arXiv subjects

Hubert Saleur

Publications and source records attributed to Hubert Saleur.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Exact overlaps in the Kondo problem

It is well known that the ground states of a Fermi liquid with and without a single Kondo impurity have an overlap which decays as a power law of the system size, expressing the Anderson orthogonality catastrophe. Ground states with two different values of the Kondo couplings have, however, a finite overlap in the thermodynamic limit. This overlap, which plays an important role in quantum quenches for impurity systems, is a universal function of the ratio of the corresponding Kondo temperatures, which is not accessible using perturbation theory nor the Bethe ansatz. Using a strategy based on the integrable structure of the corresponding quantum field theory, we propose an exact formula for this overlap, which we check against extensive density matrix renormalization group calculations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Non compact continuum limit of two coupled Potts models

We study two $Q$-state Potts models coupled by the product of their energy operators, in the regime $2 < Q \le 4$ where the coupling is relevant. A particular choice of weights on the square lattice is shown to be equivalent to the integrable $a_3^{(2)}$ vertex model. It corresponds to a selfdual system of two antiferromagnetic Potts models, coupled ferromagnetically. We derive the Bethe Ansatz equations and study them numerically for two arbitrary twist angles. The continuum limit is shown to involve two compact bosons and one non compact boson, with discrete states emerging from the continuum at appropriate twists. The non compact boson entails strong logarithmic corrections to the finite-size behaviour of the scaling levels, the understanding of which allows us to correct an earlier proposal for some of the critical exponents. In particular, we infer the full set of magnetic scaling dimensions (watermelon operators) of the Potts model.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Non compact conformal field theory and the a_2^{(2)} (Izergin-Korepin) model in regime III

The so-called regime III of the a_2^{(2)} Izergin-Korepin 19-vertex model has defied understanding for many years. We show in this paper that its continuum limit involves in fact a non compact conformal field theory (the so-called Witten Euclidian black hole CFT), which leads to a continuous spectrum of critical exponents, as well as very strong corrections to scaling. Detailed numerical evidence based on the Bethe ansatz analysis is presented, involving in particular the observation of discrete states in the spectrum, in full agreement with the string theory prediction for the black hole CFT. Our results have important consequences for the physics of the O(n) model, which will be discussed elsewhere.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Full counting statistics in the not-so-long-time limit

The full counting statistics of charge transport is the probability distribution $p_n(t_m)$ that $n$ electrons have flown through the system in measuring time $t_m$. The cumulant generating function (CGF) of this distribution $F(χ,t_m)$ has been well studied in the long time limit $t_m\rightarrow \infty$, however there are relatively few results on the finite measuring time corrections to this. In this work, we study the leading finite time corrections to the CGF of interacting Fermi systems with a single transmission channel at zero temperature but driven out of equilibrium by a bias voltage. We conjecture that the leading finite time corrections are logarithmic in $t_m$ with a coefficient universally related to the long time limit. We provide detailed numerical evidence for this with reference to the self-dual interacting resonant level model. This model further contains a phase transition associated with the fractionalisation of charge at a critical bias voltage. This transition manifests itself technically as branch points in the CGF. We provide numerical results of the dependence of the CGF on measuring time for model parameters in the vicinity of this transition, and thus identify features in the time evolution associated with the phase transition itself.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Universal entanglement crossover of coupled quantum wires

We consider the entanglement between two one-dimensional quantum wires (Luttinger Liquids) coupled by tunneling through a quantum impurity. The physics of the system involves a crossover between weak and strong coupling regimes characterized by an energy scale $T_B$, and methods of conformal field theory therefore cannot be applied. The evolution of the entanglement in this crossover has led to many numerical studies, but has remained little understood, analytically or even qualitatively. We argue in this Letter that the correct universal scaling form of the entanglement entropy $S$ (for an arbitrary interval of length $L$ containing the impurity) is $\partial S/\partial \ln L = f(L T_B)$. In the special case where the coupling to the impurity can be refermionized, we show how the universal function $f(L T_B)$ can be obtained analytically using recent results on form factors of twist fields and a defect massless-scattering formalism. Our results are carefully checked against numerical simulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Entanglement in quantum impurity problems is non perturbative

