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Z. Song

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Song.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2024

Magnetic Bloch oscillations in a non-Hermitian quantum Ising chain

We investigate the impacts of an imaginary transverse field on the dynamics of magnetic domain walls in a quantum Ising chain. We show that an imaginary field plays a similar role as a real transverse field in forming a low-lying Wannier-Stark ladder. However, analytical and numerical calculations of the time evolutions in both systems show that the corresponding Bloch oscillations exhibit totally different patterns for the same initial states. These findings reveal the nontrivial effect of non-Hermiticity on quantum spin dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2024

Berry curvature inside parity-time-symmetry protected exceptional surface

A three-dimensional non-Hermitian Hamiltonian with parity-time symmetry can exhibit a closed exceptional surface (EP surface) in momentum space, which is a non-Hermitian deformation of the degeneracy line (DL). Since the degeneracy line lacks an internal space, the distributions of Berry curvature inside the EP surface becomes particularly intriguing. This paper studies the distributions taking a torus-like EP surface as an example. In a meridian cross-section, the Berry connection exhibits a vortex-like field with only angular components, while the Berry curvature is perpendicular to this cross-section; in a equatorial cross-section, the Berry curvature forms a closed curve surrounding the central genus. Both Berry connection and curvature converge along the coplanar axis and diverge at the surface. We find the Berry flux depends on the radius of the integration region and is not quantized inside the EP torus. Approaching the surface, the Berry flux tends to infinity and the dynamical phase oscillates violently. We point that the streamlines of Berry curvature can be used to estimate the zero or non-zero Berry flux. We generalize the above patterns to the case of EP surfaces with complex shapes, and present a proposal of realizing the EP surface in an electrical circuit. Our research outcomes enhance the comprehension of EP surfaces and the topological characteristics of non-Hermitian systems with parity-time (PT ) symmetry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2024

Topological charge pumping in dimerized Kitaev chains

We investigated the topological pumping charge of a dimerized Kitaev chain with spatially modulated chemical potential, which hosts nodal loops in parameter space and violates particle number conservation. In the simplest case, with alternatively assigned hopping and pairing terms, we show that the model can be mapped into the Rice-Mele model by a partial particle-hole transformation and subsequently supports topological charge pumping as a demonstration of the Chern number for the ground state. Beyond this special case, analytic analysis shows that the nodal loops are conic curves. Numerical simulation of a finite-size chain indicates that the pumping charge is zero for a quasiadiabatic loop within the nodal loop and is $\pm 1$ for a quasiadiabatic passage enclosing the nodal loop. Our findings unveil a hidden topology in a class of Kitaev chains.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Generalized phantom helix states in quantum spin graphs

In general, the summation of a set of sub-Hamiltonians cannot share a common eigenstate of each one, only if it is an unentangled product state, such as a phantom helix state in quantum spin system. Here we present a method, referred to as the building block method (BBM), for constructing possible spin-1/2 XXZ Heisenberg lattice systems possessing phantom helix states. We focus on two types of XXZ dimers as basic elements, with a non-Hermitian parity-time (PT ) field and Hermitian Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which share the same degenerate eigenstates. Based on these two building blocks, one can construct a variety of Heisenberg quantum spin systems, which support helix states with zero energy. The underlying mechanism is the existence of a set of degenerate eigenstates. Furthermore, we show that such systems act as quantum spin graphs since they obey the analogs of Kirchhoff's laws for sets of spin helix states when the non-Hermitian PT fields cancel each other out. In addition, the dynamic response of the helix states for three types of perturbations is also investigated analytically and numerically. Our findings provide a way to study quantum spin systems with irregular geometries beyond the Bethe ansatz approach.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Real-space decomposition of $p$-wave Kitaev chain

