arXiv subjects

Jian-Hao Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Jian-Hao Zhang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking of higher-form non-invertible symmetries in Kitaev's quantum double model

Topological orders can be understood as spontaneous symmetry breaking of higher-form symmetries. In the non-abelian case, the broken higher-form symmetries are notably non-invertible. In this work, we extend this framework to mixed states, where symmetries can be either strong or weak. In particular, we investigate the strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SWSSB) of non-invertible higher-form symmetries in non-abelian Kitaev's quantum double models under decoherence. We further show that the resulting decohered quantum double mixed states form a locally indistinguishable set, which also constitutes an information convex set. Importantly, we emphasize that the number of extremal points of this convex set equals the ground-state degeneracy of the corresponding pure state, highlighting that the quantum information encoded in the ground-state subspace is degraded into classical information captured by the convex set of decohered density matrices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Correspondence of boundary theories between internal and crystalline symmetry protected topological phases

Symmetry-protected topological phases protected by crystalline symmetries and internal symmetries are shown to enjoy a fascinating one-to-one correspondence in classification. Here we investigate the physics content behind the abstract correspondence in three or higher-dimensional systems. We show correspondence between anomalous boundary states, which provides a new way to explore the quantum anomaly of symmetry from its crystalline equivalent counterpart. We show such a correspondence directly in two scenarios, including the anomalous symmetry-enriched topological orders (SET) and critical boundary states. (1) First of all, for the surface SET correspondence, we demonstrate it by considering examples involving time-reversal symmetry and mirror symmetry. We show that one 2D topological order can carry the time reversal anomaly as long as it can carry the mirror anomaly and vice versa, by directly establishing the mapping of the time reversal anomaly indicators and mirror anomaly indicators. Besides, we also consider other cases involving continuous symmetry, which leads us to introduce some new anomaly indicators for symmetry from its counterpart. (2) Furthermore, we also build up direct correspondence for (near) critical boundaries. In this perspective, we first consider the edge-corner correspondence between edge theory as 1+1D conformal field theory of internal fermionic SPT and the 0+1D corner modes of (higher-order) crystalline fermionic SPT. By viewing the corner modes on 1D boundary as perturbed CFT is crucial insight for the correspondence, but also help to discover the boundary theory of some intrinsically interacting fermionic SPT, which are challenging.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Calderbank-Shor-Steane codes on group-valued qudits

Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) codes are a versatile quantum error-correcting family built out of commuting $X$- and $Z$-type checks. We introduce CSS-like codes on $G$-valued qudits for any finite group $G$ that reduce to qubit CSS codes for $G = \mathbb{Z}_2$ yet generalize the Kitaev quantum double model for general groups. The $X$-checks of our group-CSS codes correspond to left and/or right multiplication by group elements, while $Z$-checks project onto solutions to group word equations. We describe quantum-double models on oriented two-dimensional CW complexes (which need not cellulate a manifold) and prove that, when $G$ is non-Abelian and simple, every $G$-covariant group-CSS code with suitably upper-bounded $Z$-check weight and lower-bounded $Z$-distance reduces to a CW quantum double. We describe the codespace and logical operators of CW quantum doubles via the same intuition used to obtain logical structure of surface codes. We obtain distance bounds for codes on non-Abelian simple groups from the graph underlying the CW complex, and construct intrinsically non-Abelian code families with asymptotically optimal rate and distances. Adding "ghost vertices" to the CW complex generalizes quantum double models with defects and rough boundary conditions whose logical structure can be understood without reference to non-Abelian anyons or defects. Several non-invertible symmetry-protected topological states, both with ordinary and higher-form symmetries, are the unique codewords of simply-connected CW quantum doubles with a single ghost vertex.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Strong-to-weak spontaneous breaking of 1-form symmetry and intrinsically mixed topological order

Topological orders in 2+1d are spontaneous symmetry-breaking (SSB) phases of 1-form symmetries in pure states. The notion of symmetry is further enriched in the context of mixed states, where a symmetry can be either ``strong" or ``weak". In this work, we apply a Rényi-2 version of the proposed equivalence relation in [Sang, Lessa, Mong, Grover, Wang, & Hsieh, to appear] on density matrices that is slightly finer than two-way channel connectivity. This equivalence relation distinguishes general 1-form strong-to-weak SSB (SW-SSB) states from phases containing pure states, and therefore labels SW-SSB states as ``intrinsically mixed". According to our equivalence relation, two states are equivalent if and only if they are connected to each other by finite Lindbladian evolution that maintains continuously varying, finite Rényi-2 Markov length. We then examine a natural setting for finding such density matrices: disordered ensembles. Specifically, we study the toric code with various types of disorders and show that in each case, the ensemble of ground states corresponding to different disorder realizations form a density matrix with different strong and weak SSB patterns of 1-form symmetries, including SW-SSB. Furthermore we show by perturbative calculations that these disordered ensembles form stable ``phases" in the sense that they exist over a finite parameter range, according to our equivalence relation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Classification of Average Crystalline Topological Superconductors through a Generalized Real-Space Construction

