String order parameters for symmetry fractionalization in an enriched toric code

Abstract

We study a simple model of symmetry-enriched topological order obtained by decorating a toric code model with lower-dimensional symmetry-protected topological states. We show that the symmetry fractionalization in this model can be characterized by string order parameters, and that these signatures are robust under the effects of external fields and interactions, up to the phase transition point. This extends the recent proposal of [New Journal of Physics 21, 113016 (2019)] beyond the setting of fixed-point tensor network states, and solidifies string order parameters as a useful tool to characterize and detect symmetry fractionalization. In addition to this, we observe how the condensation of an anyon that fractionalizes a symmetry forces that symmetry to spontaneously break, and we give a proof of this in the framework of projected entangled pair states. This phenomenon leads to a notable change in the phase diagram of the toric code in parallel magnetic fields.