arXiv subjects

W. Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to W. Zhu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Symmetry-breaking line defects embedded to a 3D $O(N)$ critical bulk

While spontaneous breaking of a discrete symmetry in one-dimensional classical systems with short-range interactions is absent, it is expected that a line defect embedded in a bulk criticality exhibits a stable discrete symmetry spontaneous breaking. Here, we investigate the behavior of a pinning-field line defect immersed in a 3D bulk that remains tuned to the $O(N)$ Wilson-Fisher critical point. Employing the fuzzy sphere technique, we provide convincing evidence of the existence of stable defect conformal fixed points, and we demonstrate their renormalization group stability by showing no relevant operator and less effective degrees of freedom than that at bulk fixed point via $g$-function. Moreover, we investigate the defect domain wall operator for various $N$, and we identify that it becomes irrelevance for $N\gtrsim 3$ but it is relevant for $N<3$.These evidence indicate that a one-dimensional defect coupled to a critical bulk cannot support a stable symmetry spontaneously broken defect fixed point due to domain wall proliferation for $N<3$ Wilson-Fisher universality, while in the case of $N \gtrsim 3$ a symmetry broken defect is possible.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Galactic Centre Pulsars with the SKAO

The detection of a pulsar closely orbiting our Galaxy's supermassive black hole - Sagittarius~A* - is one of the ultimate prizes in pulsar astrophysics. The relativistic effects expected in such a system could far exceed those currently observable in compact binaries such as double neutron stars and pulsar white dwarfs. In addition, pulsars offer the opportunity to study the magneto-ionic properties of Earth's nearest galactic nucleus in unprecedented detail. For these reasons, and more, a multitude of pulsar searches of the Galactic Centre have been undertaken, with the outcome of just seven pulsar detections within a projected distance of 100\,pc from Sagittarius~A*. It is currently understood that a larger underlying population likely exists, but it is not until observations with the SKA have started that this population can be revealed. In this chapter, we look at important updates since the publication of the last SKAO science book and offer a focused view of observing strategies and likely outcomes with the updated SKAO design.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

A Fuzzy Sphere Journey in Critical Phenomena

This review discusses the recently proposed fuzzy sphere regularization for studying $2+1$D critical phenomena, particularly three-dimensional (3D) conformal field theory (CFT). The fuzzy sphere scheme not only offers remarkable efficiency in extracting extensive CFT data at low computational cost but also reveals unexpected connections among 3D CFT (critical phenomena), noncommutative geometry, and the quantum Hall effect. We introduce the fundamental ideas of fuzzy sphere regularization, emphasizing its role in demonstrating the state-operator correspondence of 3D CFTs on the $S^2 \times \mathbb{R}$ geometry. Additionally, we review key developments in this approach across various directions and outline potential future applications.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2026

Emergent superconductivity at 16.3 K in an altermagnetic candidate Na$_{2-x}$V$_2$Se$_2$O with broken inversion symmetry

Altermagnets (AMs), characterized by zero net magnetization and momentum-dependent spin splitting, are anticipated to hold significant potential for generating multiple exotic and uncommon superconducting states. However, superconductivity has not yet been realized in AMs to date. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) V$_2$Ch$_2$O (Ch = Se, Te) monolayers, as well as AV$_2$Ch$_2$O (A = K, Rb, Cs) crystals containing [V$_2$Ch$_2$O]$^{\delta -}$ building layers, have been predicted and/or demonstrated to be promising altermagnetic materials. Our preliminary attempts to explore superconductivity in these materials by applying pressure or chemical doping were unsuccessful. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity at a relatively high transition temperature of ~ 16.3 K in a newly synthesized layered compound, Na$_{2-x}$V$_2$Se$_2$O, a variant of AV$_2$Ch$_2$O. In this structure, the [V$_2$Ch$_2$O]$^{\delta -}$ layers are interspersed with double layers of Na$^+$ instead of a single layer of A$^+$, with sodium sites being only half-filled. This new family of layered vanadium oxychalcogenides, lacking inversion symmetry, represents an intriguing platform for exploring altermagnetic superconductors, and holds the potential to reveal novel phenomena, such as topological states, van Hove singularities, and finite-momentum superconductivity. Furthermore, this material acts as a "bridge" between the cuprate/nickelate and iron-pnictide high temperature superconductors, providing new hope and opportunity to expand the category of layered superconductors with higher critical temperatures (T$_c$) and enhancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in these systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Rhombohedral Multilayer Graphene/hBN Moir\'e Superlattices