We propose an extended Bogoliubov transformation in real space for spinless fermions, based on which a class of Kitaev chains of length $2N$ with zero chemical potential can be mapped to two independent Kitaev chains of length $N$. It provides an alternative way to investigate a complicated system from the result of relatively simple systems. We demonstrate the implications of this decomposition by a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) Kitaev model, which supports rich quantum phases. The features of the system, including the groundstate topology and nonequilibrium dynamics, can be revealed directly from that of sub-Kitaev chains. Based on this connection, two types of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-pair order parameters are introduced to characterize the phase diagram, showing the ingredient of two different BCS pairing modes. Analytical analysis and numerical simulations show that the real-space decomposition for the ground state still holds true approximately in presence of finite chemical potential in the gapful regions.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Topological bulk and edge correlations of BCS condensate in a two-dimensional singlet-triplet spin pairing model

The condensate of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) pair in the ground state, which may contain information on both topology and spin pairing, promises the superconductivity of the system. In this paper, we study a singlet-triplet spin paring model on a square lattice and investigate the consequences of the competition of on-site and nearest neighbor pairing parameters. We show that the ground state of the system has the form of the condensate of the BCS pair, and the topological transition is associated with the nonanalytic behavior of the pairing order parameters. A real space correlation function on opposite spin direction is introduced to characterizing the topological phase of the many-body ground state. Numerical results demonstrate that this method works well in the presence of disordered perturbation, lattice defects, or irregular boundary conditions. The real space correlation function between two edges of the system is also discussed, which directly reflects the existence of topological edge modes in the many-body ground state.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Robust unidirectional phantom helix states in the XXZ Heisenberg model with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

The phantom helix states are a special set of degenerate eigenstates of the XXZ Heisenberg model, which lie in the energy levels around zero energy and are bidirectionally equal. In this work, we study the helix state in the XXZ Heisenberg model with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). We show exactly that only the helix states in one direction remain unchanged in the presence of resonant DMI. Based on the Holstein--Primakoff (HP) transformation, the quantum spin model is mapped to a boson model, which allows us to understand the underlying mechanism. Furthermore, it also indicates that such phantom states can be separated from the spectrum by the strong DMI to enhance the robustness of the states. We demonstrate the dynamic formation processes of unidirectional phantom helix states by numerical simulations. The results indicate that the DMI as expected acts as a filter with high efficiency.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Fixed lines in a non-Hermitian Kitaev chain with spatially balanced pairing processes

Exact solutions for non-Hermitian quantum many-body systems are rare but may provide valuable insights into the interplay between Hermitian and non-Hermitian components. We report our investigation of a non-Hermitian variant of a p-wave Kitaev chain by introducing staggered imbalanced pair creation and annihilation terms. We find that there exists a fixed line in the phase diagram, at which the ground state remains unchanged in the presence of non-Hermitian term under the periodic boundary condition for a finite system. This allows the constancy of the topological index in the process of varying the balance strength at arbitrary rate, exhibiting the robustness of the topology for non-Hermitian Kitaev chain under time-dependent perturbations. The underlying mechanism is investigated through the equivalent quantum spin system obtained by the Jordan-Wigner transformation for infinite chain. In addition, the exact solution shows that a resonant non-Hermitian impurity can induce a pair of zero modes in the corresponding Majorana lattice, which asymptotically approach the edge modes in the thermodynamic limit, manifesting the bulk-boundary correspondence. Numerical simulation is performed for the quench dynamics for the systems with slight deviation from the fixed line to show the stability region in time. This work reveals the interplay between the pair creation and annihilation pairing processes.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Polarity of the fermionic condensation in the $p$-wave Kitaev model on a square lattice

In a $p$-wave Kitaev model, the nearest neighbor pairing term results in the formation of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) pair in the ground state. In this work, we study the fermionic condensation of real-space pairs in a $p$-wave Kitaev model on a square lattice with a uniform phase gradient pairing term along both directions. The exact solution shows that the ground state can be expressed in a coherent-state-like form, indicating the condensation of a collective pairing mode, which is the superposition of different configurations of pairs in real space. The amplitudes of each configuration depend not only on the size but also on the orientation of the pair. We employ three quantities to characterize the ground state in the thermodynamic limit. (i) A BCS-pair order parameter is introduced to characterize the phase diagram, consisting of gapful and topological gapless phases. (ii) The particle-particle correlation length is obtained to reveal the polarity of the pair condensation. In addition, (iii) a pair-pair correlator is analytically derived to indicate the possessing of off-diagonal long-range order. Our work proposes an alternative method for understanding fermionic condensation.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Quantum scars in spin-1/2 isotropic Heisenberg clusters

