types of multiplicative corrections, including power-law corrections all the way to a bulk law. For several cases of interest, we also provide numerical results that indicate that these upper bounds are saturated to leading order. In particular we establish that, by a suitable choice of holographic tree, the branching MERA can reproduce the logarithmic multiplicative correction of the boundary law observed in Fermi liquids and spin-Bose metals in $D\geq 2$ dimensions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Global symmetries in tensor network states: symmetric tensors versus minimal bond dimension

Tensor networks offer a variational formalism to efficiently represent wave-functions of extended quantum many-body systems on a lattice. In a tensor network N, the dimension χof the bond indices that connect its tensors controls the number of variational parameters and associated computational costs. In the absence of any symmetry, the minimal bond dimension χ^{min} required to represent a given many-body wave-function |Ψ> leads to the most compact, computationally efficient tensor network description of |Ψ>. In the presence of a global, on-site symmetry, one can use a tensor network N_{sym} made of symmetric tensors. Symmetric tensors allow to exactly preserve the symmetry and to target specific quantum numbers, while their sparse structure leads to a compact description and lowers computational costs. In this paper we explore the trade-off between using a tensor network N with minimal bond dimension χ^{min} and a tensor network N_{sym} made of symmetric tensors, where the minimal bond dimension χ^{min}_{sym} might be larger than χ^{min}. We present two technical results. First, we show that in a tree tensor network, which is the most general tensor network without loops, the minimal bond dimension can always be achieved with symmetric tensors, so that χ^{min}_{sym} = χ^{min}. Second, we provide explicit examples of tensor networks with loops where replacing tensors with symmetric ones necessarily increases the bond dimension, so that χ_{sym}^{min} > χ^{min}. We further argue, however, that in some situations there are important conceptual reasons to prefer a tensor network representation with symmetric tensors (and possibly larger bond dimension) over one with minimal bond dimension.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Symmetry protected entanglement renormalization

Entanglement renormalization is a real-space renormalization group (RG) transformation for quantum many-body systems. It generates the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA), a tensor network capable of efficiently describing a large class of many-body ground states, including those of systems at a quantum critical point or with topological order. The MERA has also been proposed to be a discrete realization of the holographic principle of string theory. In this paper we propose the use of symmetric tensors as a mechanism to build a symmetry protected RG flow, and discuss two important applications of this construction. First, we argue that symmetry protected entanglement renormalization produces the proper structure of RG fixed-points, namely a fixed-point for each symmetry protected phase. Second, in the context of holography, we show that by using symmetric tensors, a global symmetry at the boundary becomes a local symmetry in the bulk, thus explicitly realizing in the MERA a characteristic feature of the AdS/CFT correspondence.

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arXiv2013

Entanglement negativity and topological order

We use the entanglement negativity, a measure of entanglement for mixed states, to probe the structure of entanglement in the ground state of a topologically ordered system. Through analytical calculations of the negativity in the ground state(s) of the toric code model, we explicitly show that the entanglement of a region $A$ and its complement $B$ is the sum of two types of contributions. The first type of contributions consists of \textit{boundary entanglement}, which we see to be insensitive to tracing out the interior of $A$ and $B$. It therefore entangles only degrees of freedom in $A$ and $B$ that are close to their common boundary. As it is well-known, each boundary contribution is proportional to the size of the relevant boundary separating $A$ and $B$ and it includes an additive, universal correction. The second contribution appears only when $A$ and $B$ are non-contractible regions (e.g. on a torus) and it consists of long-range entanglement, which we see to be destroyed when tracing out a non-contractible region in the interior of $A$ or $B$. Only the long-range contribution to the entanglement may depend on the specific ground state under consideration.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Infinite boundary conditions for matrix product state calculations

