Topology Of Gauge Fields Research Articles

On chiral symmetry breaking, topology and confinement

We start with the relation between the chiral symmetry breaking and gauge field topology. New lattice result further enhance the notion of Zero Mode Zone, a very narrow strip of states with quasizero Dirac eigenvalues. Then we move to the issue of "origin of mass" and Brown-RHo scaling: a number of empirical facts contradicts to the idea that masses of quarks and such hadrons as $\rho,N$ decrease near $T_c$. We argue that while at $T=0$ the main contribution to the effective quark mass is chirally odd $m_{\snchi}$, near $T_c$ it rotates to chirally-even component $m_\chi$, because "infinite clusters" of topological solitons gets split into finite ones. Recent progress in understanding of topology require introduction of nonzero holonomy $<A_0>\neq 0$, which splits instantons into $N_c$ (anti)selfdual "instanton-dyons". Qualitative progress, as well as first numerical studios of the dyon ensemble are reported. New connections between chiral symmetry breaking and confinement are recently understood, since instanton-dyons generates holonomy potential with a minimum at confining value, if the ensemble is dense enough.

Quark masses, the Dashen phase, and gauge field topology

The CP violating Dashen phase in QCD is predicted by chiral perturbation theory to occur when the up–down quark mass difference becomes sufficiently large at fixed down-quark mass. Before reaching this phase, all physical hadronic masses and scattering amplitudes are expected to behave smoothly with the up-quark mass, even as this mass passes through zero. In Euclidean space, the topological susceptibility of the gauge fields is positive at positive quark masses but diverges to negative infinity as the Dashen phase is approached. A zero in this susceptibility provides a tentative signal for the point where the mass of the up quark vanishes. I discuss potential ambiguities with this determination.

AKSZ models of semistrict higher gauge theory

In the first part of this paper, we work out a perturbative Lagrangian formulation of semistrict higher gauge theory, that avoids the subtleties of the relationship between Lie 2-groups and algebras by relying exclusively on the structure semistrict Lie 2-algebra $ \mathfrak{v} $ and its automorphism 2-group $ \mathrm{Aut}\left( \mathfrak{v} \right) $ . Gauge transformations are defined and shown to form a strict 2-group depending on $ \mathfrak{v} $ . Fields are $ \mathfrak{v} $ -valued and their global behaviour is controlled by appropriate gauge transformation gluing data organized as a strict 2-groupoid. In the second part, using the BV quantization method in the AKSZ geometrical version, we write down a 3-dimensional semistrict higher BF gauge theory generalizing ordinary BF theory, carry out its gauge fixing and obtain as end result a semistrict higher topological gauge field theory of the Witten type. We also introduce a related 4-dimensional semistrict higher Chern-Simons gauge theory.

The kth smallest Dirac operator eigenvalue and the pion decay constant

We derive an analytical expression for the distribution of the kth smallest Dirac eigenvalue in QCD with an imaginary isospin chemical potential in the Dirac operator for arbitrary gauge field topology ν. Because of its dependence on the pion decay constant Fπ through the chemical potential in the epsilon regime of chiral perturbation theory, this can be used for lattice determinations of that low-energy constant. On the technical side, we use a chiral random-two matrix theory, where we express the kth eigenvalue distribution through the joint probability of the ordered k smallest eigenvalues. The latter can be computed exactly for finite and infinite N, for which we derive generalizations of Dyson’s integration theorem and Sonine’s identity.

Simulation of quantum chromodynamics on the lattice with exactly chiral lattice fermions

