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Yunlong Zang

Publications and source records attributed to Yunlong Zang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

From Topological Order to Mixed-State Phases: A Ground-State Probe of Fractionalized Excitations

How do we detect topological phases from a single ground state? Entanglement entropy and spectrum have long been the standard tools -- but the reduced density matrix (RDM) itself contains far more information. We show that the RDM of a 2D topologically ordered system, expressed at the entanglement cut, realizes a 1D mixed-state phase. For the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ toric code phase, it is a 1D $\mathbb{Z}_2$ strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SW-SSB) phase, where deconfinement of anyons manifests as the short-range correlation of both $\mathbb{Z}_2$ charge and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ domain-wall in the RDM. The bulk $e$-$m$ duality translates into a Kramers--Wannier self-duality of the SW-SSB phase. Extending the framework to gapped $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquids, the global spin-rotation symmetry manifests as an additional weak symmetry for the 1D RDM. Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ spinons result in a cusp on the disorder parameter of spin-rotation at $\theta=\pi$, providing a direct, ground-state signature of symmetry fractionalization. We verify this prediction analytically using the matrix product density operator formalism and numerically for the kagome-lattice resonating valence bond state. The proposed observable requires only a single ground-state wavefunction, making it amenable to quantum simulation platforms.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2026

Entanglement Measure Response to Modular Flow and Chiral Topological Phases

Recent years have witnessed significant progress in the entanglement-based characterization of quantum phases of matter. The primary objects of interest are the reduced density matrix and its associated entanglement Hamiltonian. As intrinsic properties of a quantum state, these quantities theoretically determine all experimentally accessible local observables. In this work, we investigate the response of two entanglement measures to the real-time dynamics driven by the entanglement Hamiltonian--a process known as modular flow. We demonstrate that our results can be unified into a single generating function, $\langle\rho_{AB}^\alpha \mathrm{e}^{\lambda {Q}_{AB}}\mathrm{e}^{\mu{Q}_{BC}}\rho_{BC}^\beta\rangle$. This function is of independent interest as it represents a generalization of the recently proposed R\'enyi modular commutator. In appropriate limits, this function yields the response of R\'enyi entropy and its charged version, which we find to be uniquely determined by chiral topological invariants, specifically the chiral central charge and the Hall conductance. Our analytical findings are validated through two independent approaches: (i) free fermion systems using the real-space Chern number formula, and (ii) an effective field theory treatment that regularizes the entanglement cut via chiral conformal field theory. Both methods yield consistent results.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2025

Diagnosing 2D symmetry protected topological states via mixed state anomaly

Symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases are short-range entangled quantum states characterized by anomalous edge behavior, a manifestation of the bulk-boundary correspondence for topological phases. Moreover, the Li-Haldane conjecture posits that the entanglement spectrum exhibits the same anomaly as the physical edge spectrum, thereby serving as an entanglement-based fingerprint for identifying topological phases. In this work, we extend the entanglement-based diagnostic tools by demonstrating that the edge anomaly is manifested not only in the entanglement spectrum but also in the reduced density matrix itself, a phenomenon we refer to as the mixed state anomaly. Focusing on the two-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ SPT phase, we show that this anomaly is subtly encoded in symmetry-twisted mixed states, leading to a topological contribution to the disorder parameter beyond the area law, as well as a spontaneous-symmetry-breaking type long-range order when time reversal symmetry is present.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2024

Detecting Quantum Anomalies in Open Systems

Symmetries and quantum anomalies serve as powerful tools for constraining complicated quantum many-body systems, offering valuable insights into low-energy characteristics based on their ultraviolet structure. Nevertheless, their applicability has traditionally been confined to closed quantum systems, rendering them largely unexplored for open quantum systems described by density matrices. In this work, we introduce a novel and experimentally feasible approach to detect quantum anomalies in open systems. Specifically, we claim that, when coupled with an external environment, the mixed 't Hooft anomaly between spin rotation symmetry and lattice translation symmetry gives distinctive characteristics for half-integer and integer spin chains in measurements of $\exp(\rm{i}θS^z_{\rm tot})$ as a function of $θ$. Notably, the half-integer spin chain manifests a topological phenomenon akin to the ``level crossing" observed in closed systems. To substantiate our assertion, we develop a lattice-level spacetime rotation to analyze the aforementioned measurements. Based on the matrix product density operator and transfer matrix formalism, we analytically establish and numerically demonstrate the unavoidable singular behavior of $\exp(\rm{i}θS^z_{\rm tot})$ for half-integer spin chains. Conceptually, our work demonstrates a way to discuss notions like ``spectral flow'' and ``flux threading'' in open systems not necessarily with a Hamiltonian.

cond-mat.str-el↗