arXiv subjects

Michael P. Zaletel

Publications and source records attributed to Michael P. Zaletel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Matrix Product Belief Propagation

We introduce "matrix product belief propagation" (MP-BP) as a controlled method for the approximate contraction of two-dimensional tensor networks and graphical models, which generically leads to a quadratic reduction of errors relative to existing methods: at similar computational effort, the number of accurate digits is asymptotically doubled. For infinite systems, MP-BP can be understood as a practical implementation of Baxter's corner-transfer-matrix method; for reflection-symmetric networks, it further coincides with the boundary matrix-product-state and corner-transfer-matrix renormalization group algorithms as conventionally implemented. In the limit of unit matrix-product rank, MP-BP is equivalent to belief propagation, and more generally, can be understood as a generalization of BP in which the "messages" live on surfaces and are assumed to have a matrix-product factorization. We further extend the quadratic improvement to the computation of expectation values, and numerically demonstrate the qualitatively improved convergence for a variety of classical and quantum 2D tensor network problems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Dirac Spin Liquid Candidate in a Rydberg Quantum Simulator

We experimentally investigate a frustrated spin-exchange antiferromagnet in a quantum simulator, composed of N = 114 dipolar Rydberg atoms arranged into a kagome array. Motivated by a recent theoretical proposal of a gapless U(1) Dirac spin liquid ground state, we use local addressing to adiabatically prepare low-energy states. We measure the local polarization and spin-spin correlations over this adiabatic protocol, and observe our system move from a staggered product state, through an intermediate magnetic crystal, and finally into a disordered, correlated liquid. We estimate the entropy density of this atomic liquid to be similar to that of frustrated magnetic insulators at liquid nitrogen temperatures. We compare the correlations in our liquid to those of a simple, parameter-free ansatz for the Dirac spin liquid, and find good agreement in the sign structure and spatial decay. Finally, we probe the static susceptibility of our system to a local field perturbation and to a geometrical distortion. Our results establish Rydberg atom arrays as a promising platform for the preparation and microscopic characterization of quantum spin liquid candidates.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2026

Local spectroscopy of anyons bound to charge traps

Fractional quantum Hall states host anyons, emergent quasiparticles with fractional charge and nontrivial exchange statistics. Controlling, trapping, and braiding anyons are central goals for both fundamental physics and topological quantum computation. A key step toward such control is understanding how anyons behave when confined in local potentials, where their internal structure can become relevant. Here, we use the scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) to study the excitation spectrum in integer and fractional quantum Hall states of monolayer graphene near individual charged impurities. In the integer quantum Hall states, the STS spectra show lifting of orbital degeneracy near defects, appearing as a band of discrete energy levels. In fractional states, (v=1/3 and 2/5), however, we observe an additional energy splitting of the lowest-energy spectral feature that occurs only when the chemical potential lies within a fractional gap and is absent in compressible or integer regimes. We attribute this to many-body configurations of anyons trapped by an impurity potential. Strikingly, numerical calculations show that the splitting requires an anisotropic confining potential, vanishing for a rotationally symmetric trap. The competing multi-anyon states carry nearly identical charge within the core of the potential but differ in how that charge is redistributed at larger radius. Our results establish local tunneling spectroscopy as a direct probe of anyon bound states, providing a key step toward understanding and controlling their behavior in confined geometries relevant for braiding and fusion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

A Dipolar Chiral Spin Liquid on the Breathed Kagome Lattice

Continuous control over lattice geometry, when combined with long-range interactions, offers a powerful yet underexplored tool to generate highly frustrated quantum spin systems. By considering long-range dipolar antiferromagnetic interactions on a breathed Kagome lattice, we demonstrate how these tools can be leveraged to stabilize a chiral spin liquid. We support this prediction with large-scale density-matrix renormalization group calculations and explore the surrounding phase diagram, identifying a route to adiabatic preparation via a locally varying magnetic field. At the same time, we identify the relevant low-energy degrees of freedom in each unit cell, providing a complementary language to study the chiral spin liquid. Finally, we carefully analyze its stability and signatures in finite-sized clusters, proposing direct, experimentally viable measurements of the chiral edge mode in both Rydberg atom and ultracold polar molecule arrays.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2026