We study the entanglement entropy of a region of length 2L with the remainder of an infinite one dimensional gapless quantum system in the case where the region is centered on a quantum impurity. The coupling to this impurity is not scale invariant, and the physics involves a crossover between weak and strong coupling regimes. While the impurity contribution to the entanglement has been computed numerically in the past, little is known analytically about it, since in particular the methods of conformal invariance cannot be applied because of the presence of a crossover length. We show in this paper that the small coupling expansion of the entanglement entropy in this problem is quite generally plagued by strong infrared divergences, implying a non-perturbative dependence on the coupling. The large coupling expansion turns out to be better behaved, thanks to powerful results from the boundary CFT formulation and, in some cases, the underlying integrability of the problem. However, it is clear that this expansion does not capture well the crossover physics. In the integrable case -- which includes problems such as an XXZ chain with a modified link, the interacting resonant level model or the anisotropic Kondo model -- a non perturbative approach is in principle possible using form-factors. We adapt in this paper the ideas of [1,2] to the gapless case and show that, in the rather simple case of the resonant level model, and after some additional renormalizations, the form factors approach yields remarkably accurate results for the entanglement all the way from short to large distances. This is confirmed by detailed comparison with numerical simulations. Both our form factor and numerical results are compatible with a non-perturbative form at short distance.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Transport through nanostructures: Finite time vs. finite size

Numerical simulations and experiments on nanostructures out of equilibrium usually exhibit strong finite size and finite measuring time $t_m$ effects. We discuss how these affect the determination of the full counting statistics for a general quantum impurity problem. We find that, while there are many methods available to improve upon finite-size effects, any real-time simulation or experiment will still be subject to finite time effects: in short size matters, but time is limiting. We show that the leading correction to the cumulant generating function (CGF) at zero temperature for single-channel quantum impurity problems goes as $\ln t_m$ and is universally related to the steady state CGF itself for non-interacting systems. We then give detailed numerical evidence for the case of the self-dual interacting resonant level model that this relation survives the addition of interactions. This allows the extrapolation of finite measuring time in our numerics to the long-time limit, to excellent agreement with Bethe-ansatz results.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Crossover physics in the non-equilibrium dynamics of quenched quantum impurity systems

A general framework is proposed to tackle analytically local quantum quenches in integrable impurity systems, combining a mapping onto a boundary problem with the form factor approach to boundary-condition-changing operators introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4370 (1998). We discuss how to compute exactly two central quantities of interest: the Loschmidt echo and the distribution of the work done during the quantum quench. Our results display an interesting crossover physics characterized by the energy scale T_b of the impurity corresponding to the Kondo temperature. We discuss in detail the non-interacting case as a paradigm and benchmark for more complicated integrable impurity models, and check our results using numerical methods.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

A physical approach to the classification of indecomposable Virasoro representations from the blob algebra

In the context of Conformal Field Theory (CFT), many results can be obtained from the representation theory of the Virasoro algebra. While the interest in Logarithmic CFTs has been growing recently, the Virasoro representations corresponding to these quantum field theories remain dauntingly complicated, thus hindering our understanding of various critical phenomena. We extend in this paper the construction of Read and Saleur (2007), and uncover a deep relationship between the Virasoro algebra and a finite-dimensional algebra characterizing the properties of two-dimensional statistical models, the so-called blob algebra (a proper extension of the Temperley--Lieb algebra). This allows us to explore vast classes of Virasoro representations (projective, tilting, generalized staggered modules, etc.), and to conjecture a classification of all possible indecomposable Virasoro modules (with, in particular, L_0 Jordan cells of arbitrary rank) that may appear in a consistent physical Logarithmic CFT where Virasoro is the maximal local chiral algebra. As by-products, we solve and analyze algebraically quantum-group symmetric XXZ spin chains and sl(2|1) supersymmetric spin chains with extra spins at the boundary, together with the "mirror" spin chain introduced by Martin and Woodcock (2004).