Numerical simulation of the low-energy dynamics of quarks and gluons is now feasible based on the fundamental theory of strong interaction, i.e. quantum chromodynamics (QCD). With QCD formulated on a 4D hypercubic lattice (called lattice QCD or LQCD), one can simulate the QCD vacuum and hadronic excitations on the vacuum using teraflop-scale supercomputers, which have become available in the last decade. A great deal of work has been done on this subject by many groups around the world in this article we summarize the work done by the JLQCD and TWQCD collaborations since 2006. These collaborations employ Neuberger’s overlap fermion formulation, which preserves the exact chiral and flavor symmetries on the lattice, unlike other lattice fermion formulations. Because of this beautiful property, numerical simulation of the formulation can address fundamental questions on the QCD vacuum, such as the microscopic structure of the quark–antiquark condensate in the chirally broken phase of QCD and its relation to SU(3) gauge field topology. Tests of the chiral effective theory, which is based on the assumption that the chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken in the QCD vacuum, can be performed, including the pion-loop effect test. For many other phenomenological applications, we adopt the all-to-all quark propagator technique, which allows us to compute various correlation functions without substantial extra cost. The benefit of this is not only that the statistical signal is improved but that disconnected quark-loop diagrams can be calculated. Using this method combined with the overlap fermion formulation, we study a wide range of physical quantities that are of both theoretical and phenomenological interest.

ηandη′Mesons from Lattice QCD

The large mass of the ninth pseudoscalar meson, the η', is believed to arise from the combined effects of the axial anomaly and the gauge field topology present in QCD. We report a realistic, 2+1-flavor, lattice QCD calculation of the η and η' masses and mixing which confirms this picture. The physical eigenstates show small octet-singlet mixing with a mixing angle of θ=-14.1(2.8)°. Extrapolation to the physical light quark mass gives, with statistical errors only, mη=573(6) MeV and mη'=947(142) MeV, consistent with the experimental values of 548 and 958 MeV.

Index theorem and overlap formalism with naive and minimally doubled fermions

We present a theoretical foundation for the Index theorem in naive and minimally doubled lattice fermions by studying the spectral flow of a Hermitean version of Dirac operators. We utilize the point splitting method to implement flavored mass terms, which play an important role in constructing proper Hermitean operators. We show the spectral flow correctly detects the index of the would-be zero modes which is determined by gauge field topology. Using the flavored mass terms, we present new types of overlap fermions from the naive fermion kernels, with a number of flavors that depends on the choice of the mass terms. We succeed to obtain a single-flavor naive overlap fermion which maintains hypercubic symmetry.

Spin dynamics under local gauge fields in chiral spin–orbit coupling systems

We present a theoretical description of local spin dynamics in magnetic systems with a chiral spin texture and finite spin–orbit coupling (SOC). Spin precession about the relativistic effective magnetic field in a SOC system gives rise to a non-Abelian SU(2) gauge field reminiscent of the Yang–Mills field. In addition, the adiabatic relaxation of electron spin along the local spin yields an U(1) ⊗ U(1) topological gauge (Berry) field. We derive the corresponding equation of motion i.e. modified Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) equation, for the local spin under the influence of these effects. Focusing on the SU(2) gauge, we obtain the spin torque magnitude, and the amplitude and frequency of spin oscillations in this system. Our theoretical estimates indicate significant spin torque and oscillations in systems with large spin–orbit coupling, which may be utilized in technological applications such as current-induced magnetization-switching and tunable microwave oscillators.

Anomalies, gauge field topology, and the lattice

Motivated by the connection between gauge field topology and the axial anomaly in fermion currents, I suggest that the fourth power of the naive Dirac operator can provide a natural method to define a local lattice measure of topological charge. For smooth gauge fields this reduces to the usual topological density. For typical gauge field configurations in a numerical simulation, however, quantum fluctuations dominate, and the sum of this density over the system does not generally give an integer winding. On cooling with respect to the Wilson gauge action, instanton like structures do emerge. As cooling proceeds, these objects tend shrink and finally “fall through the lattice.” Modifying the action can block the shrinking at the expense of a loss of reflection positivity. The cooling procedure is highly sensitive to the details of the initial steps, suggesting that quantum fluctuations induce a small but fundamental ambiguity in the definition of topological susceptibility.

Theoretical Foundation for the Index Theorem on the Lattice with Staggered Fermions

A way to identify the would-be zero modes of staggered lattice fermions away from the continuum limit is presented. Our approach also identifies the chiralities of these modes, and their index is seen to be determined by gauge field topology in accordance with the index theorem. The key idea is to consider the spectral flow of a certain Hermitian version of the staggered Dirac operator. The staggered fermion index thus obtained can be used as a new way to assign the topological charge of lattice gauge fields. In a numerical study in U(1) backgrounds in two dimensions it is found to perform as well as the Wilson index while being computationally more efficient. It can also be expressed as the index of an overlap Dirac operator with a new staggered fermion kernel.

