arXiv subjects

Qian-Qian Shi

Publications and source records attributed to Qian-Qian Shi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Type-B Goldstone modes and a logarithmic spiral in the staggered $\rm SU(4)$ ferromagnetic spin-orbital model

It is found that the staggered $\rm SU(4)$ ferromagnetic spin-orbital model accommodates highly degenerate ground states arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes. The spontaneous symmetry breaking patterns are ${\rm SU(4)} \rightarrow {\rm U(1)} \times {\rm U(1)} \times {\rm U(1)}$, with three type-B Goldstone modes or ${\rm SO(4)} \sim {\rm SU(2)} \times {\rm SU(2)} \rightarrow {\rm U(1)} \times {\rm U(1)}$, with two type-B Goldstone modes, depending on the system size being even or odd. An abstract fractal constitutes the underlying structure of the ground-state subspace. For a sequence of atypical degenerate ground states the fractal dimension is identified with the number of type-B Goldstone modes. This connection is established by evaluating the entanglement entropy for these atypical degenerate ground states. The observed universal finite system-size scaling behavior of the entanglement entropy follows a logarithmic scaling relation with the block size in the thermodynamic limit. In addition, the ground state degeneracies, depending on the boundary conditions adopted, constitute the two Fibonacci-Lucas sequences. In the limit of large system size their asymptotic forms become a self-similar logarithmic spiral. As a result, the model has a non-zero residual entropy $S_{r} = -2 \ln R $, where $R=(\! \sqrt{6}-\!\sqrt{2})/2$.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Non-invertible symmetries and boundary conditions for the transverse-field Ising model

Non-invertible Kramers-Wannier (KW) duality symmetries are constructed for the transverse-field Ising model (TFIM) at the self-dual point under various boundary conditions (BCs), as long as the resultant Hamiltonian commutes with the ${\rm Z}_2$ symmetry operator. This is achieved by introducing extra degrees of freedom into the Hilbert space, in order to turn a non-translation-invariant Hamiltonian in the original Hilbert space into a translation-invariant Hamiltonian in the augmented Hilbert space. One may lift the trivial identity operator, the ${\rm Z}_2$ symmetry operator and the non-invertible KW duality symmetry operator to their counterparts in the augmented Hilbert space, valid for each of four types of toroidal BCs. As it turns out, they yield a lattice version of fusion rules, which bears a resemblance to the Tambara-Yamagami ${\rm Z}_2$ fusion category. Our construction is thus consistent with the basic physical requirement that all possible BCs should yield a converging result in the thermodynamic limit. In particular, the lattice versions of fusion rules, constructed by Seiberg, Seifnashri and Shao [SciPost Phys. \textbf{16}, 154 (2024)], are reproduced for periodic and anti-periodic BCs, but a discrepancy is revealed for duality-twisted BCs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Fractal dimension and the counting rule of the Goldstone modes

It is argued that there are a set of orthonormal basis states, which appear as highly degenerate ground states arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking with a type-B Goldstone mode, and they are scale-invariant, with a salient feature that the entanglement entropy $S(n)$ scales logarithmically with the block size $n$ in the thermodynamic limit. As it turns out, the prefactor is half the number of type-B Goldstone modes $N_B$. This is achieved by performing an exact Schmidt decomposition of the orthonormal basis states, thus unveiling their self-similarities in the real space--the essence of a fractal. Combining with a field-theoretic prediction [O. A. Castro-Alvaredo and B. Doyon, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{108}, 120401 (2012)], we are led to the identification of the fractal dimension $d_f$ with the number of type-B Goldstone modes $N_B$ for the orthonormal basis states in quantum many-body systems undergoing spontaneous symmetry breaking.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Goldstone modes and the golden spiral in the ferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model