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

Infra-red expansion of entanglement entropy in the Interacting Resonant Level Model

In this paper we develop a method to describe perturbatively the entanglement entropy in a simple impurity model, the interacting resonant level model (IRLM), at low energy (i.e. in the strong coupling regime). We use integrability results or the Kondo model to describe the infra-red fixed point, conformal field theory techniques initially developped by Cardy and Calabrese and a quantization scheme that allows one to compute exactly Renyi entropies at arbitrary order in $1/T_B$ in principle, even when the system size or the temperature is finite. We show that those universal quantities at arbitrary interaction parameter in the strong coupling regime are very well approximated by the same quantities in the free fermion system in the case of attractive Coulomb interaction, whereas a strong dependence on the interaction appears in the case of repulsive interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Rectangular amplitudes, conformal blocks, and applications to loop models

In this paper we continue the investigation of partition functions of critical systems on a rectangle initiated in [R. Bondesan et al, Nucl.Phys.B862:553-575,2012]. Here we develop a general formalism of rectangle boundary states using conformal field theory, adapted to describe geometries supporting different boundary conditions. We discuss the computation of rectangular amplitudes and their modular properties, presenting explicit results for the case of free theories. In a second part of the paper we focus on applications to loop models, discussing in details lattice discretizations using both numerical and analytical calculations. These results allow to interpret geometrically conformal blocks, and as an application we derive new probability formulas for self-avoiding walks.

math-ph↗

arXiv2012

Logarithmic observables in critical percolation

Although it has long been known that the proper quantum field theory description of critical percolation involves a logarithmic conformal field theory (LCFT), no direct consequence of this has been observed so far. Representing critical bond percolation as the Q = 1 limit of the Q-state Potts model, and analyzing the underlying S_Q symmetry of the Potts spins, we identify a class of simple observables whose two-point functions scale logarithmically for Q = 1. The logarithm originates from the mixing of the energy operator with a logarithmic partner that we identify as the field that creates two propagating clusters. In d=2 dimensions this agrees with general LCFT results, and in particular the universal prefactor of the logarithm can be computed exactly. We confirm its numerical value by extensive Monte-Carlo simulations.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2012

Conformal boundary state for the rectangular geometry

We discuss conformal field theories (CFTs) in rectangular geometries, and develop a formalism that involves a conformal boundary state for the 1+1d open system. We focus on the case of homogeneous boundary conditions (no insertion of a boundary condition changing operator), for which we derive an explicit expression of the associated boundary state, valid for any arbitrary CFT. We check the validity of our solution, comparing it with known results for partition functions, numerical simulations of lattice discretizations, and coherent state expressions for free theories.

math-ph↗

arXiv2012

An integrable spin chain for the SL(2,R)/U(1) black hole sigma model

We introduce a spin chain based on finite-dimensional spin-1/2 SU(2) representations but with a non-hermitian `Hamiltonian' and show, using mostly analytical techniques, that it is described at low energies by the SL(2,R)/U(1) Euclidian black hole Conformal Field Theory. This identification goes beyond the appearance of a non-compact spectrum: we are also able to determine the density of states, and show that it agrees with the formulas in [J. Math. Phys. 42, 2961 (2001)] and [JHEP 04, 014 (2002)], hence providing a direct `physical measurement' of the associated reflection amplitude.

