arXiv subjects

Zhen Bi

Publications and source records attributed to Zhen Bi.

90 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Deconfined Quantum Critical Point on the Triangular Lattice

We first propose a topological term that captures the "intertwinement" between the standard "$\sqrt{3} \times \sqrt{3}$" antiferromagnetic order (or the so-called 120$^\circ$ state) and the "$\sqrt{12}\times \sqrt{12}$" valence solid bond (VBS) order for spin-1/2 systems on a triangular lattice. Then using a controlled renormalization group calculation, we demonstrate that there exists an unfine-tuned direct continuous deconfined quantum critical point (dQCP) between the two ordered phases mentioned above. This dQCP is described by the $N_f = 4$ quantum electrodynamics (QED) with an emergent PSU(4)=SU(4)/$Z_4$ symmetry only at the critical point. The topological term aforementioned is also naturally derived from the $N_f = 4 $ QED. We also point out that physics around this dQCP is analogous to the boundary of a $3d$ bosonic symmetry protected topological state with on-site symmetries only.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Lieb-Schultz-Mattis Theorem and its generalizations from the Perspective of the Symmetry Protected Topological phase

We ask whether a local Hamiltonian with a featureless (fully gapped and nondegenerate) ground state could exist in certain quantum spin systems. We address this question by mapping the vicinity of certain quantum critical point (or gapless phase) of the $d-$dimensional spin system under study to the boundary of a $(d+1)-$dimensional bulk state, and the lattice symmetry of the spin system acts as an on-site symmetry in the field theory that describes both the selected critical point of the spin system, and the corresponding boundary state of the $(d+1)-$dimensional bulk. If the symmetry action of the field theory is nonanomalous, i.e. the corresponding bulk state is a trivial state instead of a bosonic symmetry protected topological (SPT) state, then a featureless ground state of the spin system is allowed; if the corresponding bulk state is indeed a nontrivial SPT state, then it likely excludes the existence of a featureless ground state of the spin system. From this perspective we identify the spin systems with SU($N$) and SO($N$) symmetries on one, two and three dimensional lattices that permit a featureless ground state. We also verify our conclusions by other methods, including an explicit construction of these featureless spin states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Out-of-Time-Order Correlation in Marginal Many-Body Localized Systems

We show that the out-of-time-order correlation (OTOC) $ \langle W(t)^\dagger V(0)^\dagger W(t)V(0)\rangle$ in many-body localized (MBL) and marginal MBL systems can be efficiently calculated by the spectrum bifurcation renormalization group (SBRG). We find that in marginal MBL systems, the scrambling time $t_\text{scr}$ follows a stretched exponential scaling with the distance $d_{WV}$ between the operators $W$ and $V$: $t_\text{scr}\sim\exp(\sqrt{d_{WV}/l_0})$, which demonstrates Sinai diffusion of quantum information and the enhanced scrambling by the quantum criticality in non-chaotic systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Instability of the non-Fermi liquid state of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Model

We study a series of perturbations on the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. We show that the chaotic non-Fermi liquid phase described by the ordinary $q = 4$ SYK model has marginally relevant/irrelevant (depending on the sign of the coupling constants) four-fermion perturbations allowed by symmetry. Changing the sign of one of these four-fermion perturbations leads to a continuous chaotic-nonchaotic quantum phase transition of the system accompanied by a spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking. Starting with the SYK$_q$ model with a $q-$fermion interaction, similar perturbations can lead to a series of new interacting conformal field theory fixed points.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

A model for continuous thermal Metal to Insulator Transition

We propose a $d-$dimensional interacting Majorana fermion model with quenched disorder, which gives us a continuous quantum phase transition between a diffusive thermal metal phase with a finite entropy density to an insulator phase with zero entropy density. This model is based on coupled Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model clusters, and hence has a controlled large-$N$ limit. The metal-insulator transition is accompanied by a spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking. We perform controlled calculations to show that the diffusion constant jumps to zero discontinuously at the metal-insulator transition, while the time-reversal symmetry breaking order parameter increases continuously.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Bilayer Graphene as a platform for Bosonic Symmetry Protected Topological States

Bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) states, the bosonic analogue of topological insulators, have attracted enormous theoretical interest in the last few years. Although BSPT states have been classified by various approaches, there is so far no successful experimental realization of any BSPT state in two or higher dimensions. In this paper, we propose that a two dimensional BSPT state with $U(1) \times U(1)$ symmetry can be realized in bilayer graphene in a magnetic field. Here the two $U(1)$ symmetries represent total spin $S^z$ and total charge conservation respectively. The Coulomb interaction plays a central role in this proposal -- it gaps out all the fermions at the boundary, so that only bosonic charge and spin degrees of freedom are gapless and protected at the edge. Based on the bosonic nature of the boundary states, we derive the bulk wave function for the bosonic charge and spin degrees of freedom, which takes exactly the same form as the desired BSPT state. We also propose that the bulk quantum phase transition between the BSPT and trivial phase, could become a "bosonic phase transition" with interactions. That is, only bosonic modes close their gap at the transition, which is fundamentally different from all the well-known topological insulator to trivial insulator transitions which occur for free fermion systems. We discuss various experimental consequences of this proposal.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

"Self-Dual" Quantum Critical Point on the surface of $3d$ Topological Insulator

In the last few years a lot of exotic and anomalous topological phases were constructed by proliferating the vortex like topological defects on the surface of the $3d$ topological insulator (TI). In this work, rather than considering topological phases at the boundary, we will study quantum critical points driven by vortex like topological defects. In general we will discuss a $(2+1)d$ quantum phase transition described by the following field theory: $\mathcal{L} = \barψγ_μ(\partial_μ- i a_μ) ψ+ |(\partial_μ- i k a_μ)ϕ|^2 + r |ϕ|^2 + g |ϕ|^4$, with tuning parameter $r$, arbitrary integer $k$, Dirac fermion $ψ$ and complex scalar bosonic field $ϕ$ which both couple to the same $(2+1)d$ dynamical noncompact U(1) gauge field $a_μ$. The physical meaning of these quantities/fields will be explained in the text. We demonstrate that this quantum critical point has a quasi self-dual nature. And at this quantum critical point, various universal quantities such as the electrical conductivity, and scaling dimension of gauge invariant operators can be calculated systematically through a $1/k^2$ expansion, based on the observation that the limit $k \rightarrow + \infty$ corresponds to an ordinary $3d$ XY transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Stable Interacting (2 + 1)d Conformal Field Theories at the Boundary of a class of (3 + 1)d Symmetry Protected Topological Phases

Motivated by recent studies of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases, we explore the possible gapless quantum disordered phases in the $(2+1)d$ nonlinear sigma model defined on the Grassmannian manifold $\frac{U(N)}{U(n)\times U(N - n)}$ with a Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) term at level $k$, which is the effective low energy field theory of the boundary of certain $(3+1)d$ SPT states. With $k = 0$, this model has a well-controlled large-$N$ limit, $i.e.$ its renormalization group equations can be computed exactly with large-$N$. However, with the WZW term, the large-$N$ and large-$k$ limit alone is not sufficient for a reliable study of the nature of the quantum disordered phase. We demonstrate that through a combined large-$N$, large-$k$ and $ε-$generalization, a stable fixed point in the quantum disordered phase can be reliably located in the large$-N$ limit and leading order $ε-$expansion, which corresponds to a $(2+1)d$ strongly interacting conformal field theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Quantum Phase Transitions Between Bosonic Symmetry Protected Topological States Without Sign Problem: Nonlinear Sigma Model with a Topological Term