We investigate a novel class of topological superconducting phases protected by exact fermion-parity symmetry and average crystalline symmetries. These phases belong to the broader class of average crystalline symmetry-protected topological (ACSPT) states and include numerous examples of intrinsic ACSPTs -- topological phases that arise only in the presence of disorder or decoherence. Unlike conventional symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases, which require exact symmetry protection, average SPT (ASPT) phases remain robust as long as the symmetry is restored on average across disorder realizations or mixed-state ensembles. To classify these phases, we extend the real-space block state construction framework to account for average crystalline symmetries. In this generalized setting, lower-dimensional cells are decorated with ASPT phases, and the obstruction-free conditions are reformulated to incorporate the constraints imposed by average symmetry at block intersections. This provides a physically transparent and systematic method for classifying ASPTs with spatial symmetries that are only preserved statistically. We further validate our classification using a generalized spectral sequence analysis, which serves as an independent consistency check. Our results demonstrate that many crystalline topological superconductors remain well defined under realistic imperfections, and they uncover a rich landscape of intrinsically average-symmetry-protected phases that have no analog in clean systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Locally Purified Density Operators for Symmetry-Protected Topological Phases in Mixed States

We propose a tensor network approach known as the locally purified density operator (LPDO) to investigate the classification and characterization of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases in open quantum systems. We extend the concept of injectivity, originally associated with matrix product states and projected entangled pair states, to LPDOs in $(1+1)D$ and $(2+1)D$ systems, unveiling two distinct types of injectivity conditions inherent in short-range entangled density matrices. Within the LPDO framework, we outline a classification scheme for decohered average symmetry-protected topological (ASPT) phases, consistent with earlier results obtained through spectrum sequence techniques. We first illustrate our framework with ASPT phases protected by fermion parity symmetry, then extend the classification of ASPT phases to a general group extension. We demonstrate examples of explicit construction of fixed-point LPDOs for ASPT phases including intrinsic ASPTs in both $(1+1)D$ and $(2+1)D$ systems.

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arXiv2025

Many-body quantum catalysts for transforming between phases of matter

A catalyst is a substance that enables otherwise impossible transformations between states of a system, without being consumed in the process. In this work, we apply the notion of catalysts to many-body quantum physics. In particular, we construct catalysts that enable transformations between different symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of matter using symmetric finite-depth quantum circuits. We discover a wide variety of catalysts, including GHZ-like states which spontaneously break the symmetry, gapless states with critical correlations, topological orders with symmetry fractionalization, and spin-glass states. These catalysts are all united under a single framework which has close connections to the theory of quantum anomalies, and we use this connection to put strong constraints on possible pure- and mixed-state catalysts. We also show how the catalyst approach leads to new insights into the structure of certain phases of matter, and to new methods to efficiently prepare SPT phases with long-range interactions or projective measurements.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Hydrodynamics as the effective field theory of strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking

Inspired by the hunt for new phases of matter in quantum mixed states, it has recently been proposed that the equivalence of microcanonical and canonical ensembles in statistical mechanics is a manifestation of strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SWSSB) in an underlying many-body quantum description. Here, we build an effective field theory for SWSSB of a global U(1) symmetry; the answer exactly reproduces the Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theory of diffusion for the conserved charge. We conclude that hydrodynamics can be understood as a theory of "superfluidity" for the broken strong symmetry: a non-vanishing susceptibility is a measurable order parameter for SWSSB, the diffusion mode is the Goldstone boson of the spontaneously broken continuous symmetry, and a generalization of Goldstone's Theorem implies that the diffusion mode is always long-lived. This perspective provides a transparent physical explanation for the unusual "reparameterization" symmetries which are a necessary ingredient of Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theories for "normal fluids".