We propose a formalism to study dynamical properties of a quantum many-body system in the thermodynamic limit by studying a finite system with infinite boundary conditions (IBC) where both finite size effects and boundary effects have been eliminated. For one-dimensional systems, infinite boundary conditions are obtained by attaching two boundary sites to a finite system, where each of these two sites effectively represents a semi-infinite extension of the system. One can then use standard finite-size matrix product state techniques to study a region of the system while avoiding many of the complications normally associated with finite-size calculations such as boundary Friedel oscillations. We illustrate the technique with an example of time evolution of a local perturbation applied to an infinite (translationally invariant) ground state, and use this to calculate the spectral function of the S=1 Heisenberg spin chain. This approach is more efficient and more accurate than conventional simulations based on finite-size matrix product state and density-matrix renormalization-group approaches.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Translation invariance, topology, and protection of criticality in chains of interacting anyons

Using finite size scaling arguments, the critical properties of a chain of interacting anyons can be extracted from the low energy spectrum of a finite system. In Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 160409 (2007), Feiguin et al. showed that an antiferromagnetic (AFM) chain of Fibonacci anyons on a torus is in the same universality class as the tricritical Ising model, and that criticality is protected by a topological symmetry. In the present paper we first review the graphical formalism for the study of anyons on the disc and demonstrate how this formalism may be consistently extended to the study of systems on surfaces of higher genus. We then employ this graphical formalism to study finite rings of interacting anyons on both the disc and the torus, and show that analysis on the disc necessarily yields an energy spectrum which is a subset of that which is obtained on the torus. For a critical Hamiltonian, one may extract from this subset the scaling dimensions of the local scaling operators which respect the topological symmetry of the system. Related considerations are also shown to apply for open chains.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

A class of highly entangled many-body states that can be efficiently simulated

We describe a quantum circuit that produces a highly entangled state of N qubits from which one can efficiently compute expectation values of local observables. This construction yields a variational ansatz for quantum many-body states that can be regarded as a generalization of the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA), and to which we refer as the branching MERA. In a lattice system in D dimensions, the scaling of entanglement of a region of size L^D in the branching MERA is not subject to restrictions such as a boundary law L^{D-1}, but can be proportional to the size of the region, as we demonstrate numerically for D=1,2 dimensions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Tensor network states and algorithms in the presence of a global SU(2) symmetry

The benefits of exploiting the presence of symmetries in tensor network algorithms have been extensively demonstrated in the context of matrix product states (MPSs). These include the ability to select a specific symmetry sector (e.g. with a given particle number or spin), to ensure the exact preservation of total charge, and to significantly reduce computational costs. Compared to the case of a generic tensor network, the practical implementation of symmetries in the MPS is simplified by the fact that tensors only have three indices (they are trivalent, just as the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients of the symmetry group) and are organized as a one-dimensional array of tensors, without closed loops. Instead, a more complex tensor network, one where tensors have a larger number of indices and/or a more elaborate network structure, requires a more general treatment. In two recent papers, namely (i) [Phys. Rev. A 82, 050301 (2010)] and (ii) [Phys. Rev. B 83, 115125 (2011)], we described how to incorporate a global internal symmetry into a generic tensor network algorithm based on decomposing and manipulating tensors that are invariant under the symmetry. In (i) we considered a generic symmetry group G that is compact, completely reducible and multiplicity free, acting as a global internal symmetry. Then in (ii) we described the practical implementation of Abelian group symmetries. In this paper we describe the implementation of non-Abelian group symmetries in great detail and for concreteness consider an SU(2) symmetry. Our formalism can be readily extended to more exotic symmetries associated with conservation of total fermionic or anyonic charge. As a practical demonstration, we describe the SU(2)-invariant version of the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz and apply it to study the low energy spectrum of a quantum spin chain with a global SU(2) symmetry.

