Long-range Ising Model Research Articles

Quantum Monte Carlo study of long-range transverse-field Ising models on the triangular lattice

Motivated by recent experiments with a Penning ion trap quantum simulator, we perform numerically exact Stochastic Series Expansion quantum Monte Carlo simulations of long-range transverse-field Ising models on a triangular lattice for different decay powers $\alpha$ of the interactions. The phase boundary for the ferromagnet is obtained as a function of $\alpha$. For antiferromagnetic interactions, there is strong indication that the transverse field stabilizes a clock ordered phase with sublattice magnetization $(M,-\frac{M}{2}, -\frac{M}{2})$ with unsaturated $M < 1$ in a process known as "order by disorder" similar to the nearest neighbour antiferromagnet on the triangular lattice. Connecting the known limiting cases of nearest neighbour and infinite-range interactions, a semiquantitative phase diagram is obtained. Magnetization curves for the ferromagnet for experimentally relevant system sizes and with open boundary conditions are presented.

Many-body localization: construction of the emergent local conserved operators via block real-space renormalization

A fully many-body localized (FMBL) quantum disordered system is characterized by the emergence of an extensive number of local conserved operators that prevents the relaxation towards thermal equilibrium. These local conserved operators can be seen as the building blocks of the whole set of eigenstates. In this paper, we propose to construct them explicitly via block real-space renormalization. The principle is that each renormalization group step diagonalizes the smallest remaining blocks and produces a conserved operator for each block. The final output for a chain of N spins is a hierarchical organization of the N conserved operators with layers. The system size nature of the conserved operators of the top layers is necessary to describe the possible long-range order of the excited eigenstates and the possible critical points between different FMBL phases. We discuss the similarities and the differences with the strong disorder RSRG-X method that generates the whole set of the 2N eigenstates via a binary tree of N layers. The approach is applied to the long-range quantum spin-glass Ising model, where the constructed excited eigenstates are found to be exactly like ground states in another disorder realization, so that they can be either in the paramagnetic phase, in the spin-glass phase or critical.

Long-range Ising and Kitaev models: phases, correlations and edge modes

We analyze the quantum phases, correlation functions and edge modes for a class of spin-1/2 and fermionic models related to the one-dimensional Ising chain in the presence of a transverse field. These models are the Ising chain with anti-ferromagnetic long-range interactions that decay with distance r as , as well as a related class of fermionic Hamiltonians that generalize the Kitaev chain, where both the hopping and pairing terms are long-range and their relative strength can be varied. For these models, we provide the phase diagram for all exponents α, based on an analysis of the entanglement entropy, the decay of correlation functions, and the edge modes in the case of open chains. We demonstrate that violations of the area law can occur for , while connected correlation functions can decay with a hybrid exponential and power-law behavior, with a power that is α-dependent. Interestingly, for the fermionic models we provide an exact analytical derivation for the decay of the correlation functions at every α. Along the critical lines, for all models breaking of conformal symmetry is argued at low enough α. For the fermionic models we show that the edge modes, massless for , can acquire a mass for . The mass of these modes can be tuned by varying the relative strength of the kinetic and pairing terms in the Hamiltonian. Interestingly, for the Ising chain a similar edge localization appears for the first and second excited states on the paramagnetic side of the phase diagram, where edge modes are not expected. We argue that, at least for the fermionic chains, these massive states correspond to the appearance of new phases, notably approached via quantum phase transitions without mass gap closure. Finally, we discuss the possibility to detect some of these effects in experiments with cold trapped ions.

Conformal invariance in the long-range Ising model

We consider the question of conformal invariance of the long-range Ising model at the critical point. The continuum description is given in terms of a nonlocal field theory, and the absence of a stress tensor invalidates all of the standard arguments for the enhancement of scale invariance to conformal invariance. We however show that several correlation functions, computed to second order in the epsilon expansion, are nontrivially consistent with conformal invariance. We proceed to give a proof of conformal invariance to all orders in the epsilon expansion, based on the description of the long-range Ising model as a defect theory in an auxiliary higher-dimensional space. A detailed review of conformal invariance in the d-dimensional short-range Ising model is also included and may be of independent interest.