Topological gauge field in nanomagnets: Spin-wave excitations over a slowly moving magnetization background

We introduce a topological gauge vector potential which influences spin-wave excitations over arbitrary nonuniform, slowly moving magnetization background. The time component of the gauge potential plays a principal role in the magnetization dynamics of typical magnetic nanostructures. As an example, we consider spin modes excited in the vortex-state magnetic dots. The vortex---spin-wave interaction is described as a consequence of the gauge field arising due to the moving vortex magnetization. The approach yields a giant frequency splitting of the spin waves having nonzero overlapping with the vortex background mode as well as a finite vortex mass of dynamical origin.

Dimensional reduction and vacuum structure of quiver gauge theory

We describe the structure of the vacuum states of quiver gauge theories obtained via dimensional reduction over homogeneous spaces, in the explicit example of SU(3)-equivariant dimensional reduction of Yang-Mills-Dirac theory on manifolds of the form M x CP(2). We pay particular attention to the role of topology of background gauge fields on the internal coset spaces, in this case U(1) magnetic monopoles and SU(2) instantons on CP(2). The reduction of Yang-Mills theory induces a quiver gauge theory involving coupled Yang-Mills-Higgs systems on M with a Higgs potential leading to dynamical symmetry breaking. The criterion for a ground state of the Higgs potential can be written as the vanishing of a non-abelian Yang-Mills flux on the quiver diagram, regarded as a lattice with group elements attached to the links. The reduction of SU(3)-symmetric fermions yields Dirac fermions on M transforming under the low-energy gauge group with Yukawa couplings. The fermionic zero modes on CP(2) yield exactly massless chiral fermions on M, though there is a unique choice of spin(c) structure on CP(2) for which some of the zero modes can acquire masses through Yukawa interactions. We work out the spontaneous symmetry breaking patterns and determine the complete physical particle spectrum in a number of explicit examples, some of which possess quantum number assignments qualitatively analogous to the manner in which vector bosons, quarks and leptons acquire masses in the standard model.

Spin transverse separation in a two-dimensional electron-gas using an external magnetic field with a topological chirality

We propose a two-dimensional electron-gas (2DEG) system in which an external magnetic field with a small chirality is applied to provide a topological spin gauge field that separates conduction electrons of opposite spins in the transverse direction. Additionally, the vertical electric field in the 2DEG, together with spin-orbit coupling, produces a SU(2) gauge field which reinforces or opposes the effect of the spin gauge. The system thus provides a tunable spin separation effect, where an applied gate voltage on the 2DEG can be used to modulate the transverse spin current. As this method leads to the enhancement or cancellation of spin separation due to the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling effect only, it may naturally distinguish the extrinsic effect from the intrinsic one.

Charge dynamics in the phase string model for high-Tcsuperconductors

An understanding of the anomalous charge dynamics in the high-${T}_{c}$ cuprates is obtained based on a model study of doped Mott insulators. The high-temperature optical conductivity is found to generally have a two-component structure: a Drude-like part followed by a mid-infrared band. The scattering rate associated with the Drude part exhibits a linear-temperature dependence over a wide range of high temperature, while the Drude term gets progressively suppressed below a characteristic energy of magnetic origin as the system enters the pseudogap phase. The high-energy optical conductivity shows a resonancelike feature in an underdoped case and continuously evolves into a $1∕\ensuremath{\omega}$ tail at higher doping, indicating that they share the same physical origin. In particular, such a high-energy component is closely correlated with the $\ensuremath{\omega}$-peak structure of the density-density correlation function at different momenta, in systematic consistency with exact diagonalization results based on the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model. The underlying physics is attributed to the high-energy spin-charge separation in the model, in which the ``mode coupling'' responsible for the anomalous charge properties is not between the electrons and some collective mode but rather between charge carriers, holons, and a topological gauge field controlled by spin dynamics, as the consequence of the strong short-range electron-electron Coulomb repulsion in the doped Mott insulator.

