arXiv subjects

Philipp Schmoll

Publications and source records attributed to Philipp Schmoll.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

An extended non-magnetic phase in the spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet from the ruby to the maple-leaf lattice

The spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the two-dimensional ruby and maple-leaf lattices provides a stringent test case for frustrated quantum magnetism, where semiclassical magnetic order competes closely with quantum-paramagnetic states. We study the generalized maple-leaf model along the axis interpolating between the isotropic ruby lattice and the isotropic maple-leaf lattice, using two independent variational infinite projected entangled-pair state ansätze: one defined on the mapped square lattice and one directly on the native triangular lattice. Our lowest-energy variational states show no magnetic order throughout the region connecting the two isotropic limits, and the local bond correlations recover the $120^\circ$ lattice rotation symmetry without imposing it explicitly. Magnetic-field simulations at the two endpoints further indicate a finite zero-magnetization plateau in both cases, with a gradual onset of magnetization on the ruby lattice and a sharper onset on the maple-leaf lattice. These results establish a broad gapped non-magnetic regime in a minimal nearest-neighbor Heisenberg model on lattices of direct relevance to both frustrated quantum magnets and programmable ruby-lattice simulators.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

How compactness curbs entanglement growth in bosonic systems

Zero modes, understood here as degrees of freedom with vanishing confining frequency, play a central role in the nonequilibrium dynamics of bosonic systems. In Gaussian models, however, they lead to an unbounded, logarithmic growth of entanglement entropy. We show that this divergence is not an intrinsic property of zero modes themselves, but arises specifically for non-compact zero modes. Their non-compact configuration space allows unbounded spreading in position space, while their continuous spectra enable indefinite dephasing in momentum space. By contrast, compact zero modes in compact bosonic systems behave fundamentally differently: Spreading and dephasing are eventually halted, so that compactness caps the entanglement entropy at a finite value, making its dynamical role most transparent in the presence of a zero mode. We demonstrate this mechanism in a minimal setting by comparing two coupled harmonic oscillators with two coupled quantum rotors. We then show that the same physics persists in many-body systems by contrasting an N-site compact rotor chain with the non-compact harmonic chain. Finally, we relate these insights to ultra-cold-atom realizations of compact quantum field theories. In particular, we clarify when a compact free-boson (Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid) description is required and when the commonly used non-compact massless Klein-Gordon model breaks down. Even when the initial state is accurately captured by a non-compact Gaussian description, compactness ultimately governs the late-time quench dynamics, curbing entanglement growth rather than allowing a dynamical divergence.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Variational optimization of projected entangled-pair states on the triangular lattice

We introduce a general corner transfer matrix renormalization group algorithm tailored to projected entangled-pair states on the triangular lattice. By integrating automatic differentiation, our approach enables direct variational energy minimization on this lattice geometry. In contrast to conventional approaches that map the triangular lattice onto a square lattice with diagonal next-nearest-neighbour interactions, our native formulation yields improved variational results at the same bond dimension. This improvement stems from a more faithful and physically informed representation of the entanglement structure in the tensor network and an increased number of variational parameters. We apply our method to the antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbour Heisenberg model on the triangular and kagome lattice, and benchmark our results against previous numerical studies.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Tensor network analysis of the maple-leaf antiferromagnet spangolite

Spangolite (Cu$_6$Al(SO$_4$)(OH)$_{12}$Cl$\cdot$3H$_2$O) is a hydroxy-hydrated copper sulfate mineral with a one-seventh depleted triangular lattice of Cu$^{2+}$ ions in each layer. Experimental measurements revealed a non-magnetic ground state at $T \sim 8\, \text{K}$ with magnetic properties dominated by dimerization. We propose a spatially anisotropic Heisenberg model for the Cu$^{2+}$ spin-$1/2$ degrees of freedom on this geometrically frustrated and effectively two-dimensional maple-leaf lattice, featuring five symmetry inequivalent couplings with ferromagnetic bonds on hexagons and antiferromagnetic triangular bonds. The validity of the proposed Hamiltonian is demonstrated by state-of-the-art tensor network calculations, which can assess both the nature of the ground state as well as low-temperature thermodynamics, including the effects of a magnetic field. We provide theoretical support for a picture of a non-trivially correlated dimer ground state, which accounts for the appreciable reduction of the magnetic moment at high temperatures observed in experiment, thereby resolving a long-standing puzzle. We predict the static spin structure factor as well as the emergence of magnetisation plateaus at high values of an external magnetic field, explore the nature of the quantum states in them, and study their melting with increasing temperature.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Variationally optimizing infinite projected entangled-pair states at large bond dimensions: A split corner transfer matrix renormalization group approach