We propose a series of simple $2d$ lattice interacting fermion models that we demonstrate at low energy describe bosonic symmetry protected topological (SPT) states and quantum phase transitions between them. This is because due to interaction the fermions are gapped both at the boundary of the SPT states and at the bulk quantum phase transition, thus these models at low energy can be described completely by bosonic degrees of freedom. We show that the bulk of these models is described by a Sp($N$) principal chiral model with a topological $Θ$-term, whose boundary is described by a Sp($N$) principal chiral model with a Wess-Zumino-Witten term at level-1. The quantum phase transition between SPT states in the bulk is tuned by a particular interaction term, which corresponds to tuning $Θ$ in the field theory, and the phase transition occurs at $Θ= π$. The simplest version of these models with $N=1$ is equivalent to the familiar O(4) nonlinear sigma model (NLSM) with a topological term, whose boundary is a $(1+1)d$ conformal field theory with central charge $c = 1$. After breaking the O(4) symmetry to its subgroups, this model can be viewed as bosonic SPT states with U(1), or $Z_2$ symmetries, etc. All these fermion models including the bulk quantum phase transitions can be simulated with determinant Quantum Monte Carlo method without the sign problem. Recent numerical results strongly suggests that the quantum disordered phase of the O(4) NLSM with precisely $Θ= π$ is a stable $(2+1)d$ conformal field theory (CFT) with gapless bosonic modes.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Classification and Description of Bosonic Symmetry Protected Topological Phases with semiclassical Nonlinear Sigma models

In this paper we systematically classify and describe bosonic symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases in all physical spatial dimensions using semiclassical nonlinear Sigma model (NLSM) field theories. All the SPT phases on a $d-$dimensional lattice discussed in this paper can be described by the same NLSM, which is an O(d+2) NLSM in $(d+1)-$dimensional space-time, with a topological $Θ-$term. The field in the NLSM is a semiclassical Landau order parameter with a unit length constraint. The classification of SPT phases discussed in this paper based on their NLSMs is consistent with the more mathematical classification based on group cohomology. Besides the classification, the formalism used in this paper also allows us to explicitly discuss the physics at the boundary of the SPT phases, and it reveals the relation between SPT phases with different symmetries. For example, it gives many of these SPT states a natural "decorated defect" construction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Wave Function and Strange Correlator of Short Range Entangled states

We demonstrate the following conclusion: If $|Ψ\rangle$ is a $1d$ or $2d$ nontrivial short range entangled state, and $|Ω\rangle$ is a trivial disordered state defined on the same Hilbert space, then the following quantity (so called strange correlator) $C(r, r^\prime) = \frac{\langle Ω|ϕ(r) ϕ(r^\prime) | Ψ\rangle}{\langle Ω| Ψ\rangle}$ either saturates to a constant or decays as a power-law in the limit $|r - r^\prime| \rightarrow +\infty$, even though both $| Ω\rangle$ and $| Ψ\rangle$ are quantum disordered states with short-range correlation. $ϕ(r)$ is some local operator in the Hilbert space. This result is obtained based on both field theory analysis, and also an explicit computation of $C(r, r^\prime)$ for four different examples: $1d$ Haldane phase of spin-1 chain, $2d$ quantum spin Hall insulator with a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling, $2d$ spin-2 AKLT state on the square lattice, and the $2d$ bosonic symmetry protected topological phase with $Z_2$ symmetry. This result can be used as a diagnosis for short range entangled states in $1d$ and $2d$. A possible diagnosis for $3d$ short range entangled states is also proposed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Bridging Fermionic and Bosonic Short Range Entangled States

In this paper we construct bosonic short range entangled (SRE) states in all spatial dimensions by coupling a $Z_2$ gauge field to fermionic SRE states with the same symmetries, and driving the $Z_2$ gauge field to its confined phase. We demonstrate that this approach allows us to construct many examples of bosonic SRE states, and we demonstrate that the previous descriptions of bosonic SRE states such as the semiclassical nonlinear sigma model field theory and the Chern-Simons field theory can all be derived using the fermionic SRE states.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Many-Body Localization of Symmetry Protected Topological States