Imaging Interacting Two-Dimensional Anisotropic Electrons

We directly visualize a two-dimensional anisotropic Wigner crystal and its quantum melting in monolayer 1T-ReSe2 using non-invasive scanning tunnelling microscopy. In crystals with anisotropic effective mass, an electron's quantum wavefunction becomes elongated along the light-mass direction to reduce kinetic energy. At low electron density, such anisotropic electrons are predicted to form an oblique Wigner crystal rather than the familiar triangular lattice of isotropic systems. Despite longstanding theoretical interest, this physics has been little explored experimentally. Here we first image the anisotropic shape of individual electrons in gated monolayer ReSe2, whose wavefunctions are strongly elongated along the light-mass direction. At low density, these electrons crystallize into an oblique Wigner lattice. As the density increases, quantum fluctuations grow more rapidly along the light-mass direction than along the heavy-mass direction, driving a one-dimensional melting of the crystal. The resulting state retains order along one direction but melts along the other, consistent with a smectic electron liquid crystal between the electron solid and Fermi liquid phases. Our work establishes monolayer ReSe2 as a platform for studying anisotropic correlated electrons, quantum melting, and coupled one-dimensional electron chains.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Ground states of quantum XY dipoles on the Archimedean lattices

We report numerical ground states for the dipolar XY spin model, which describes extended antiferromagnetic interactions in two-dimensional arrays of polar molecules and two-level Rydberg atoms. Carrying out large-scale density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations, we compute ground state properties on nine of the eleven Archimedean lattices--tilings of the plane by regular polygons. Four of these host trivial paramagnets, while another four develop collinear Neel magnetic order, as was found previously for the square lattice. For the ordered states, we calculate the hydrodynamic parameters (magnetization, susceptibility, and stiffness) and compare to linear spin wave theory. We also investigate the triangular lattice, for which we find several competing phases including coplanar magnetism, stripe density wave order, and a possible spin liquid; their relative stability is sensitive to the long-range couplings present in our dipolar model. Finally, the Archimedean classification is completed by the kagome lattice, which we argue in a companion work is likely to be a Dirac spin liquid.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Tunable Interlayer Charge-transfer States in MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ Moiré Superlattices

Moiré superlattices formed by transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterobilayers provide a versatile platform for studying strongly correlated electronic, excitonic, and topological phenomena in solids. In particular, angle-aligned MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ heterobilayers, which have a Type-I band alignment at zero vertical electric field, host rich correlated spin and charge physics. Here, combining large-scale first-principles calculations and optical reflection spectroscopy, we report a thorough study of the emergent moiré excitonic states and interlayer charge-transfer states in angle-aligned electron-doped MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ moiré superlattices. The moiré excitonic states serve as sensitive optical probes to the localization profile of doped electrons. We observe a series of interlayer charge-transfer transitions from n/n$_0$ = 1 to 4 (where n$_0$ denotes the moiré density) when the vertical electric field switches the heterostructure band alignment from Type-I to Type-II. By tuning the vertical electric field, we can precisely control the interlayer electron localization, realizing a Fermi-Hubbard model with a tunable charge-transfer band on an effective honeycomb lattice. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulation of the doping dependence of the electric-field susceptibility predicts that multiple correlated charge-ordered states appear at both integer and fractional fillings. Our results provide a holistic understanding of the emergent optical excitations and the correlated charge-transfer states in electron-doped MoSe$_2$/WS$_2$ moiré superlattices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Anyon superfluidity of excitons in quantum Hall bilayers

The charged anyons of a fractional quantum Hall fluid are necessarily dispersionless due to the continuous magnetic translation symmetry. Neutral anyons, however, can disperse, resulting in a much richer space of possible ``daughter'' states when doped to finite density. We discuss a natural realization of such physics in quantum Hall bilayers, where a finite density of excitons with fractional statistics is argued to give rise to `anyonic exciton superfluidity,' the charge-neutral analog of anyon superconductivity. In a balanced bilayer of two Laughlin $ν= 1/3$ states, the minimal interlayer exciton carries anyonic exchange statistics. A finite density of these excitons is argued to yield an exciton superfluid stitched to a specific bulk topological order and edge spectrum. Such superfluidity should be most robust near the direct transition into the Halperin $(112)$ state, and near analogous transitions in the bilayer Jain sequence at total filling $ν_\text{T} = 2\times \frac{n}{2n+1}$. These topological transitions can be described by Chern-Simons QED$_3$, from which we derive several novel and general properties of anyon superfluidity near such transitions, including an anomalously large superfluid stiffness of $κ_\text{s} \propto |δν|^{1/2}$ at layer imbalance fraction $δν$. A notable feature of the phase diagrams we construct is the prevalence of spatial symmetry breaking, driven by an underlying composite Fermi surface. Our results can be directly tested with currently available experimental techniques. We compare our theory with existing data and make concrete predictions for future measurements, including higher-pseudospin exciton superfluids when doping higher Jain fractions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Anyon molecules in fractional quantum Hall states