We investigate the influence of the external fields on the statistics of energy levels and towers of eigenstates in spin-1/2 isotropic Heisenberg clusters, including chain, ladder, square and triangular lattices. In the presence of uniform field in one direction, the SU(2) symmetry of the system allows that almost whole spectrum consists of a large number of towers with identical level spacing. Exact diagonalization on finite clusters shows that random transverse fields in other two directions drive the level statistics from Poisson to Wigner-Dyson distributions with different values of mean level spacing ratio, indicating the transition from integrability to non-integrability. However, for the three types of clusters, it is found that the largest tower still hold approximately even the symmetry is broken, resulting to a quantum scar. Remarkably, the non-thermalized states cover the Greenberger-Horn-Zeilinger and W states, which maintain the feature of revival while a Neel state decays fast in the dynamic processes. In addition, some dynamic schemes for experimental detection are proposed. Our finding reveals the possibility of quantum information processing that is immune to the thermalization in finite size quantum spin clusters.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2023

Topological phase in Kitaev chain with spatially separated pairing processes

The dynamic balance between pair creation and annihilation processes takes a crucial role to the topological superconductivity in Kitaev model. Here we study the effect of spatial separation of creation and annihilation terms, i.e., sources and drains of pair are arranged alternatively. In this regard, a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian is naturally considered, which may possess complex energy branches. However, when the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer pair (BCS)-like pair excitation is only considered, the spectrum in such a subspace is fully real. In particular, the Zak phases extracted from the pair wave function are quantized and therefore able to characterize the different phases regardless of the breaking of time reversal symmetry. For open chain system, the corresponding Majorana lattice is investigated. We find that although there are complex modes, all the edge modes have zero energy and obey the bulk-boundary correspondence. This results in the Kramerlike degeneracy of both the real and complex levels as a signature of the topologically non-trivial phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2023

Superconducting state generated dynamically from distant pair source and drain

It has been well established that the origin of p-wave superconductivity is the balance between pair creation and annihilation, described by the spin-less fermionic Kitaev model. In this work, we study the dynamics of a composite system where the pair source and drain are spatially separated by a long distance. We show that this non-Hermitian system possesses a high-order exceptional point (EP) when only a source or drain is considered. The EP dynamics provide a clear picture: A pair source can fully fill the system with pairs, while a drain can completely empty the system. When the two coexist simultaneously, the dynamics depend on the distance and the relative phase between the pair creation and annihilation terms. Analytical analysis and numerical simulation results show that the superconducting state can be dynamically established at the resonant pair source and drain: from an initial empty state to a stationary state with the maximal pair order parameter. It provides an alternative way of understanding the mechanism of the nonequilibrium superconducting state.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2023

Antihelical Edge States in Two-dimensional Photonic Topological Metals

Topological edge states are the core of topological photonics. Here we introduce the antihelical edge states of time-reversal symmetric topological metals and propose a photonic realization in an anisotropic square lattice of coupled ring resonators, where the clockwise and counterclockwise modes play the role of pseudospins. The antihelical edge states robustly propagate across the corners toward the diagonal of the square lattice: The same (opposite) pseudospins copropagate in the same (opposite) direction on the parallel lattice boundaries; the different pseudospins separate and converge at the opposite corners. The antihelical edge states in the topological metallic phase alter to the helical edge states in the topological insulating phase under a metal-insulator phase transition. The antihelical edge states provide a unique manner of topologically-protected robust light transport applicable for topological purification. Our findings create new opportunities for topological photonics and metamaterials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2023