Ferromagnetic ground states have often been overlooked in comparison to seemingly more interesting antiferromagnetic ground states. However, both the physical and mathematical structure of ferromagnetic ground states are particularly rich. We show that the highly degenerate and highly entangled ground states of the ferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model are scale invariant, originating from spontaneous symmetry breaking from ${\rm SU}(3)$ to ${\rm U}(1)\times {\rm U}(1)$ with two type-B Goldstone modes if the system size is even or from ${\rm SU}(2)$ to ${\rm U}(1)$ with one type-B Goldstone mode if the system size is odd, when periodic boundary conditions are adopted. The ground state degeneracies are characterized as Fibonacci-Lucas sequences, under open and periodic boundary conditions, with nonzero residual entropy per site. This implies that the ground state degeneracies for this model are asymptotically the golden spiral. In addition, sequences of atypical (periodic) degenerate ground states generated from highest and generalized highest weight states are constructed to establish that the entanglement entropy scales logarithmically with the block size in the thermodynamic limit. The prefactor is half the number of type-B Goldstone modes, which is identified to be the fractal dimension, if one is restricted to atypical degenerate ground states. We also argue that the same conclusion is valid for typical (non-periodic) degenerate ground states, as long as the block size is sufficiently large.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Fractals and spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes: a perspective from entanglement

The one-dimensional spin-$s$ ${\rm SU}(2)$ ferromagnetic Heisenberg model, as a paradigmatic example for spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) with type-B Goldstone modes (GMs), is expected to exhibit an abstract fractal underlying the ground state subspace. This intrinsic abstract fractal is here revealed from a systematic investigation into the entanglement entropy for a linear combination of factorized (unentangled) ground states on a fractal decomposable into a set of the Cantor sets. The entanglement entropy scales logarithmically with the block size, with the prefactor being half the fractal dimension of a fractal, as long as the norm for the linear combination scales as the square root of the number of the self-similar building blocks kept at each step $k$ for a fractal, under an assumption that the maximum absolute value of the coefficients in the linear combination is chosen to be around one, and the coefficients in the linear combination are almost constants within the building blocks. Actually, the set of the fractal dimensions for all the Cantor sets forms a {\it dense} subset in the interval $[0,1]$. As a consequence, the ground state subspace is separated into a disjoint union of countably infinitely many regions, each of which is labeled by a decomposable fractal. Hence, the interpretation of the prefactor as half the fractal dimension is valid for any support beyond a fractal, which in turn leads to the identification of the fractal dimension with the number of type-B GMs for the orthonormal basis states. Our argument may be extended to any quantum many-body systems undergoing SSB with type-B GMs.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes in the SO($2s+1$) ferromagnetic model: an entanglement perspective

Spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes is investigated in the SO($2s+1$) ferromagnetic model. A set of orthonormal basis states in the ground state subspace are constructed, which admit an exact Schmidt decomposition, exposing self-similarities in real space of an abstract fractal underlying the ground state subspace. Focusing on the SO(5) and the SO(6) ferromagnetic spin chains as illustrative examples, finite system-size scaling analysis of the entanglement entropy for this set of orthonormal basis states confirms that the entanglement entropy scales logarithmically with block size in the thermodynamic limit. The prefactor in front of the logarithm is half the number of type-B Goldstone modes $N_B$, which is identified as the fractal dimension $d_f$ for these orthonormal basis states. For the SO($2s+1$) ferromagnetic model $N_B = d_f =s$ for integer $s$ and $N_B = d_f =s+1/2$ for half-odd-integer $s$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Emergent Goldstone flat bands and spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes

For a quantum many-body spin system undergoing spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes, a high degree of degeneracy arises in the ground state manifold. Generically, if this degeneracy is polynomial in system size, then it does not depend on the type of boundary conditions used. However, if there exists an emergent (local) symmetry operation tailored to a specific degenerate ground state, then we show that the degeneracies are exponential in system size and are different under periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) and open boundary conditions (OBCs). We further show that the exponential ground state degeneracies in turn imply the emergence of Goldstone flat bands -- single-mode excitations generated by a multi-site operator and its images under the repeated action of the translation operation under PBCs or the cyclic permutation symmetry operation under OBCs. Conversely, we also show that the presence of emergent Goldstone flat bands implies that there exists an emergent (local) symmetry operation tailored to a specific degenerate ground state. In addition, we propose an extrinsic characterization of emergent Goldstone flat bands, revealing a connection to quantum many-body scars, which violate the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis. We illustrate this by presenting examples from the staggered ${\rm SU}(4)$ spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model and the staggered ${\rm SU}(4)$ ferromagnetic spin-orbital model. We also perform extensive numerical simulations for the more general ${\rm SO}(3)$ spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic and ${\rm SO(4)}$ ferromagnetic spin-orbital models, containing the two aforementioned models as the endpoints in the ferromagnetic regimes respectively, and confirm the emergence of Goldstone flat bands, as we approach these endpoints from deep inside the ferromagnetic regimes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Entanglement entropy for the one-dimensional flat-band ferromagnetic Tasaki model: spontaneous symmetry breaking with one type-B Goldstone mode

The one-dimensional flat-band ferromagnetic Tasaki model exhibits spontaneous symmetry breaking from ${\rm SU}(2)$ to ${\rm U}(1)$ with one type-B Goldstone mode, featuring that the highest weight state is entangled at quarter filling, but there is always a choice to keep the highest weight state unentangled away from quarter filling. It is found that the ground-state degeneracies under both periodic and open boundary conditions constitute essentially the Fibonacci sequences, behaving asymptotically as the golden spiral - a self-similar geometric object. A set of orthonormal basis states are generated from the repeated action of the lowering operator of the symmetry group ${\rm SU}(2)$ on the highest weight state at a specific filling. In particular, it is possible to construct the orthonormal basis states reflecting an abstract fractal underlying the ground-state subspace, which are permutation-invariant away from quarter filling, but not at quarter filling. As a consequence, there exists a singularity that accounts for the emergence of the saturated flat-band ferromagnetism at quarter filling. We perform a systematic finite system-size scaling analysis of the entanglement entropy, thus confirming that it scales logarithmically with the block size in the thermodynamic limit, with the prefactor being half the number of type-B Goldstone modes, for the orthonormal basis states at and away from quarter filling.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Entanglement entropy for a type of scale-invariant states in two spatial dimensions and beyond: universal finite-size scaling

A generic scheme is proposed to investigate the entanglement entropy for a type of scale-invariant states, valid for orthonormal basis states in the ground state subspace of quantum many-body systems undergoing spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes in two spatial dimensions and beyond. It is argued that a contribution from the area law to the entanglement entropy is absent, since the closeness to the boundary between a subsystem and its environment is not well-defined, given that a permutation symmetry group with respect to the unit cells of degenerate ground state wave functions emerges. Three physical constraints imposed lead to a universal finite-system size scaling function in the dominant logarithmic contribution to the entanglement entropy. As a result, an abstract fractal underlying the ground state subspace is revealed, characterized by the fractal dimension. The latter in turn is identical to the number of type-B Goldstone modes for the orthonormal basis states. The prediction is numerically confirmed for the ${\rm SU}(2)$ spin-$s$ ferromagnetic Heisenberg model, the ${\rm SU}(2s+1)$ ferromagnetic model, and the staggered ${\rm SU}(3)$ spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Exact matrix product state representations for a type of scale-invariant states

Exact matrix product state representations for a type of scale-invariant states are presented, which describe highly degenerate ground states arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes in one-dimensional quantum many-body systems. As a possible application, such a representation offers a convenient but powerful means for evaluating the norms of highly degenerate ground states. This in turn allows us to perform a universal finite system-size scaling analysis of the entanglement entropy. Moreover, this approach vividly explains why the entanglement entropy does not depend on what types of the boundary conditions are adopted, either periodic boundary conditions or open boundary conditions. Illustrative examples include the ${\rm SU}(2)$ spin-$s$ Heisenberg ferromagnetic model, the ${\rm SU}(2s+1)$ ferromagnetic model, and the staggered ${\rm SU}(3)$ spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Entanglement and logarithmic spirals in a quantum spin-1 many-body system with competing dimer and trimer interactions

Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) with type-B Goldstone modes is investigated in the macroscopically degenerate phase for a quantum spin-1 many-body system with competing dimer and trimer interactions. The SSB involves three distinct patterns. The first occurs at the dimer point, with the pattern from staggered ${\rm SU}(3)$ to ${\rm U}(1)\times{\rm U}(1)$. The second occurs at the trimer point, with the pattern from uniform ${\rm SU}(3)$ to ${\rm U}(1)\times{\rm U}(1)$. The third occurs in the dimer-trimer regime, with the pattern from uniform ${\rm SU}(2)$ to ${\rm U}(1)$. The number of type-B Goldstone modes is thus two, two and one for the three patterns, respectively. The ground state degeneracies arising from the three patterns are exponential with the system size, which may be recognized as sequences of integers relevant to self-similar logarithmic spirals. This in turn is attributed to the presence of an emergent symmetry operation tailored to a specific degenerate ground state. As a consequence, the residual entropy is non-zero, which measures the disorder present in a unit cell of highly degenerate ground state generated from a generalized highest weight state. An exact Schmidt decomposition exists for the highly degenerate ground states, thus exposing the self-similarities underlying an abstract fractal, described by the fractal dimension. The latter is extracted from performing a universal finite system-size scaling analysis of the entanglement entropy, which is identical to the number of type-B Goldstone modes. The model under investigation thus accommodates an exotic scale invariant quantum state of matter.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Absence of a critical nematic phase in the vicinity of the $\rm {SU}(3)$ ferromagnetic point for the one-dimensional spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model

The absence of a critical nematic phase in the vicinity of the $\rm {SU}(3)$ ferromagnetic point for the one-dimensional spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model is demonstrated by means of the tensor network algorithms. As it turns out, the phase transition from the ferromagnetic phase to the dimerized phase at the $\rm {SU}(3)$ ferromagnetic point is direct, but not of the first-order. The transition point features highly degenerate ground states, which are scale but not conformally invariant, with the fractal dimension being equal to 2. The conceptual developments in effective field theories - the fractal dimension and the counting rule of the Goldstone modes - play a pivotal role in clarifying the numerical artifacts arising from the finiteness of the bond dimension in the tensor network simulations, which are attributed to a proximity effect to a highly entangled scale or conformally invariant ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Extracting the number of type-B Goldstone modes and the dynamical critical exponent for a type of scale-invariant states

A generic scheme is proposed to perform a finite-entanglement scaling analysis for scale-invariant states, which appear to be highly degenerate ground states arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes. This allows us to extract the number of type-B Goldstone modes and the dynamical critical exponent, in combination with a finite block-size scaling analysis, from numerical simulations of quantum many-body systems in the context of tensor network representations. The number of type-B Goldstone modes is identical to the fractal dimension, thus reflecting an abstract fractal underlying the ground state subspace. As illustrative examples, we investigate the spin-$s$ Heisenberg ferromagnetic model, the $\rm{SU}(3)$ ferromagnetic model and the $\rm{SO}(4)$ spin-orbital model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Instability of the Luttinger liquids towards an exotic quantum state of matter with highly degenerate ground states: an anisotropic extension of the ferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model

An extensive investigation, both numerical and analytical, is performed for an anisotropic extension of the ferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model. The ground state phase diagram accommodates three symmetry-protected trivial phases, three coexisting fractal phases and six Luttinger liquid phases. A novel universality class arises from an instability of a Luttinger liquid towards an exotic quantum state of matter with infinitely degenerate ground states. The latter in turn is a scale-invariant quantum state of matter, which may be attributed to the coexistence of ${\rm SU}(2)$ spontaneous symmetry breaking with one type-B Goldstone mode on the characteristic line: $J_y=J_z$, and ${\rm U}(1)$ spontaneous symmetry breaking without any gapless Goldstone mode on the characteristic line $J_x/J_z=0$, together with their cyclic permutations with respect to $x$, $y$ and $z$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

