arXiv subjects

Zeno Bacciconi

Publications and source records attributed to Zeno Bacciconi.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Pulling strings in real time: flux tube dynamics in (2+1)-d $\mathbb{Z}_2$-Higgs Gauge Theories

Understanding real-time flux-tube dynamics in more than one spatial dimension is key to unlocking the non-perturbative physics of confinement, and is now actively pursued by quantum computing and simulation experiments. However, describing such dynamics has proven to be extremely challenging with both experiments and state-of-the-art numerical simulations limited to small volumes and short timescales. Here we investigate flux tube statics and real-time evolution in a genuine two-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Higgs gauge theory at system sizes and timescales order of magnitude beyond present experiments and numerics. The key enabling element is the recently introduced Clifford-augmented matrix product states (CAMPS) framework, which we demonstrate to parametrically reduce the entanglement that must be represented in the matrix product state; both in the pure-gauge limit and in the presence of dynamical matter. We benchmark this capability through stringent tests of effective string theory, including universal spectral features and flux tube roughening properties in presence of matter. We then introduce a string-pull protocol that selectively excites transverse modes and reconstructs their finite-size spectrum in real time. In the rough regime, the response is collective, and our simulations show that this is also well captured by universal effective string theory predictions. Strong confinement instead produces long-lived, lattice-locked local dynamics persisting to times $tJ \gtrsim 100$. These results provide ab initio evidence that effective string theory captures nonequilibrium string dynamics and reveal a hitherto unexplored long-lived prethermal regime of strongly confined flux tubes, providing a novel angle on how confinement dictates dynamics in more than one spatial dimension.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Electrostatics-induced breakdown of the integer quantum Hall effect in cavity QED

We address the prevailing theoretical explanation of the recently observed breakdown of the integer quantum Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron gas embedded in a metallic split-ring resonator. Within the same single-particle description of quantized Hall conductance, we compare previously proposed vacuum-induced transport modifications against an alternative mechanism that explains this breakdown in terms of non-chiral edge channels arising solely from electrostatic boundary effects. This direct comparison shows that for experimentally relevant parameters, the electrostatic contribution exceeds that of any vacuum-induced conductance modifications by many orders of magnitude and yields characteristic transport signatures and energy scales that align well with experimental observations. This finding sheds new light on this puzzling phenomenon, supporting an electrostatic rather than a vacuum-related interpretation that can be directly tested in experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Chiral Graviton Modes in Non-Abelian lattice Fractional Quantum Hall states

Synthetic quantum matter provides a highly tunable route to fractional quantum Hall physics beyond the constraints of conventional electronic materials. However, previous theoretical studies have mostly focused on their ground state properties. It remains unclear to what extent such platforms could reveal key excitation properties of fractional quantum Hall states. Here, we study charge-neutral collective excitations in a non-abelian lattice fractional quantum Hall state realized in the bosonic Harper-Hofstadter model at unity filling factior, realizing a Moore-Read ground state. Combining full exact diagonalization, band-projected exact diagonalization, and matrix-product-state simulations, we demonstrate the existence of a long-lived chiral graviton mode, probed by chiral 3-body correlators, for the first time on lattice non-Abelian states. The graviton signal is topological sector-independent and could be observed via geometric quenches in small open droplets directly relevant to current cold-atom experiments, while other neutral modes, such as the magnetoroton and neutral fermion, are less resolved at presently achievable volumes.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2026

Chiral Graviton Modes in Fermionic Fractional Chern Insulators

Chiral graviton modes are hallmark collective excitations of Fractional Quantum Hall (FQH) liquids. However, their existence on the lattice, where continuum symmetries that protect them from decay are lost, is still an open and urgent question, especially considering the recent advances in the realization of Fractional Chern Insulators (FCI) in transition metal dichalcogenides and rhombohedral pentalayer graphene. Here we present a comprehensive theoretical and numerical study of graviton-modes in fermionic FCI, and thoroughly demonstrate their existence. We first derive a lattice stress tensor operator in the context of the fermionic Harper-Hofstadter(HH) model which captures the graviton in the flat band limit. Importantly, we discover that such lattice stress-tensor operators are deeply connected to lattice quadrupolar density correlators, readily generalizable to generic Chern bands. We then explicitly show the adiabatic connection between FQH and FCI chiral graviton modes by interpolating from a low flux HH model to a Checkerboard lattice model that hosts a topological flat band. In particular, using state-of-the-art matrix product state and exact diagonalization simulations, we provide strong evidence that chiral graviton modes are long-lived excitations in FCIs despite the lack of continuous symmetries and the scattering with a two-magnetoroton continuum. By means of a careful finite-size analysis, we show that the lattice generates a finite but small intrinsic decay rate for the graviton mode. We discuss the relevance of our results for the exploration of graviton modes in FCI phases realized in solid state settings, as well as cold atom experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Dissipation and non-thermal states in cryogenic cavities

We study the properties of photons in a cryogenic cavity, made by cryo-cooled mirrors surrounded by a room temperature environment. We model such a system as a multimode cavity coupled to two thermal reservoirs at different temperatures. Using a Lindblad master equation approach, we derive the photon distribution and the statistical properties of the cavity modes, finding an overall non-thermal state described by a mode-dependent effective temperature. We also calculate the dissipation rates arising from the interaction of the cavity field with the external environment and the mirrors, relating such rates to measurable macroscopic quantities. These results provide a simple theory to calculate the dissipative properties and the effective temperature of a cavity coupled to different thermal reservoirs, offering potential pathways for engineering dissipations and photon statistics in cavity settings.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Chiral Gravitons on the Lattice

