arXiv subjects

Saranesh Prembabu

Publications and source records attributed to Saranesh Prembabu.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Non-Invertible Interfaces Between Symmetry-Enriched Critical Phases

Gapless quantum phases can become distinct when internal symmetries are enforced, in analogy with gapped symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. However, this distinction does not always lead to protected edge modes, raising the question of how the bulk-boundary correspondence is generalized to gapless cases. We propose that the spatial interface between gapless phases -- rather than their boundaries -- provides a more robust fingerprint. We show that whenever two 1+1d conformal field theories (CFTs) differ in symmetry charge assignments of local operators or twisted sectors, any symmetry-preserving spatial interface between the theories must flow to a non-invertible defect. We illustrate this general result for different versions of the Ising CFT with $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2^T$ symmetry, obtaining a complete classification of allowed conformal interfaces. When the Ising CFTs differ by nonlocal operator charges, the interface hosts 0+1d symmetry-breaking phases with finite-size splittings scaling as $1/L^3$, as well as continuous phase transitions between them. For general gapless phases differing by an SPT entangler, the interfaces between them can be mapped to conformal defects with a certain defect 't Hooft anomaly. This classification also gives implications for higher-dimensional examples, including symmetry-enriched variants of the 2+1d Ising CFT. Our results establish a physical indicator for symmetry-enriched criticality through symmetry-protected interfaces, giving a new handle on the interplay between topology and gapless phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Spin Polarons in Flat Band Ferromagnets

Spin polarons are bound states of electrons and spin-flips that form above spin polarized electronic insulators.These bound states conventionally form in one of two settings: in frustrated lattices with dispersive bands -- where the motion of an electron preferences binding a nearby spin-flip -- or in topological flat bands -- where the Chern number enforces an effective dipolar interaction between electrons and spin flips. In this work, we report the formation of a spin polaron in a context that doesn't fall cleanly into either of these paradigms. In particular, we study the one-dimensional Mielke-Tasaki chain, a paradigmatic model of flat band ferromagnetism, which has an exact ferromagnetic ground state, trivial band topology, and quenched kinetic energy in its lowest band. Despite these features, our density matrix renormalization group simulations reveal the presence of spin polarons upon electron doping this model. More surprisingly, combining these numerics with analytic calculations, we show that polaron binding occurs when the interaction-induced kinetic energy of the model is zero -- contrary to intuition from kinetic magnetism -- and the glue binding the electrons and spin-flips arises from weak mixing with the model's dispersive band -- contrary to what occurs in topological flat bands. Our results open the doors to exploring how the quantum geometry of flat bands drives the formation of exotic charge carriers.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Multicriticality between Purely Gapless SPT Phases with Unitary Symmetry

Symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases are commonly required to have an energy gap, but recent work has extended the concept to gapless settings. This raises a natural question: what happens at transitions between inequivalent gapless SPTs? We address this for the simplest known case among gapless SPTs protected by a unitary symmetry group acting faithfully on the low-energy theory. To this end, we consider a qutrit version of the nearest-neighbor XX chain. Trimerizing the chain explicitly breaks an anomalous symmetry and produces three distinct gapped SPT phases protected by a unitary $\mathbb{Z}_3 \times \mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetry. Their phase boundaries are given by three inequivalent gapless SPTs without any gapped symmetry sectors, each described by a symmetry-enriched version of an orbifolded Potts$^2$ conformal field theory with central charge $c=\frac{8}{5}$. We provide an analytic derivation of this critical theory in a particular regime and confirm its stability using tensor network simulations. Remarkably, the three gapless SPTs meet at a $c = 2$ multicritical point, where the protecting $\mathbb{Z}_3 \times \mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetry exhibits a mixed anomaly with the $\mathbb Z_3$ entangler symmetry that permutes the SPT classes. We further explore how discrete gauging gives dipole-symmetric models, offering insights into dipole symmetry-breaking and SPTs, as well as symmetry-enriched multiversality. Altogether, this work uncovers a rich phase diagram of a minimal qutrit chain, whose purely nearest-neighbor interactions make it a promising candidate for experimental realization, including the prospect of critical phases with stable edge modes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Boundary deconfined quantum criticality at transitions between symmetry-protected topological chains

Decades of research have revealed a deep understanding of topological quantum matter with protected edge modes. We report that even richer physics emerges when tuning between two topological phases of matter whose respective edge modes are incompatible. The frustration at the edge leads to novel boundary physics, such as symmetry-breaking phases with exotic non-Landau transitions -- even when the edge is zero-dimensional. As a minimal case study we consider spin chains with $\mathbb{Z}_3 \times \mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetry, exhibiting two nontrivial symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. At the bulk 1+1D critical transition between these SPT phases, we find two stable 0+1D boundary phases, each spontaneously breaking one of the $\mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetries. Furthermore, we find that a single boundary parameter tunes a non-Landau boundary critical transition between these two phases. This constitutes a 0+1D version of an exotic phenomenon driven by charged vortex condensation known as deconfined quantum criticality. This work highlights the rich unexplored physics of criticality between nontrivial topological phases and provides insights into the burgeoning field of gapless topological phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Universal Josephson diode effect

We propose a universal mechanism for the Josephson diode effect in short Josephson junctions. The proposed mechanism is due to finite Cooper pair momentum and is a manifestation of simultaneous breaking of inversion and time-reversal symmetries. The diode efficiency is up to 40%, which corresponds to an asymmetry between the critical currents in opposite directions $I_{c+}/I_{c-} \approx$ 230%. We show that this arises from both the Doppler shift of the Andreev bound state energies and the phase-independent asymmetric current from the continuum. Finally, we propose a simple scheme for achieving finite-momentum pairing, which does not rely on spin-orbit coupling and thus greatly expands existing platforms for the observation of supercurrent diode effects.

cond-mat.supr-con↗