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Holographic View of Mixed-State Symmetry-Protected Topological Phases in Open Quantum Systems

We establish a holographic duality between d-dimensional mixed-state symmetry-protected topological phases (mSPTs) and (d+1)-dimensional subsystem symmetry-protected topological states (SSPTs). Specifically, we show that the reduced density matrix of the boundary layer of a (d+1)-dimensional SSPT with subsystem symmetry S and global symmetry G corresponds to a d-dimensional mSPT with strong S and weak G symmetries. Conversely, we demonstrate that the wavefunction of an SSPT can be constructed by replicating the density matrix of the corresponding lower-dimensional mSPT. This mapping links the density matrix in lower dimensions to the entanglement properties of higher-dimensional wavefunctions, providing an approach for analyzing nonlinear quantities and quantum information metrics in mixed-state systems. Our duality offers a new perspective for studying intrinsic mSPTs that are unique to open quantum systems, without pure state analogs. We show that strange correlators and twisted Rényi-N correlators can diagnose these nontrivial phases and explore their connection to strange correlators in pure-state SSPTs. Furthermore, we discuss several implications of this holographic duality, including a method for preparing intrinsic mSPT states through the duality.

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arXiv2025

Fidelity Strange Correlators for Average Symmetry-Protected Topological Phases

Topological phases in open quantum systems have become an exciting area of research, driven by the rising importance of noisy intermediate-scale quantum platforms. The concept of Average Symmetry-Protected Topological (ASPT) phases extends symmetry-protected topological phases to quantum systems affected by disorder or decoherence. To identify nontrivial ASPT states, we introduce a "fidelity strange correlator" (FSC), which operates directly on a single bulk density matrix without boundaries. For nontrivial ASPT phases in one and two dimensions, we show that the FSC reveals long-range or power-law behavior. In several two-dimensional examples, we establish a link between the FSC and certain non-local correlation functions in statistical loop models with quantum corrections, enabling us to derive exact scaling exponents for the FSC. In addition, we discuss methods to measure the FSC using classical shadow tomography. Our work lays the groundwork for identifying these intriguing topological phases of matter in open quantum systems, both numerically and experimentally.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Topological Phases with Average Symmetries: the Decohered, the Disordered, and the Intrinsic

Global symmetries greatly enrich the landscape of topological quantum phases, playing an essential role from topological insulators to fractional quantum Hall effect. Topological phases in mixed quantum states, originating from \textit{decoherence} in open quantum systems or \textit{disorders} in imperfect crystalline solids, have recently garnered significant interest. Unlike pure states, mixed quantum states can exhibit \textit{average symmetries} -- symmetries that keep the total ensemble invariant but not on each individual state. In this work, we present a systematic classification and characterization of average symmetry-protected topological (ASPT) phases applicable to generic symmetry groups, encompassing both average and exact symmetries, for bosonic and fermionic systems. Moreover, we formulate the theory of average symmetry-enriched topological (ASET) orders in disordered bosonic systems. Our systematic approach helps clarify nuanced issues in previous literature and uncovers compelling new physics. Notably, we discover that (1) the definition and classification of ASPT phases in decohered and disordered systems exhibit subtle differences; (2) despite these differences, ASPT phases in both settings can be classified and characterized under a unified framework of defect decoration and spectral sequence; (3) this systematic classification uncovers a plethora of ASPT phases that are \textit{intrinsically mixed}, implying they can exclusively manifest in decohered or disordered systems where part of the symmetry is average; (4) similarly for ASET, we find intrinsically disordered phases exhibiting exotic anyon behaviors -- the ground states of such phases necessarily contain localized anyons, with gapless (yet still localized) excitation spectral.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Competing pair density wave orders in the square lattice $t$-$J$ model

Over the last two decades, the competing orders in high-$T_{c}$ cuprates have been intensely studied, such as pseudogap phase, charge density waves (CDW), and pair density waves (PDW), which are thought to play a crucial role in high-temperature superconductivity. Using the $t$-$J$ model on a square lattice as the simplest model for high-$T_{c}$ cuprates, we employed the fermionic tensor product state (fTPS) method for numerical investigations. Our study revealed new types of PDW states alongside the well-known $d$-wave state and the recently discovered fluctuating PDW state within the low-energy subspace of the $t$-$J$ model. We believe that the competition among these states in the underdoped region suggests the potential existence of a fluctuating quantum liquid of PDW states, providing direct evidence for the pseudogap phase's "cheap vortex" scenario. Furthermore, we discuss the potential experimental implication of our discovery.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Strong-to-Weak Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Mixed Quantum States