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arXiv2012

Characterizing topological order by studying the ground states of an infinite cylinder

Given a microscopic lattice Hamiltonian for a topologically ordered phase, we describe a tensor network approach to characterize its emergent anyon model and, in a chiral phase, also its gapless edge theory. First, a tensor network representation of a complete, orthonormal set of ground states on a cylinder of infinite length and finite width is obtained through numerical optimization. Each of these ground states is argued to have a different anyonic flux threading through the cylinder. In a chiral phase, the entanglement spectrum of each ground state is seen to reveal a different sector of the corresponding gapless edge theory. A quasi-orthogonal basis on the torus is then produced by chopping off and reconnecting the tensor network representation on the cylinder. Elaborating on the recent proposal of [Y. Zhang et al. Phys. Rev. B 85, 235151 (2012)], a rotation on the torus yields an alternative basis of ground states and, through the computation of overlaps between bases, the modular matrices S and U (containing the mutual and self statistics of the different anyon species) are extracted. As an application, we study the hard-core boson Haldane model by using the two-dimensional density matrix renormalization group. A thorough characterization of the universal properties of this lattice model, both in the bulk and at the edge, unambiguously shows that its ground space realizes the ν=1/2 bosonic Laughlin state.

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arXiv2012

A real space decoupling transformation for quantum many-body systems

We propose a real space renormalization group method to explicitly decouple into independent components a many-body system that, as in the phenomenon of spin-charge separation, exhibits separation of degrees of freedom at low energies. Our approach produces a branching holographic description of such systems that opens the path to the efficient simulation of the most entangled phases of quantum matter, such as those whose ground state violates a boundary law for entanglement entropy. As in the coarse-graining transformation of [Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 220405 (2007)], the key ingredient of this decoupling transformation is the concept of entanglement renormalization, or removal of short-range entanglement. We demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, both analytically and numerically, by decoupling in real space the ground state of a critical quantum spin chain into two. Generalized notions of RG flow and of scale invariance are also put forward.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Perfect Sampling with Unitary Tensor Networks

Tensor network states are powerful variational ansätze for many-body ground states of quantum lattice models. The use of Monte Carlo sampling techniques in tensor network approaches significantly reduces the cost of tensor contractions, potentially leading to a substantial increase in computational efficiency. Previous proposals are based on a Markov chain Monte Carlo scheme generated by locally updating configurations and, as such, must deal with equilibration and autocorrelation times, which result in a reduction of efficiency. Here we propose a perfect sampling scheme, with vanishing equilibration and autocorrelation times, for unitary tensor networks -- namely tensor networks based on efficiently contractible, unitary quantum circuits, such as unitary versions of the matrix product state (MPS) and tree tensor network (TTN), and the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA). Configurations are directly sampled according to their probabilities in the wavefunction, without resorting to a Markov chain process. We also describe a partial sampling scheme that can result in a dramatic (basis-dependent) reduction of sampling error.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Variational Monte Carlo with the Multi-Scale Entanglement Renormalization Ansatz

Monte Carlo sampling techniques have been proposed as a strategy to reduce the computational cost of contractions in tensor network approaches to solving many-body systems. Here we put forward a variational Monte Carlo approach for the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz (MERA), which is a unitary tensor network. Two major adjustments are required compared to previous proposals with non-unitary tensor networks. First, instead of sampling over configurations of the original lattice, made of L sites, we sample over configurations of an effective lattice, which is made of just log(L) sites. Second, the optimization of unitary tensors must account for their unitary character while being robust to statistical noise, which we accomplish with a modified steepest descent method within the set of unitary tensors. We demonstrate the performance of the variational Monte Carlo MERA approach in the relatively simple context of a finite quantum spin chain at criticality, and discuss future, more challenging applications, including two dimensional systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Entanglement renormalization and gauge symmetry

A lattice gauge theory is described by a redundantly large vector space that is subject to local constraints, and can be regarded as the low energy limit of an extended lattice model with a local symmetry. We propose a numerical coarse-graining scheme to produce low energy, effective descriptions of lattice models with a local symmetry, such that the local symmetry is exactly preserved during coarse-graining. Our approach results in a variational ansatz for the ground state(s) and low energy excitations of such models and, by extension, of lattice gauge theories. This ansatz incorporates the local symmetry in its structure, and exploits it to obtain a significant reduction of computational costs. We test the approach in the context of the toric code with a magnetic field, equivalent to Z2 lattice gauge theory, for lattices with up to 16 x 16 sites (16^2 x 2 = 512 spins) on a torus. We reproduce the well-known ground state phase diagram of the model, consisting of a deconfined and spin polarized phases separated by a continuous quantum phase transition, and obtain accurate estimates of energy gaps, ground state fidelities, Wilson loops, and several other quantities.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2011