Projected entangled-pair states (PEPS) have become a powerful tool for studying quantum many-body systems in the condensed matter and quantum materials context, particularly with advances in variational energy optimization methods. A key challenge within this framework is the computational cost associated with the contraction of the two-dimensional lattice, crucial for calculating state vector norms and expectation values. The conventional approach, using the corner transfer matrix renormalization group (CTMRG), involves combining two tensor network layers, resulting in significant time and memory demands. In this work, we introduce an alternative "split-CTMRG" algorithm, which maintains separate PEPS layers and leverages new environment tensors, reducing computational complexity while preserving accuracy. Benchmarks on quantum lattice models demonstrate substantial speedups for variational energy optimization, rendering this method valuable for large-scale PEPS simulations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

An introduction to infinite projected entangled-pair state methods for variational ground state simulations using automatic differentiation

Tensor networks capture large classes of ground states of phases of quantum matter faithfully and efficiently. Their manipulation and contraction has remained a challenge over the years, however. For most of the history, ground state simulations of two-dimensional quantum lattice systems using (infinite) projected entangled pair states have relied on what is called a time-evolving block decimation. In recent years, multiple proposals for the variational optimization of the quantum state have been put forward, overcoming accuracy and convergence problems of previously known methods. The incorporation of automatic differentiation in tensor networks algorithms has ultimately enabled a new, flexible way for variational simulation of ground states and excited states. In this work we review the state-of-the-art of the variational iPEPS framework, providing a detailed introduction to automatic differentiation, a description of a general foundation into which various two-dimensional lattices can be conveniently incorporated, and demonstrative benchmarking results.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Hamiltonian truncation tensor networks for quantum field theories

Understanding the equilibrium properties and out of equilibrium dynamics of quantum field theories are key aspects of fundamental problems in theoretical particle physics and cosmology. However, their classical simulation is highly challenging. In this work, we introduce a tensor network method for the classical simulation of continuous quantum field theories that is suitable for the study of low-energy eigenstates and out-of-equilibrium time evolution. The method is built on Hamiltonian truncation and tensor network techniques, bridging the gap between two successful approaches. One of the key developments is the exact construction of matrix product state representations of global projectors, crucial for the implementation of interacting theories. Despite featuring a relatively high computational effort, our method dramatically improves predictive precision compared to exact diagonalisation-based Hamiltonian truncation, allowing the study of so far unexplored parameter regimes and dynamical effects. We corroborate trust in the accuracy of the method by comparing it with exact theoretical results for ground state properties of the sine-Gordon model. We then proceed with discussing $(1+1)$-dimensional quantum electrodynamics, the massive Schwinger model, for which we accurately locate its critical point and study the growth and saturation of momentum-space entanglement in sudden quenches.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Tensor network study of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet on the Shuriken lattice

We investigate the ground state of the spin $S=1/2$ Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet on the Shuriken lattice, also in the presence of an external magnetic field. To this end, we employ two-dimensional tensor network techniques based on infinite projected entangled pair and simplex states considering states with different sizes of the unit cells. We show that a valence bond crystal with resonances over length six loops emerges as the ground state (at any given finite bond dimension) yielding the lowest reported estimate of the ground state energy $E_0/J = -0.4410 \pm 0.0001$ for this model, estimated in the thermodynamic limit. We also study the model in the presence of an external magnetic field and find the emergence of $0$, $1/3$ and $2/3$ magnetization plateaus with states respecting translation and point group symmetries that feature loop-four plaquette resonances instead.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Finite temperature tensor network algorithm for frustrated two-dimensional quantum materials