We use segment DMRG on the infinite cylinder to compute energies of charged excitations in gate-screened fractional quantum Hall states. For the $ν=1/3$ Laughlin, $ν=2/5$ Jain, and $ν=5/2$ anti-Pfaffian states, we find screening can bind like-charged anyons into molecules, with a strong dependence on filling-factor, gate distance, and fusion channel. In the Laughlin state, stable $\pm 2e/3$ molecules and larger clusters appear over a broad gate-distance window. The Jain state is molecular throughout the range we consider. In the anti-Pfaffian, binding is strongest on the hole side, where the charge-$e/2$ molecule is fused into the $ψ$ channel over a broad window of gate distances. In all three cases, screening suppresses long-range repulsion and exposes an intermediate-range attraction encoded in the oscillatory density tail of the fundamental anyon. We discuss consequences for addition spectra, interferometry, Wigner crystallization, anyon superconductivity, and entropy measurements.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Self-doped Crystal from Preempted Band-inversion Transitions

Recent experiments in rhombohedral graphene find evidence for a "self-doped" Wigner crystal (SDC) in which a slightly incommensurate Wigner crystal (WC) coexists with a small Fermi sea. We provide non-perturbative arguments that such SDCs generically arise from preempted band-inversion transitions between commensurate crystals, which motivates simple band-theory criteria for their appearance. Self-consistent Hartree-Fock calculations establish the existence of a SDC consistent with this mechanism in both the $λ$-jellium model and rhombohedral pentalayer graphene (R5G). In the $λ$-jellium model, we identify a SDC phase located between a "halo"-WC and an anomalous Hall crystal (AHC), which would otherwise be connected via a Dirac transition when pinned to commensuration; this contrasts with the WC-AHC transition, which we show cannot be connected by a continuous transition due to a mismatch of symmetry indices. In R5G, we predict a SDC phase located between a WC and a "disqualified" halo anomalous Hall crystal. We discuss in general how the Berry curvature distribution in the parent band affects the appearance of SDC, revealing a novel role of quantum geometry in inducing exotic quantum phases of matter.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Robustness of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang-like transport in long-range interacting quantum spin chains

Isotropic integrable spin chains such as the Heisenberg model feature superdiffusive spin transport belonging to an as-yet-unidentified dynamical universality class closely related to that of Kardar, Parisi, and Zhang (KPZ). To determine whether these results extend to more generic one-dimensional models, particularly those realizable in quantum simulators, we investigate spin and energy transport in non-integrable, long-range Heisenberg models using state-of-the-art tensor network methods. Despite the lack of integrability and the asymptotic expectation of diffusion, for power-law models (with exponent $2 < α< \infty$) we observe long-lived $z=3/2$ superdiffusive spin transport and two-point correlators consistent with KPZ scaling functions, up to times $t \sim 10^3/J$. We conjecture that this KPZ-like transport is due to the proximity of such power-law-interacting models to the integrable family of Inozemtsev models, which we show to also exhibit KPZ-like spin transport across all interaction ranges. Finally, we consider anisotropic spin models naturally realized in Rydberg atom arrays and ultracold polar molecules, demonstrating that a wide range of long-lived, non-diffusive transport can be observed in experimental settings.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Chiral Spin Liquid and Quantum Phase Transition in the Triangular Lattice Hofstadter-Hubbard Model