Quantum anomaly and geometric phase: Their basic differences

It is sometimes stated in the literature that the quantum anomaly is regarded as an example of the geometric phase. Though there is some superficial similarity between these two notions, we here show that the differences bewteen these two notions are more profound and fundamental. As an explicit example, we analyze in detail a quantum mechanical model proposed by M. Stone, which is supposed to show the above connection. We show that the geometric term in the model, which is topologically trivial for any finite time interval $T$, corresponds to the so-called ``normal naive term'' in field theory and has nothing to do with the anomaly-induced Wess-Zumino term. In the fundamental level, the difference between the two notions is stated as follows: The topology of gauge fields leads to level crossing in the fermionic sector in the case of chiral anomaly and the {\em failure} of the adiabatic approximation is essential in the analysis, whereas the (potential) level crossing in the matter sector leads to the topology of the Berry phase only when the precise adiabatic approximation holds.

Systematics of staggered fermion spectral properties and topology

The spectral properties of a variety of improved staggered operators are studied in quenched QCD. The systematic dependence of the infrared eigenvalue spectrum on i) improvement in the staggered operator, ii) improvement in the gauge field action, iii) lattice spacing and iv) lattice volume, is analyzed. It is observed that eigenmodes with small eigenvalues and large chirality appear as the level of improvement increases or as one approaches the continuum limit. These eigenmodes can be identified as the ``zero modes'' which contribute to the chirality associated, via the index theorem, with the topology of the background gauge field. This gives evidence that staggered fermions are sensitive to gauge field topology. After successfully identifying these would-be chiral zero modes, the distribution of the remaining non-chiral modes is compared with the predictions of Random Matrix Theory in different topological sectors. Satisfactory agreement is obtained.

Topology and Staggered Fermion Action Improvement

It is conventional wisdom that staggered fermions do not feel gauge field topology. However, the response of staggered fermion eigenmodes to the topology of the gauge field can depend quite sensitively on the way in which the staggered fermion action is improved. We study this issue using a variety of improved staggered quark actions. We observe that the separation between the ``would be'' zero modes and the non-chiral modes increases with the level of improvement. This enables the ``zero modes'' to be identified unambiguously. The distribution of the remaining non-chiral modes is compared with the predictions of Random Matrix Theory. Satisfactory agreement is obtained.

Vector and axial-vector propagators in the ϵ-Regime of QCD

Using quenched and unquenched chiral perturbation theory we compute vector and axial current two-point functions at finite volume and fixed gauge field topology, in the so-called \epsilon-regime of QCD. A comparison of these results with finite volume lattice calculations allows to determine the parameters of the corresponding chiral Lagrangians.

CURRENT CORRELATORS AND DUAL DESCRIPTION OF LONG DISTANCE QCD

An attempt has been made to analyze the magnetic symmetry of the non-Abelian gauge theory associated with the strong interactions using the fibre bundle formulation. Utilizing the gauge field topology, the analysis of dual dynamics associated with the non-Abelian fields is shown to have important bearings on the nonperturbative hadronic effects like confinement of colored quarks and gluons inside hadrons. The state of dual superconductivity for the magnetically condensed vacuum has been analyzed to understand the bulk QCD magnetic properties by evaluating the current correlators in magnetic gauge in terms of the dielectric parameters. The dielectric behavior has been shown to lead to the p-4 confining nature to the dual gluon propagators and to provide an effective macroscopic description of the complicated nonperturbative microscopic interactions of charged particles in dual QCD. The p-4 behavior of dual gluon propagator has also been shown to confirm the linearly rising inter-quark confining potential with an explicit dual gluon mass dependency in dual QCD.

Finite-size scaling of meson propagators

Using quenched chiral perturbation theory we compute meson correlation functions at finite volume and fixed gauge field topology. We also present the corresponding analytical predictions for the unquenched theory at fixed gauge field topology. These results can be used to measure the low-energy parameters of the chiral Lagrangian from lattice simulations in volumes much smaller than one pion Compton wavelength.