Aimed at a more realistic classical description of natural quantum systems, we present a two-dimensional tensor network algorithm to study finite temperature properties of frustrated model quantum systems and real quantum materials. For this purpose, we introduce the infinite projected entangled simplex operator ansatz to study thermodynamic properties. To obtain state-of-the-art benchmarking results, we explore the highly challenging spin-1/2 Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet on the Kagome lattice, a system for which we investigate the melting of the magnetization plateaus at finite magnetic field and temperature. Making close connection to actual experimental data of real quantum materials, we go on to studying the finite temperature properties of Ca$_{10}$Cr$_7$O$_{28}$. We compare the magnetization curve of this material in the presence of an external magnetic field at finite temperature with classically simulated data. As a first theoretical tool that incorporates both thermal fluctuations as well as quantum correlations in the study of this material, our work contributes to settling the existing controversy between the experimental data and previous theoretical works on the magnetization process.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

The classical two-dimensional Heisenberg model revisited: An $SU(2)$-symmetric tensor network study

The classical Heisenberg model in two spatial dimensions constitutes one of the most paradigmatic spin models, taking an important role in statistical and condensed matter physics to understand magnetism. Still, despite its paradigmatic character and the widely accepted ban of a (continuous) spontaneous symmetry breaking, controversies remain whether the model exhibits a phase transition at finite temperature. Importantly, the model can be interpreted as a lattice discretization of the $O(3)$ non-linear sigma model in $1+1$ dimensions, one of the simplest quantum field theories encompassing crucial features of celebrated higher-dimensional ones (like quantum chromodynamics in $3+1$ dimensions), namely the phenomenon of asymptotic freedom. This should also exclude finite-temperature transitions, but lattice effects might play a significant role in correcting the mainstream picture. In this work, we make use of state-of-the-art tensor network approaches, representing the classical partition function in the thermodynamic limit over a large range of temperatures, to comprehensively explore the correlation structure for Gibbs states. By implementing an $SU(2)$ symmetry in our two-dimensional tensor network contraction scheme, we are able to handle very large effective bond dimensions of the environment up to $χ_E^\text{eff} \sim 1500$, a feature that is crucial in detecting phase transitions. With decreasing temperatures, we find a rapidly diverging correlation length, whose behaviour is apparently compatible with the two main contradictory hypotheses known in the literature, namely a finite-$T$ transition and asymptotic freedom, though with a slight preference for the second.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2020

Benchmarking global $SU(2)$ symmetry in 2d tensor network algorithms

We implement and benchmark tensor network algorithms with $SU(2)$ symmetry for systems in two spatial dimensions and in the thermodynamic limit. Specifically, we implement $SU(2)$-invariant versions of the infinite Projected Entangled Pair States (iPEPS) and infinite Projected Entangled Simplex States (iPESS) methods. Our implementation of $SU(2)$ symmetry follows the formalism based on fusion trees from [P. Schmoll, S. Singh, M. Rizzi, R. Orús, arXiv:1809.08180]. In order to assess the utility of implementing $SU(2)$ symmetry the algorithms are benchmarked for three models with different local spin: the spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model on the square lattice, and the Kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnets (KHAF) for spin-1/2 and spin-2. We observe that the implementation of $SU(2)$ symmetry provides better energies in general than non-symmetric simulations, with smooth scalings with respect to the number of parameters in the ansatz, and with the actual improvement depending on the specifics of the model. In particular, for the spin-2 KHAF model, our $SU(2)$ simulations are compatible with a quantum spin liquid ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Fine-Grained Tensor Network Methods

We develop a strategy for tensor network algorithms that allows to deal very efficiently with lattices of high connectivity. The basic idea is to fine-grain the physical degrees of freedom, i.e., decompose them into more fundamental units which, after a suitable coarse-graining, provide the original ones. Thanks to this procedure, the original lattice with high connectivity is transformed by an isometry into a simpler structure, which is easier to simulate via usual tensor network methods. In particular this enables the use of standard schemes to contract infinite 2d tensor networks - such as Corner Transfer Matrix Renormalization schemes - which are more involved on complex lattice structures. We prove the validity of our approach by numerically computing the ground-state properties of the ferromagnetic spin-1 transverse-field Ising model on the 2d triangular and 3d stacked triangular lattice, as well as of the hard-core and soft-core Bose-Hubbard models on the triangular lattice. Our results are benchmarked against those obtained with other techniques, such as perturbative continuous unitary transformations and graph projected entangled pair states, showing excellent agreement and also improved performance in several regimes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