The recent discovery of robust quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect in rhombohedral multilayer graphene (RMG) aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has established a highly versatile platform for correlated topological matter. This review synthesizes the experimental and theoretical progress in understanding these interaction-driven topological phases. Experimentally, the landscape has rapidly expanded from initial Chern insulators in trilayer systems to fully quantized QAH states in thicker systems. Theoretically, it is believed that moir\'e potential and electron-electron interaction cooperate and produce the QAH effect in such systems. Theoretical calculations also bring interesting questions, such as the formation of an interaction-driven topological phase known as an anomalous Hall crystal (AHC). This review comprehensively covers the experimental hallmarks, the theoretical frameworks, including continuum models and many-body approaches, and the ensuing physical picture that reconciles the roles of interactions, displacement fields, and the moir\'e potentials. We conclude by outlining outstanding open questions and future directions, positioning RMG/hBN systems at the forefront of topological quantum matter.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Emergence of 3D Superconformal Ising Criticality on the Fuzzy Sphere

Supersymmetric conformal field theories (SCFTs) form a unique subset of quantum field theories which provide powerful insights into strongly coupled critical phenomena. Here, we present a microscopic and non-perturbative realization of the three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ superconformal Ising critical point, based on a Yukawa-type coupling between a 3D Ising CFT and a gauged Majorana fermion. Using the recently developed fuzzy sphere regularization, we directly extract the scaling dimensions of low-lying operators via the state-operator correspondence. At the critical point, we demonstrate conformal multiplet structure together with the hallmark of emergent spacetime supersymmetry through characteristic relations between fermionic and bosonic operators. Moreover, by tuning the Yukawa coupling, we explicitly track the evolution of operator spectra from the decoupled Ising-Majorana fixed point to the interacting superconformal fixed point, revealing renormalization-group flow at the operator level. Our results establish a controlled, non-perturbative microscopic route to 3D SCFTs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Galactic Centre Pulsars with the SKAO

The detection of a pulsar closely orbiting our Galaxy's supermassive black hole - Sagittarius A* - is one of the ultimate prizes in pulsar astrophysics. The relativistic effects expected in such a system could far exceed those currently observable in compact binaries such as double neutron stars and pulsar white dwarfs. In addition, pulsars offer the opportunity to study the magneto-ionic properties of Earth's nearest galactic nucleus in unprecedented detail. For these reasons, and more, a multitude of pulsar searches of the Galactic Centre have been undertaken, with the outcome of just seven pulsar detections within a projected distance of 100 pc from Sagittarius A*. It is currently understood that a larger underlying population likely exists, but it is not until observations with the SKA have started that this population can be revealed. In this paper, we look at important updates since the publication of the last SKAO science book and offer a focused view of observing strategies and likely outcomes with the updated SKAO design.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Boundary Criticality of Complex Conformal Field Theory: A Case Study in the Non-Hermitian 5-State Potts Model

Conformal fields with boundaries give rise to rich critical phenomena that can reveal information about the underlying conformality. While most existing studies focus on Hermitian systems, here we explore boundary critical phenomena in a non-Hermitian quantum 5-state Potts model which exhibits complex conformality in the bulk. We identify free, fixed and mixed conformal boundary conditions and observe the conformal tower structure of energy spectra, supporting the emergence of conformal boundary criticality. We also studied the duality relation between different conformal boundary conditions under the Kramers-Wannier transformation. These findings should facilitate a comprehensive understanding for complex CFTs and stimulate further exploration on the boundary critical phenomena within non-Hermitian strongly-correlated systems.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Holographic Multi-User Multi-Stream Beamforming Maintaining Rate-Fairness

We present the first investigation into the transmission of multi-stream information from a base station equipped with reconfigurable holographic surfaces (RHS) to multiple users with the aid of multi-antenna arrays. Building upon this, we propose the joint design of RHS and baseband beamformers that enables multi-stream delivery at fair rates across all users. Specifically, we first introduce a max-min rate optimization approach, which aims for maximizing the minimum rate for all users through iterative solutions of quadratic problems. To reduce complexity, we then propose a surrogate-based optimization approach that offers a low-complexity design alternative relying on closed-form updates. Our simulations show that the surrogate-based approach achieves nearly the same minimum rate as max-min optimization, while delivering sum-rates comparable to those of sum-rate maximization, overcoming the rate-fairness deficiency typical of the latter.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

A New Class of Analog Precoding for Multi-Antenna Multi-User Communications over High-Frequency Bands