Symmetry in mixed quantum states can manifest in two distinct forms: strong symmetry, where each individual pure state in the quantum ensemble is symmetric with the same charge, and weak symmetry, which applies only to the entire ensemble. This paper explores a novel type of spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) where a strong symmetry is broken to a weak one. While the SSB of a weak symmetry is measured by the long-ranged two-point correlation function, the strong-to-weak SSB (SW-SSB) is measured by the fidelity correlator. We prove that SW-SSB is a universal property of mixed-state quantum phases, in the sense that the phenomenon of SW-SSB is robust against symmetric low-depth local quantum channels. We also show that the symmetry breaking is "spontaneous" in the sense that the effect of a local symmetry-breaking measurement cannot be recovered locally. We argue that a thermal state at a nonzero temperature in the canonical ensemble (with fixed symmetry charge) should have spontaneously broken strong symmetry. Additionally, we study non-thermal scenarios where decoherence induces SW-SSB, leading to phase transitions described by classical statistical models with bond randomness. In particular, the SW-SSB transition of a decohered Ising model can be viewed as the "ungauged" version of the celebrated toric code decodability transition. We confirm that, in the decohered Ising model, the SW-SSB transition defined by the fidelity correlator is the only physical transition in terms of channel recoverability. We also comment on other (inequivalent) definitions of SW-SSB, through correlation functions with higher Renyi indices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem and Information Geometry in Open Quantum Systems

We propose a fluctuation-dissipation theorem in open quantum systems from an information-theoretic perspective. We define the fidelity susceptibility that measures the sensitivity of the systems under perturbation and relate it to the fidelity correlator that characterizes the correlation behaviors for mixed quantum states. In particular, we determine the scaling behavior of the fidelity susceptibility in the strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SW-SSB) phase, strongly symmetric short-range correlated phase, and the quantum critical point between them. We then provide a geometric perspective of our construction using distance measures of density matrices. We find that the metric of the quantum information geometry generated by perturbative distance between density matrices before and after perturbation is generally non-analytic. Finally, we design a polynomial proxy that can in principle be used as an experimental probe for detecting the SW-SSB and phase transition through quantum metrology. In particular, we show that each term of the polynomial proxy is related to the Rényi versions of the fidelity correlators.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Construction and classification of crystalline topological superconductor and insulators in three-dimensional interacting fermion systems

The natural existence of crystalline symmetry in real materials manifests the importance of understanding crystalline symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases, especially for interacting systems. In this paper, we systematically construct and classify all the crystalline topological superconductors and insulators in three-dimensional (3D) interacting fermion systems using the novel concept of topological crystal. The corresponding higher-order topological surface theory can also be systematically studied via higher-order bulk-boundary correspondence. In particular, we discover an intriguing fact that almost all topological crystals with nontrivial 2D block states are intrinsically interacting topological phases that cannot be realized in any free-fermion systems. Moreover, the crystalline equivalence principle for 3D interacting fermionic systems is also verified, with an additional subtle "twist" on the spin of fermions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Fractonic Higher-Order Topological Phases in Open Quantum Systems

In this work, we study the generalization of decohered average symmetry-protected topological phases to open quantum systems with a combination of subsystem symmetries and global symmetries. In particular, we provide examples of two types of intrinsic average higher-order topological phases with average subsystem symmetries. A classification scheme for these phases based on generalized anomaly cancellation criteria of average symmetry is also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Triggering Boundary Phase Transitions through Bulk Measurements in 2D Cluster States

We investigate the phase diagram at the boundary of an infinite two-dimensional cluster state subject to bulk measurements using tensor network methods. The state is subjected to uniform measurements $M = \cosθZ+\sinθX$ on the lower boundary qubits and in all bulk qubits. Our results show that the boundary of the system exhibits volume-law entanglement at the measurement angle $θ= π/2$ and area-law entanglement for any $θ< π/2$. Within the area-law phase, a phase transition occurs at $θ_c=1.371$. The phase with $θ\in(θ_c,π/2)$ is characterized by a noninjective matrix product state, which cannot be realized as the unique ground state of a one-dimensional local, gapped Hamiltonian. Instead, it resembles a cat state with spontaneous symmetry breaking. These findings demonstrate that the phase diagram of the boundary of a two-dimensional system can be more intricate than that of a standard one-dimensional system.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Intrinsically Interacting Higher-Order Topological Superconductors

We propose a minimal interacting lattice model for two-dimensional class-$D$ higher-order topological superconductors with no free-fermion counterpart. A Lieb-Schultz-Mattis-type constraint is proposed and applied to guide our lattice model construction. Our model exhibits a trivial product ground state in the weakly interacting regime, whereas, increasing electron interactions provoke a novel topological quantum phase transition to a $D_4$-symmetric higher-order topological superconducting state. The symmetry-protected Majorana corner modes are numerically confirmed with the matrix-product-state technique. Our theory paves the way for studying interacting higher-order topology with explicit lattice model constructions.

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