We address the following question: Which kinds of symmetry protected topological (SPT) Hamiltonians can be many-body localized? That is, which Hamiltonians with an SPT ground state have finite energy density excited states which are all localized by disorder? Based on the observation that a finite energy density state, if localized, can be viewed as the ground state of a local Hamiltonian, we propose a simple (though possibly incomplete) rule for many-body localization of SPT Hamiltonians: If the ground state and top state (highest energy state) belong to the same SPT phase, then it is possible to localize all the finite energy density states; If the ground and top state belong to different SPT phases, then most likely there are some finite energy density states which can not be fully localized. We will give concrete examples of both scenarios. In some of these examples, we argue that interaction can actually "assist" localization of finite energy density states, which is counter-intuitive to what is usually expected.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Construction and Field Theory of Bosonic Symmetry Protected Topological states beyond Group Cohomology

We construct a series of bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) states beyond group cohomology classification using "decorated defects" approach. This construction is based on topological defects of ordinary Landau order parameters, decorated with the bosonic short range entangled (BSRE) states in $(4k+3)d$ and $(4k+5)d$ space-time (with $k$ being nonnegative integers), which do not need any symmetry. This approach not only gives these BSPT states an intuitive physical picture, it also allows us to derive the effective field theory for all these BSPT states beyond group cohomology.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Self-dual Quantum Electrodynamics on the boundary of 4d Bosonic Symmetry Protected Topological States

We study $3d$ (or $(3+1)d$) Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) realized on the boundary of $4d$ (or $(4+1)d$) bosonic symmetry protected topological (BSPT) states, using a systematic nonlinear sigma model (NLSM) field theory description of BSPT states. We demonstrate that many of these QED states have an exact electric-magnetic duality due to the symmetry of the BSPT states in the $4d$ bulk. The gauge charge and Dirac monopole both carry projective representations of the bulk symmetry, and the emergent gapless photons of the QED phase also transform nontrivially under the bulk symmetry. Some of these QED boundary states can be further driven into a $3d$ $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological order, and the statistics and symmetry transformation of its point particle and vison loop excitations guarantee that this topological order cannot be driven into a trivial confined or Higgs phase. With a finite fourth dimension, the entire system becomes a $3d$ lattice, the self-dual QED and the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ topological order can coexist on two opposite boundaries respectively, which together constitute an exotic $3d$ self-dual "topological photon phase".

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Anyon and Loop Braiding Statistics in Field Theories with a Topological $Θ-$term

We demonstrate that the anyon statistics and three-loop statistics of various 2d and 3d topological phases can be derived using semiclassical nonlinear Sigma model field theories with a topological $Θ$-term. In our formalism, the braiding statistics has a natural geometric meaning: The braiding process of anyons or loops leads to a nontrivial field configuration in the space-time, which will contribute a braiding phase factor due to the $Θ$-term.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2013

Line defects in Three dimensional Symmetry Protected Topological Phases

A 3d symmetry protected topological phase, by definition must have symmetry protected nontrivial boundary states, namely its 2d boundary must be either gapless or degenerate. In this work we demonstrate that once we couple a 3d SPT phase to a lattice dynamical Z2 gauge field, in many cases the Z2 vison loop excitation (line defect) can be viewed as a "1d boundary" of the 3d SPT phase, and this line defect is guaranteed to have gapless or degenerate spectrum, which is also protected by the symmetry of the SPT phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Opposite Changes in Gap Width of Opposite Spin States Induced by Rashba Effect in Anti-ferromagnetic Graphene on Ni(111)

Graphene is a promising candidate for applications in spintronics. In this paper, Density Functional Theory method is used to calculate the band structure and magnetic properties of graphene on Ni(111). Our results show that once there is antiferromagnetic order in graphene, an external electric field at the order of 10^9 V/m can induce a gap width difference of tens of meV for opposite spin states near the Fermi surface.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