Chiral graviton modes are elusive excitations arising from the hidden quantum geometry of fractional quantum Hall states. It remains unclear, however, whether this picture extends to lattice models, where continuum translations are broken and additional quasiparticle decay channels arise. We present a framework in which we explicitly derive a field theory incorporating lattice chiral graviton operators within the paradigmatic bosonic Harper-Hofstadter model. Extensive numerical evidence suggests that chiral graviton modes persist away from the continuum, and are well captured by the proposed lattice operators. We identify geometric quenches as a viable experimental probe, paving the way for the exploration of chiral gravitons in near-term quantum simulation experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Local vs non-local dynamics in cavity-coupled Rydberg atom arrays

Locality is a transversal principle that governs quantum dynamics of many-body systems. However, for cavity embedded systems, such fundamental notion is hindered by the presence of non-local cavity modes, leaving space for new possible dynamical behaviors. Here, we investigate the real-time dynamics of low-energy excitations in one dimensional Rydberg atom arrays coupled to a global cavity mode. We derive an effective description in terms of a Tavis-Cummings-Ising model, whose phase diagram features ordered and disordered phases. The non-local nature of the cavity mode drastically affects the emergent meson and string dynamics. Mesons hybridize coherently with the cavity photons, leading to composite meson-polaritons excitations. Strings, differently from local interacting theories, acquire a finite kinetic energy thanks to non-local cavity-mediated interactions between the underlying domain-walls. We then conclude by presenting a new concrete experimental blueprint for a cavity QED Rydberg atom array simulator where the physics outlined in this work can be realized.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Theory of fractional quantum Hall liquids coupled to quantum light and emergent graviton-polaritons

Recent breakthrough experiments have demonstrated how it is now possible to explore the dynamics of quantum Hall states interacting with quantum electromagnetic cavity fields. While the impact of strongly coupled non-local cavity modes on integer quantum Hall physics has been recently addressed, its effects on fractional quantum Hall (FQH) liquids -- and, more generally, fractionalized states of matter -- remain largely unexplored. In this work, we develop a theoretical framework for the understanding of FQH states coupled to quantum light. In particular, combining analytical arguments with tensor network simulations, we study the dynamics of a $ν=1/3$ Laughlin state in a single-mode cavity with finite electric field gradients. We find that the topological signatures of the FQH state remain robust against the non-local cavity vacuum fluctuations, as indicated by the endurance of the quantized Hall resistivity. The entanglement spectra, however, carry direct fingerprints of light-matter entanglement and topology, revealing peculiar polaritonic replicas of the $U(1)$ counting. As a further response to cavity fluctuations, we also find a squeezed FQH geometry, encoded in long-wavelength correlations. By exploring the low-energy excited spectrum inside the FQH phase, we identify a new neutral quasiparticle, the graviton-polariton, arising from the hybridization between quadrupolar FQH collective excitations (known as gravitons) and light. Pushing the light-matter interaction to ultra-strong coupling regimes we find other two important effects, a cavity vacuum-induced Stark shift for charged quasi-particles and a potential instability towards a density modulated stripe phase, competing against the phase separation driven by the Stark shift. Finally, we discuss the experimental implications of our findings and possible extension of our results to more complex scenarios.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Topological protection of Majorana polaritons in a cavity

Cavity embedding is an emerging paradigm for the control of quantum matter, offering avenues to manipulate electronic states and potentially drive topological phase transitions. In this work, we address the stability of a one-dimensional topological superconducting phase to the vacuum quantum fluctuations brought by a global cavity mode. By employing a quasi-adiabatic analytical approach completed by density matrix renormalization group calculations, we show that the Majorana end modes evolve into composite polaritonic modes while maintaining the topological order intact and robust to disorder. These Majorana polaritons keep their non-abelian exchange properties and protect a twofold exponentially degenerate ground state for an open chain.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

First-order photon condensation in magnetic cavities: A two-leg ladder model

We consider a model of free fermions in a ladder geometry coupled to a nonuniform cavity mode via Peierls substitution. Since the cavity mode generates a magnetic field, no-go theorems on spontaneous photon condensation do not apply, and we indeed observe a phase transition to a photon condensed phase characterized by finite circulating currents, alternatively referred to as the equilibrium superradiant phase. We consider both square and triangular ladder geometries, and characterize the transition by studying the energy structure of the system, light-matter entanglement, the properties of the photon mode, and chiral currents. The transition is of first order and corresponds to a sudden change in the fermionic band structure as well as the number of its Fermi points. Thanks to the quasi-one dimensional geometry we scrutinize the accuracy of (mean field) cavity-matter decoupling against large scale density-matrix renormalization group simulations. We find that light-matter entanglement is essential for capturing corrections to matter properties at finite sizes and for the description of the correct photon state. The latter remains Gaussian in the the thermodynamic limit both in the normal and photon condensed phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Fractional Quantum Hall edge dynamics from a Quantum Optics perspective

The goal of this master thesis is to give a different perspective on the problem of quasi-particle tunneling in Fractional Quantum Hall liquids by using a typical Quantum Optics tool such as the Truncated Wigner Approximation. Our novel approach provides a mapping of the quasi-particle tunneling problem into a stochastic classical field problem. This offers an intuitive physical picture which allows us to recover non-trivial features of FQH physics and predict novel phenomena.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