Recent advances in moiré engineering motivate the study of lattice models of strongly-correlated electrons subjected to substantial orbital magnetic flux. We analyze the triangular lattice Hofstadter-Hubbard model at one-quarter flux quantum per plaquette and a density of one electron per site, where a chiral spin liquid phase may exist between weak-coupling integer quantum Hall and strong-coupling 120$^\circ$ antiferromagnetic phases. We use matrix product state methods and analytical arguments to investigate this model compactified to cylinders of finite circumference. We uncover a glide particle-hole symmetry operation which, we argue, is spontaneously broken at the quantum Hall to spin liquid transition on odd-circumference cylinders. We numerically verify the spontaneous symmetry breaking and further demonstrate that this transition is associated with algebraic long-range correlations of various spin-singlet, charge-neutral operators. For even-circumference cylinders, the transition becomes a crossover associated with a large correlation length that grows substantially with circumference. Our findings suggest that in the two-dimensional limit, the transition to a chiral spin liquid phase is continuous and features critical fluctuations of the current.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Emergent QED$_3$ at the bosonic Laughlin state to superfluid transition

Quantum phase transitions between topologically ordered and symmetry-broken phases lie beyond Landau theory. A prime example is the conjectured continuous transition from the bosonic $ν= 1/2$ Laughlin state to a superfluid, proposed to be governed by a QED$_3$--Chern--Simons (CS) critical point whose stability remains uncertain. We study half-filled bosons in the lowest Landau level subject to a lattice potential. Infinite-cylinder DMRG reveals a single continuous Laughlin--to--superfluid transition. Adiabatic flux insertion collapses the many-body gap and exposes massless Dirac quasiparticles, while momentum-resolved correlation lengths show that three lattice-related density modes share the same critical exponent, evidencing an emergent $SO(3)$ symmetry. The joint appearance of Dirac dispersion and symmetry enlargement provides microscopic support for a stable QED$_3$--CS fixed point. Our numerical strategy also offers a blueprint for exploring Landau-forbidden transitions in fractional Chern insulators and composite Fermi liquids realised in moire and cold-atom systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Imaging Electron-Hole Asymmetry in the Quantum Melting of Generalized Wigner Crystals

Two-dimensional moiré materials provide a versatile platform to explore phase transitions in strongly correlated systems. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) we have imaged the density-driven melting of generalized Wigner crystals (GWCs) and Mott insulators (MIs) in electron-doped, near-60° twisted MoSe2 bilayers featuring a triangular moiré superlattice. We observe striking electron-hole asymmetry in GWC melting: hole-doped GWCs yield interaction-driven disordered states whereas electron-doped GWCs melt into delocalized liquid-like states. This asymmetry arises from the broken particle-hole symmetry of the moiré superlattice, which produces electron and hole Fermi pockets with different momentum geometries upon GWC condensation. MI states melt without such asymmetry, consistent with the absence of a symmetry-breaking density modulation. This work provides direct visualization of the novel emergent phases that appear as GWCs undergo quantum melting transitions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Visualizing interaction-driven restructuring of quantum Hall edge states

Many topological phases host gapless boundary modes that can be dramatically modified by electronic interactions. Even for the long-studied edge modes of quantum Hall phases, forming at the boundaries of two-dimensional (2D) electron systems, the nature of such interaction-induced changes has been elusive. Despite advances made using local probes, key experimental challenges persist: the lack of direct information about the internal structure of edge states on microscopic scales, and complications from edge disorder. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to image pristine electrostatically defined quantum Hall edge states in graphene with high spatial resolution and demonstrate how correlations dictate the structures of edge channels on both magnetic and atomic length scales. For integer quantum Hall states in the zeroth Landau level, we show that interactions renormalize the edge velocity, dictate the spatial profile for copropagating modes, and induce unexpected edge valley polarization that differ from those of the bulk. While some of our findings can be understood by mean-field theory, others show breakdown of this picture, highlighting the roles of edge fluctuations and inter-channel couplings. We also extend our measurements to spatially resolve the edge state of fractional quantum Hall phases and detect spectroscopic signatures of interactions in this chiral Luttinger liquid. Our study establishes STM as a promising tool for exploring edge physics of the rapidly expanding 2D topological phases, including newly realized fractional Chern insulators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Alternating and Gaussian fermionic Isometric Tensor Network States