A network relying on a large antenna-array-aided base station is designed for delivering multiple information streams to multi-antenna users over high-frequency bands such as the millimeter-wave and sub-Terahertz bands. The state-of-the-art analog precoder (AP) dissipates excessive circuit power due to its reliance on a large number of phase shifters. To mitigate the power consumption, we propose a novel AP relying on a controlled number of phase shifters. Within this new AP framework, we design a hybrid precoder (HP) for maximizing the users' minimum throughput, which poses a computationally challenging problem of large-scale, nonsmooth mixed discrete-continuous log-determinant optimization. To tackle this challenge, we develop an algorithm which iterates through solving convex problems to generate a sequence of HPs that converges to the max-min solution. We also introduce a new framework of smooth optimization termed soft max-min throughput optimization. Additionally, we develop another algorithm, which iterates by evaluating closed-form expressions to generate a sequence of HPs that converges to the soft max-min solution. Simulation results reveal that the HP soft max-min solution approaches the Pareto-optimal solution constructed for simultaneously optimizing both the minimum throughput and sum-throughput. Explicitly, it achieves a minimum throughput similar to directly maximizing the users' minimum throughput and it also attains a sum-throughput similar to directly maximizing the sum-throughput.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Conformal Operator Flows of the Deconfined Quantum Criticality from $\mathrm{SO}(5)$ to $\mathrm{O}(4)$

The deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP), which separates two distinct symmetry-broken phases, was conjectured to be an example of (2+1)D criticality beyond the standard Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm. However, this hypothesis has been met with challenges and remains elusive. Here, we perform a systematic study of a microscopic model realizing the DQCP with a global symmetry tunable from $\mathrm{SO}(5)$ to $\mathrm{O}(4)$. Through the lens of fuzzy sphere regularization, we uncover the key information on the renormalization group flow of conformal operators. We reveal O(4) primaries decomposed from original SO(5) primaries by tracing conformal operator content and identifying the ``avoided level crossing'' in the operator flows. In particular, we find that the existence of a scalar operator, in support of the nature of pseudo-criticality, remains relevant, persisting from $\mathrm{SO}(5)$ to $\mathrm{O}(4)$ DQCP. This work not only uncovers the nature of O(4) DQCP but also demonstrates that the fuzzy sphere scheme offers a unique perspective on the renormalization group flow of operators in the study of critical phenomena.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Microscopic study of 3D Potts phase transition via Fuzzy Sphere Regularization

The Potts model describes interacting spins with $Q$ different components, which is a direct generalization of the Ising model ($Q=2$). Compared to the existing exact solutions in 2D, the phase transitions and critical phenomena in the 3D Potts model have been less explored. Here, we systematically investigate a quantum $(2+1)$-D Potts model with $Q=3$ using a fuzzy sphere regularization scheme. We first construct a microscopic model capable of achieving a magnetic phase transition that separates a spin $S_3$ permutationally symmetric paramagnet and a spontaneous symmetry-breaking ferromagnet. Importantly, the energy spectrum at the phase transition point exhibits an approximately conformal symmetry, implying that an underlying conformal field theory may govern this transition. Moreover, when tuning along the phase transition line in the mapped phase diagram, we find that the dimension of the subleading $S_3$ singlet operator flows and drifts around the critical value $\sim 3$, which is believed to be crucial for understanding this phase transition, although determining its precise value remains challenging due to the limitations of our finite-size calculations. These findings suggest a discontinuous transition in the 3D 3-state Potts model, characterized by pseudo-critical behavior, which we argue results from a nearby multicritical or complex fixed point.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Helicity controlled spin Hall angle in the 2D Rashba altermagnets

We investigate the efficiency of charge-to-spin conversion in two-dimensional Rashba altermagnets, a class of materials that merge characteristics of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Utilizing quantum linear response theory, we quantify the longitudinal and spin Hall conductivities in this system and demonstrate that a substantial enhancement of the spin Hall angle is achieved below the band crossing point through the dual effects of relativistic spin-orbit interaction and nonrelativistic altermagnetic exchange interaction. Additionally, we find that skew scattering and topology-related intrinsic mechanisms are almost negligible in this system, which contrasts with conventional ferromagnetic Rashba systems. Our findings not only advance the understanding of spin dynamics in Rashba altermagnets but also pave the way for novel strategies in manipulating charge-to-spin conversion via the sophisticated control of noncollinear in-plane and collinear out-of-plane spin textures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Solving Conformal Defects in 3D Conformal Field Theory using Fuzzy Sphere Regularization