A programming guide for tensor networks with global $SU(2)$ symmetry

This paper is a manual with tips and tricks for programming tensor network algorithms with global $SU(2)$ symmetry. We focus on practical details that are many times overlooked when it comes to implementing the basic building blocks of codes, such as useful data structures to store the tensors, practical ways of manipulating them, and so forth. Here we do not restrict ourselves to any specific tensor network method, but keep always in mind that the implementation should scale well for simulations of higher-dimensional systems using, e.g., Projected Entangled Pair States, where tensors with many indices may show up. To this end, the structural tensors (or intertwiners) that arise in the usual decomposition of $SU(2)$-symmetric tensors are never explicitly stored throughout the simulation. Instead, we store and manipulate the corresponding fusion trees - an algebraic specification of the symmetry constraints on the tensor - in order to implement basic $SU(2)$-symmetric tensor operations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Quantum criticality on a chiral ladder: an $SU(2)$ iDMRG study

In this paper we study the ground state properties of a ladder Hamiltonian with chiral $SU(2)$-invariant spin interactions, a possible first step towards the construction of truly two dimensional non-trivial systems with chiral properties starting from quasi-one dimensional ones. Our analysis uses a recent implementation by us of $SU(2)$ symmetry in tensor network algorithms, specifically for infinite Density Matrix Renormalization Group (iDMRG). After a preliminary analysis with Kadanoff coarse-graining and exact diagonalization for a small-size system, we discuss its bosonization and recap the continuum limit of the model to show that it corresponds to a conformal field theory, in agreement with our numerical findings. In particular, the scaling of the entanglement entropy as well as finite-entanglement scaling data show that the ground state properties match those of the universality class of a $c = 1$ conformal field theory (CFT) in $(1+1)$ dimensions. We also study the algebraic decay of spin-spin and dimer-dimer correlation functions, as well as the algebraic convergence of the ground state energy with the bond dimension, and the entanglement spectrum of half an infinite chain. Our results for the entanglement spectrum are remarkably similar to those of the spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg chain, which we take as a strong indication that both systems are described by the same CFT at low energies, i.e., an $SU(2)_1$ Wess-Zumino-Witten theory. Moreover, we explain in detail how to construct Matrix Product Operators for $SU(2)$-invariant three-spin interactions, something that had not been addressed with sufficient depth in the literature.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Kitaev honeycomb tensor networks: exact unitary circuits and applications

The Kitaev honeycomb model is a paradigm of exactly-solvable models, showing non-trivial physical properties such as topological quantum order, abelian and non-abelian anyons, and chirality. Its solution is one of the most beautiful examples of the interplay of different mathematical techniques in condensed matter physics. In this paper, we show how to derive a tensor network (TN) description of the eigenstates of this spin-1/2 model in the thermodynamic limit, and in particular for its ground state. In our setting, eigenstates are naturally encoded by an exact 3d TN structure made of fermionic unitary operators, corresponding to the unitary quantum circuit building up the many-body quantum state. In our derivation we review how the different "solution ingredients" of the Kitaev honeycomb model can be accounted for in the TN language, namely: Jordan-Wigner transformation, braidings of Majorana modes, fermionic Fourier transformation, and Bogoliubov transformation. The TN built in this way allows for a clear understanding of several properties of the model. In particular, we show how the fidelity diagram is straightforward both at zero temperature and at finite temperature in the vortex-free sector. We also show how the properties of two-point correlation functions follow easily. Finally, we also discuss the pros and cons of contracting of our 3d TN down to a 2d Projected Entangled Pair State (PEPS) with finite bond dimension. The results in this paper can be extended to generalizations of the Kitaev model, e.g., to other lattices, spins, and dimensions.

cond-mat.str-el↗