Simulation of fermionic lattice models in two dimensions with Projected Entangled-Pair States: Next-nearest neighbor Hamiltonians

In a recent contribution [Phys. Rev. B 81, 165104 (2010)] fermionic Projected Entangled-Pair States (PEPS) were used to approximate the ground state of free and interacting spinless fermion models, as well as the $t$-$J$ model. This paper revisits these three models in the presence of an additional next-nearest hopping amplitude in the Hamiltonian. First we explain how to account for next-nearest neighbor Hamiltonian terms in the context of fermionic PEPS algorithms based on simulating time evolution. Then we present benchmark calculations for the three models of fermions, and compare our results against analytical, mean-field, and variational Monte Carlo results, respectively. Consistent with previous computations restricted to nearest-neighbor Hamiltonians, we systematically obtain more accurate (or better converged) results for gapped phases than for gapless ones.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Tensor network decompositions in the presence of a global symmetry

Tensor network decompositions offer an efficient description of certain many-body states of a lattice system and are the basis of a wealth of numerical simulation algorithms. We discuss how to incorporate a global symmetry, given by a compact, completely reducible group G, in tensor network decompositions and algorithms. This is achieved by considering tensors that are invariant under the action of the group G. Each symmetric tensor decomposes into two types of tensors: degeneracy tensors, containing all the degrees of freedom, and structural tensors, which only depend on the symmetry group. In numerical calculations, the use of symmetric tensors ensures the preservation of the symmetry, allows selection of a specific symmetry sector, and significantly reduces computational costs. On the other hand, the resulting tensor network can be interpreted as a superposition of exponentially many spin networks. Spin networks are used extensively in loop quantum gravity, where they represent states of quantum geometry. Our work highlights their importance also in the context of tensor network algorithms, thus setting the stage for cross-fertilization between these two areas of research.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Simulation of anyons with tensor network algorithms

Interacting systems of anyons pose a unique challenge to condensed matter simulations due to their non-trivial exchange statistics. These systems are of great interest as they have the potential for robust universal quantum computation, but numerical tools for studying them are as yet limited. We show how existing tensor network algorithms may be adapted for use with systems of anyons, and demonstrate this process for the 1-D Multi-scale Entanglement Renormalisation Ansatz (MERA). We apply the MERA to infinite chains of interacting Fibonacci anyons, computing their scaling dimensions and local scaling operators. The scaling dimensions obtained are seen to be in agreement with conformal field theory. The techniques developed are applicable to any tensor network algorithm, and the ability to adapt these ansaetze for use on anyonic systems opens the door for numerical simulation of large systems of free and interacting anyons in one and two dimensions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2010

Tensor network states and algorithms in the presence of a global U(1) symmetry

Tensor network decompositions offer an efficient description of certain many-body states of a lattice system and are the basis of a wealth of numerical simulation algorithms. In a recent paper [arXiv:0907.2994v1] we discussed how to incorporate a global internal symmetry, given by a compact, completely reducible group G, into tensor network decompositions and algorithms. Here we specialize to the case of Abelian groups and, for concreteness, to a U(1) symmetry, often associated with particle number conservation. We consider tensor networks made of tensors that are invariant (or covariant) under the symmetry, and explain how to decompose and manipulate such tensors in order to exploit their symmetry. In numerical calculations, the use of U(1) symmetric tensors allows selection of a specific number of particles, ensures the exact preservation of particle number, and significantly reduces computational costs. We illustrate all these points in the context of the multi-scale entanglement renormalization ansatz.

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