hep-th↗

arXiv2012

The puzzle of bulk conformal field theories at central charge c=0

Non-trivial critical models in 2D with central charge c=0 are described by Logarithmic Conformal Field Theories (LCFTs), and exhibit in particular mixing of the stress-energy tensor with a "logarithmic" partner under a conformal transformation. This mixing is quantified by a parameter (usually denoted b), introduced in [V. Gurarie, Nucl. Phys. B 546, 765 (1999)], and which was first thought to play the role of an "effective" central charge. The value of b has been determined over the last few years for the boundary versions of these models: $b_{\rm perco}=-5/8$ for percolation and $b_{\rm poly} = 5/6$ for dilute polymers. Meanwhile, the existence and value of $b$ for the bulk theory has remained an open problem. Using lattice regularization techniques we provide here an "experimental study" of this question. We show that, while the chiral stress tensor has indeed a single logarithmic partner in the chiral sector of the theory, the value of b is not the expected one: instead, b=-5 for both theories. We suggest a theoretical explanation of this result using operator product expansions and Coulomb gas arguments, and discuss the physical consequences on correlation functions. Our results imply that the relation between bulk LCFTs of physical interest and their boundary counterparts is considerably more involved than in the non-logarithmic case.

math-ph↗

arXiv2012

Exact exponents for the spin quantum Hall transition in the presence of multiple edge channels

Critical properties of quantum Hall systems are affected by the presence of extra edge channels - present, in particular, at higher plateau transitions. We study this phenomenon for the case of the spin quantum Hall transition. Using supersymmetry we map the corresponding network model to a classical loop model, whose boundary critical behavior was recently determined exactly. We verify predictions of the exact solution by extensive numerical simulations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Indecomposability parameters in chiral Logarithmic Conformal Field Theory

Work of the last few years has shown that the key algebraic features of Logarithmic Conformal Field Theories (LCFTs) are already present in some finite lattice systems (such as the XXZ spin-1/2 chain) before the continuum limit is taken. This has provided a very convenient way to analyze the structure of indecomposable Virasoro modules and to obtain fusion rules for a variety of models such as (boundary) percolation etc. LCFTs allow for additional quantum numbers describing the fine structure of the indecomposable modules, and generalizing the `b-number' introduced initially by Gurarie for the c=0 case. The determination of these indecomposability parameters has given rise to a lot of algebraic work, but their physical meaning has remained somewhat elusive. In a recent paper, a way to measure b for boundary percolation and polymers was proposed. We generalize this work here by devising a general strategy to compute matrix elements of Virasoro generators from the numerical analysis of lattice models and their continuum limit. The method is applied to XXZ spin-1/2 and spin-1 chains with open (free) boundary conditions. They are related to gl(n+m|m) and osp(n+2m|2m)-invariant superspin chains and to nonlinear sigma models with supercoset target spaces. These models can also be formulated in terms of dense and dilute loop gas. We check the method in many cases where the results were already known analytically. Furthermore, we also confront our findings with a construction generalizing Gurarie's, where logarithms emerge naturally in operator product expansions to compensate for apparently divergent terms. This argument actually allows us to compute indecomposability parameters in any logarithmic theory. A central result of our study is the construction of a Kac table for the indecomposability parameters of the logarithmic minimal models LM(1,p) and LM(p,p+1).

math-ph↗

arXiv2011

Edge states and conformal boundary conditions in super spin chains and super sigma models

The sigma models on projective superspaces CP^{N+M-1|N} with topological angle theta=pi mod 2pi flow to non-unitary, logarithmic conformal field theories in the low-energy limit. In this paper, we determine the exact spectrum of these theories for all open boundary conditions preserving the full global symmetry of the model, generalizing recent work on the particular case M=0 [C. Candu et al, JHEP02(2010)015]. In the sigma model setting, these boundary conditions are associated with complex line bundles, and are labelled by an integer, related with the exact value of theta. Our approach relies on a spin chain regularization, where the boundary conditions now correspond to the introduction of additional edge states. The exact values of the exponents then follow from a lengthy algebraic analysis, a reformulation of the spin chain in terms of crossing and non-crossing loops (represented as a certain subalgebra of the Brauer algebra), and earlier results on the so-called one- and two-boundary Temperley Lieb algebras (also known as blob algebras). A remarkable result is that the exponents, in general, turn out to be irrational. The case M=1 has direct applications to the spin quantum Hall effect, which will be discussed in a sequel.

hep-th↗