Defects in conformal field theory (CFT) are of significant theoretical and experimental importance. The presence of defects theoretically enriches the structure of the CFT, but at the same time, it makes it more challenging to study, especially in dimensions higher than two. Here, we demonstrate that the recently-developed theoretical scheme, \textit{fuzzy (non-commutative) sphere regularization}, provides a powerful lens through which one can dissect the defect of 3D CFTs in a transparent way. As a notable example, we study the magnetic line defect of 3D Ising CFT and clearly demonstrate that it flows to a conformal defect fixed point. We have identified 6 low-lying defect primary operators, including the displacement operator, and accurately extract their scaling dimensions through the state-operator correspondence. Moreover, we also compute one-point bulk correlators and two-point bulk-defect correlators, which show great agreement with predictions of defect conformal symmetry, and from which we extract various bulk-defect operator product expansion coefficients. Our work demonstrates that the fuzzy sphere offers a powerful tool for exploring the rich physics in 3D defect CFTs.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Dynamic Viscosity of the ABC-stacked Multilayer Graphene in the Collisionless Regime

We explore the dynamic shear viscosity of the undoped ABC-stacked multilayer graphene based on the chiral-$N$ effective Hamiltonian, where the chirality $N$ is equivalent to the layer number. We investigate the dependence of the dynamic shear viscosity on the frequency in the collisionless regime and calculate Coulomb interaction corrections by three leading order Feynman diagrams: self-energy diagram, vertex diagram, and honey diagram. We propose that the dynamic shear viscosity is generated by the relaxation of momentum flux polarization through electron-hole excitations, and that the interaction can amplify this effect. Furthermore, our research indicates that the dynamic shear viscosity exhibits a robust linear positive dependence on $N$. This finding suggests that by making modifications to the number of layers in graphene, it is possible to finely tune the electron viscous effects.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Chiral Spin Liquid on a Shastry-Sutherland Heisenberg Antiferromagnet

We demonstrate the existence of a topological chiral spin liquid in the frustrated Shastry-Sutherland Heisenberg model with an additional spin chirality interaction, using numerically unbiased exact diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group methods. We establish a quantum phase diagram where conventional phases, including dimer singlet, plaquette singlet, N{\' e}el and collinear phase, can be clearly identified by suitable local order parameters. Among them a $SU(2)_1$ chiral spin liquid emerges in the highly frustrated region, which is unambiguously identified by two topologically degenerate ground states, modular matrix, and characteristic level counting in entanglement spectrum, featuring the same topological order of $ν=1/2$ bosonic Laughlin state. The phase boundaries among the different orders are determined by the energy level crossing analysis and wave function fidelity susceptibility.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Reclaiming the Lost Conformality in a non-Hermitian Quantum 5-state Potts Model

Conformal symmetry, emerging at critical points, can be lost when renormalization group fixed points collide. Recently, it was proposed that after collisions, real fixed points transition into the complex plane, becoming complex fixed points described by complex conformal field theories (CFTs). Although this idea is compelling, directly demonstrating such complex conformal fixed points in microscopic models remains highly demanding. Furthermore, these concrete models are instrumental in unraveling the mysteries of complex CFTs and illuminating a variety of intriguing physical problems, including weakly first-order transitions in statistical mechanics and the conformal window of gauge theories. In this work, we have successfully addressed this complex challenge for the (1+1)-dimensional quantum $5$-state Potts model, whose phase transition has long been known to be weakly first-order. By adding an additional non-Hermitian interaction, we successfully identify two conjugate critical points located in the complex parameter space, where the lost conformality is restored in a complex manner. Specifically, we unambiguously demonstrate the radial quantization of the complex CFTs and compute the operator spectrum, as well as new operator product expansion coefficients that were previously unknown.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2024

Emergent Superconductivity and Competing Charge Orders in Hole-Doped Square-Lattice $t$-$J$ Model

The square-lattice Hubbard and closely related $t$-$J$ models are considered as basic paradigms for understanding strong correlation effects and unconventional superconductivity (SC). Recent large-scale density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations on the extended $t$-$J$ model have identified $d$-wave SC on the electron-doped side (with the next-nearest-neighbor hopping $t_2>0$) but a dominant charge density wave (CDW) order on the hole-doped side ($t_2<0$), which is inconsistent with the SC of hole-doped cuprate compounds. We re-examine the ground-state phase diagram of the extended $t$-$J$ model by employing the state-of-the-art DMRG calculations with much enhanced bond dimensions, allowing more accurate determination of the ground state. On 6-leg cylinders, while different CDW phases are identified on the hole-doped side for the doping range $δ= 1/16-1/8$, a SC phase emerges at a lower doping regime, with algebraically decaying pairing correlations and $d$-wave symmetry. On the wider 8-leg systems, the $d$-wave SC also emerges on the hole-doped side at the optimal $1/8$ doping, demonstrating the winning of SC over CDW by increasing the system width. Our results not only suggest a new path to SC in general $t$-$J$ models through weakening the competing charge orders, but also provide a unified understanding on the SC of both hole- and electron-doped cuprate superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