Isometric tensor networks in two dimensions enable efficient and accurate study of quantum many-body states, yet the effect of the isometric restriction on the represented quantum states is not fully understood. We address this question in two main contributions. First, we introduce an improved variant of isometric network states (isoTNS) in two dimensions, where the isometric arrows on the columns of the network alternate between pointing upward and downward, hence the name alternating isometric tensor network states. Second, we introduce a numerical tool -- isometric Gaussian fermionic TNS (isoGfTNS) -- that incorporates isometric constraints into the framework of Gaussian fermionic tensor network states. We demonstrate in numerous ways that alternating isoTNS represent many-body ground states of two-dimensional quantum systems significantly better than the original isoTNS. First, we show that the entanglement in an isoTNS is mediated along the isometric arrows and that alternating isoTNS mediate entanglement more efficiently than conventional isoTNS. Second, alternating isoTNS correspond to a deeper, thus more representative, sequential circuit construction of depth $O(L_x \cdot L_y)$ compared to the original isoTNS of depth $O(L_x + L_y)$. Third, using the Gaussian framework and gradient-based energy minimization, we provide numerical evidences of better bond-dimension scaling and variational energy of alternating isoGfTNS for ground states of various free fermionic models, including the Fermi surface, the band insulator, and the $p_x + ip_y$ mean-field superconductor. Finally, we find improved performance of alternating isoTNS as compared to the original isoTNS for the ground state energy of the (interacting) transverse field Ising model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Slow quasiparticle dynamics and anyonic statistics in a fractional quantum Hall Fabry-Pérot interferometer

Anyons are particles with fractional exchange statistics that emerge as elementary excitations of fractional quantum Hall phases. Experimentally, their exchange statistics can be measured in the edge-state Fabry-Pérot interferometer. In these devices, the presence of $N_{qp}$ localized anyons in the bulk contributes a phase $N_{qp}θ_a$ to the interference signal. Here we report the observation of large, hysteretic phase jumps in a monolayer graphene Fabry-Pérot interferometer at $ν=1/3$. When the filling factor is increased from $ν<1/3$ towards the center of the plateau, we observe phase slips with magnitude $Δθ\approx 2π/3$, consistent with the addition of individual quasiparticles to the interferometer bulk. In contrast to prior work, however, the phase slips occur as instantaneous jumps in the interference signal, indicative of quasiparticle equilibration times exceeding 20 minutes. We use this long timescale to investigate the effect of changes in interferometer area $A_I$ and $N_{QP}$ independently at fixed magnetic field, revealing a striking memory effect in the phase slip magnitude. In particular, as the $ν=1/3$ plateau is approached from higher filling, we observed phase slips with $Δθ$ significantly larger than $2π/3$ over the same range of gate voltage where quantized jumps are seen for increasing $ν$. We discuss this asymmetry in terms of bulk-edge coupling of quasiparticles localized near the edge or in the bulk, and argue that this effect can be qualitatively reconciled with theoretical expectations for strongly interacting quasiparticles in the presence of weak disorder and strongly nonequilibrium charge dynamics. Our results highlight the key role played by charge dynamics on signatures of the anyon phase, and demonstrate that fractional quasiparticles can be indefinitely localized in nonequilibrium configurations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Anyon Superconductivity from Topological Criticality in a Hofstadter-Hubbard Model

We argue that the combination of strong repulsive interactions and high magnetic fields can generate electron pairing and superconductivity. Inspired by the large lattice constants of moiré materials, which make large flux per unit cell accessible at laboratory fields, we study the triangular lattice Hofstadter-Hubbard model at one-quarter flux quantum per plaquette, where previous literature has argued that a chiral spin liquid separates a weak-coupling integer quantum Hall phase and a strong-coupling topologically-trivial antiferromagnetic insulator at a density of one electron per site. We argue that topological superconductivity emerges upon doping in the vicinity of the integer quantum Hall to chiral spin liquid transition. We employ exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group methods to examine this theoretical scenario and find that electronic pairing indeed occurs on both sides of criticality over a remarkably broad range of interaction strengths. On the chiral spin liquid side, our results provide a concrete model realization of the long-hypothesized mechanism of anyon superconductivity. Our study thus establishes a beyond-BCS mechanism for electron pairing in a well-controlled limit, relying crucially on the interplay between electron correlations and band topology.

cond-mat.str-el↗