An alternative spontaneous symmetry breaking pattern for $\rm{U}(1)$ with no gapless Goldstone mode

An emergent gapless Goldstone mode originates from continuous spontaneous symmetry breaking, which has become a doctrine since the pioneering work by Goldstone [J. Goldstone, Nuovo Cimento \textbf{19}, 154 (1961)]. However, we argue that it is possible for a continuous symmetry group $\rm{U}(1)$ to make an exceptional case, simply due to the well-known mathematical result that a continuous symmetry group $\rm{U}(1)$ may be regarded as a limit of a discrete symmetry group $Z_q$ when $q$ tends to infinity. As a consequence, spontaneous symmetry breaking for such a continuous symmetry group $\rm{U}(1)$ does not necessarily lead to any gapless Goldstone mode. This is explicitly explained for an anisotropic extension of the ferromagnetic spin-1 biquadratic model. In a sense, this model provides an illustrative example regarding the dichotomy between continuity and discreteness.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

The ground-state phase diagram for an alternative anisotropic extension of quantum spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model

The ground-state phase diagram is mapped out for an alternative anisotropic extension of quantum spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model, which accommodates twelve distinct phases: three degenerate fractal phases, six Luttinger liquid phases and three symmetry-protected trivial phases. It is found that distinct types of quantum phase transitions are involved between them. In particular, one type arises from an instability of a Luttinger liquid towards a degenerate fractal phase, and the other type describes spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes from one degenerate fractal phase to another degenerate fractal phase, with the fractal dimension $d_f$ being identical to the number of the type-B Goldstone modes, both of which turn out to be one. In addition, quantum phase transitions from the Luttinger liquid phases to the symmetry-protected trivial phases are identified to be in the Kosterlitz-Thouless universality class, with central charge being one.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Entanglement entropy for scale-invariant states: universal finite-size scaling

A universal finite system-size scaling analysis of the entanglement entropy is presented for highly degenerate ground states arising from spontaneous symmetry breaking with type-B Goldstone modes in exactly solvable one-dimensional quantum many-body systems. These states appear to be scale-invariant, but not conformally invariant. Our findings are based on a physical argument, imposing three constraints on the entanglement entropy, in addition to further confirmation from an asymptotic analysis of the entanglement entropy for the ${\rm SU}(2)$ spin-$1/2$ ferromagnetic states. The resulting universal scaling form is demonstrated for three fundamental models -- the ${\rm SU}(2)$ spin-$s$ Heisenberg ferromagnetic model, the ${\rm SU}(N+1)$ ferromagnetic model, and the staggered ${\rm SU}(3)$ spin-1 ferromagnetic biquadratic model. The results point towards a classification for distinct types of scale-invariant states, relevant to a complete classification of quantum states of matter.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Duality and ground-state phase diagram for the quantum XYZ model with arbitrary spin $s$ in one spatial dimension

Five duality transformations are unveiled for the quantum XYZ model with arbitrary spin $s$ in one spatial dimension. The presence of these duality transformations drastically reduces the entire ground-state phase diagram to two {\it finite} regimes - the principal regimes, with all the other ten regimes dual to them. Combining with the determination of critical points from the conventional order parameter approach and/or the fidelity approach to quantum phase transitions, we are able to map out the ground-state phase diagram for the quantum XYZ model with arbitrary spin $s$. This is explicitly demonstrated for $s=1/2,1,3/2$ and 2. As it turns out, all the critical points, with central charge $c=1$, are self-dual under a respective duality transformation for half-integer as well as integer spin $s$. However, in the latter case, the presence of the so-called symmetry protected topological phase, i.e., the Haldane phase, results in extra lines of critical points with central charge $c=1/2$, which is not self-dual under any duality transformation.

cond-mat.str-el↗