Dynamic generation of nonequilibrium superconducting states in Kitaev chain

Non-equilibrium state can exhibit the same macroscopic properties, such as conductivity or superconductivity, as a static state when they share the identical average of an observable over a period of time. We investigate the quench dynamics of a Kitaev chain by introducing two kinds of order parameters which relate to two channels of pairing, local pair in real space and BCS-like pair in momentum space. Based on exact solutions, we find that two order parameters are identical for the ground state, indicating the balance between two kinds of pairing channels, and can identify the quantum phase diagram. However, for a non-equilibrium state obtained by the time evolution from initially prepared vacuum state, the two are different but both can still clearly identify the phase diagram. In the topologically non-trivial region, the non-equilibrium states prefer the BCS-like pairing state. Our finding provides an alternative way to dynamically generate a superconducting state from a trivial empty state and sheds light on the mechanism of pairing.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2022

Off-diagonal long-range order in the ground state of the Kitaev chain

We study a one-dimensional Kitaev model with uniform phase gradient pairing term. We show that the gradient constant dramatically affects the phase diagram, which consists of topologically trivial and nontrivial phases, associated with Majorana edge modes. Based on the exact solution, a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS)-pair order parameter is introduced to characterize the phase diagram by its value and nonanalytic behavior at phase boundaries. We find that this order parameter obtains its maxima at the triple critical points, at which the pairing phase gradient suppresses the single-particle scattering process due to the coherent destructive interference. In particular, we show that the ground state at such a point possesses exact off-diagonal long-range order (ODLRO), in the thermodynamic limit. Our result provides an example of a gapless $p$-wave superconducting ground state possessing ODLRO.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2022

Exceptional spectrum and dynamic magnetization

A macroscopic effect can be induced by a local non-Hermitian term in a many-body system, when it manifests simultaneously level coalescence of a full real degeneracy spectrum, leading to exceptional spectrum. In this paper, we propose a family of systems that support such an intriguing property. It is generally consisted of two arbitrary identical Hermitian sub-lattices in association with unidirectional couplings between them. We show exactly that all single-particle eigenstates coalesce in pairs even only single unidirectional coupling appears. It means that all possible initial states obey the exceptional dynamics, resulting in some macroscopic phenomena, which never appears in a Hermitian system. As an application, we study the dynamic magnetization induced by complex fields in an itinerant electron system. It shows that an initial saturated ferromagnetic state at half-filling can be driven into its opposite state according to the dynamics of high-order exceptional point. Any Hermitian quench term cannot realize a steady opposite saturated ferromagnetic state. Numerical simulations for the dynamical processes of magnetization are performed for several representative situations, including lattice dimensions, global random and local impurity distributions. It shows that the dynamic magnetization processes exhibit universal behavior.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2022

Nonlocal pseudospin dynamics in a quantum Ising chain

The existence of topological zero modes in nontrivial phase of quantum Ising chain results in not only the Kramers-like degeneracy spectrum, but also dynamic response for non-Hermitian perturbation in the ordered phase (2021 Phys. Rev. Lett. 126 116401). In this work, we investigate the possible response of the degeneracy spectrum for Hermitian perturbations. We provide a single-particle description of the model in the ordered phase, associating with an internal degree of freedom characterized as a pseudospin. The effective magnetic field, arising from both local and nonlocal perturbations in terms of string operators, acts on the pseudospin. We show that the action of string operator can be realized via a quench under the local perturbations. As an application, any ground states and excited states for the Hamiltonian with perturbation can be selected to identify the quantum phase, by adding the other perturbations to trigger a quench and measuring the Loschmidt echo.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2022

Steady helix states in a resonant XXZ Heisenberg model with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

We systematically investigate possible helix states in XXZ Heisenberg model with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction. Exact solutions show that a set of precession helix states can be constructed by deliberate superposition of degenerate eigenstates of the Hamiltonian under the resonant condition. When a non-Hermitian balance boundary term is imposed as a quenching action, the quench dynamics shows that a steady helix state emerges from some easily prepared initial states, including saturate and maximally mixed ferromagnetic states, according to the analysis of perturbation method. The corresponding dynamics for near resonant cases is also investigated numerically, indicating the robustness of the scheme. Our findings highlight the cooperation of non-Hermiticity and the DM interaction in quantum spin system, suggesting a way for preparing steady helix state in non-Hermitian quantum spin system.

cond-mat.str-el↗