Many-body localization and quantum ergodicity in disordered long-range Ising models

Ergodicity in quantum many-body systems is---despite its fundamental importance---still an open problem. Many-body localization provides a general framework for quantum ergodicity and may therefore offer important insights. However, the characterization of many-body localization through simple observables is a difficult task. In this article, we introduce a measure for distances in Hilbert space for spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ systems that can be interpreted as a generalization of the Anderson localization length to many-body Hilbert space. We show that this many-body localization length is equivalent to a simple local observable in real space, which can be measured in experiments of superconducting qubits, polar molecules, Rydberg atoms, and trapped ions. By using the many-body localization length and a necessary criterion for ergodicity that it provides, we study many-body localization and quantum ergodicity in power-law-interacting Ising models subject to disorder in a transverse field. Based on the nonequilibrium dynamical renormalization group, numerically exact diagonalization, and an analysis of the statistics of resonances, we find a many-body localized phase at infinite temperature for small power-law exponents. Within the applicability of these methods, we find no indications of a delocalization transition.

Relaxation timescales and prethermalization in d-dimensional long-range quantum spin models

We report analytic results for the correlation functions of long-range quantum Ising models in arbitrary dimension. In particular, we focus on the long-time evolution and the relevant timescales on which correlations relax to their equilibrium values. By deriving upper bounds on the correlation functions in the large-system limit, we prove that a wide separation of timescales, accompanied by a pronounced prethermalization plateau, occurs for sufficiently long-ranged interactions.

Magnetic ordering of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond via resonator-mediated coupling

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, being a promising candidate for quantum information processing, may also be an ideal platform for simulating many-body physics. However, it is difficult to realize interactions between nitrogen-vacancy centers strong enough to form a macroscopically ordered phase under realistic temperatures. Here we propose a scheme to realize long-range ferromagnetic Ising interactions between distant nitrogen-vacancy centers by using a mechanical resonator as a medium. Since the critical temperature in the long-range Ising model is proportional to the number of spins, a ferromagnetic order can be formed at a temperature of tens of millikelvin for a sample with $\sim10^4$ nitrogen-vacancy centers. This method may provide a new platform for studying many-body physics using qubit systems.

Ising-model description of long-range correlations in DNA sequences.

We model long-range correlations of nucleotides in the human DNA sequence using the long-range one-dimensional (1D) Ising model. We show that, for distances between 10(3) and 10(6) bp, the correlations show a universal behavior and may be described by the non-mean-field limit of the long-range 1D Ising model. This allows us to make some testable hypothesis on the nature of the interaction between distant portions of the DNA chain which led to the DNA structure that we observe today in higher eukaryotes.

Relations between short-range and long-range Ising models.

We perform a numerical study of the long-range (LR) ferromagnetic Ising model with power law decaying interactions (J∝r{-d-σ}) on both a one-dimensional chain (d=1) and a square lattice (d=2). We use advanced cluster algorithms to avoid the critical slowing down. We first check the validity of the relation connecting the critical behavior of the LR model with parameters (d,σ) to that of a short-range (SR) model in an equivalent dimension D. We then study the critical behavior of the d=2 LR model close to the lower critical σ, uncovering that the spatial correlation function decays with two different power laws: The effect of the subdominant power law is much stronger than finite-size effects and actually makes the estimate of critical exponents very subtle. By including this subdominant power law, the numerical data are consistent with the standard renormalization group (RG) prediction by Sak [Phys. Rev. B 8, 281 (1973)], thus making not necessary (and unlikely, according to Occam's razor) the recent proposal by Picco [arXiv:1207.1018] of having a new set of RG fixed points in addition to the mean-field one and the SR one.

Breakdown of Quasilocality in Long-Range Quantum Lattice Models

We study the nonequilibrium dynamics of correlations in quantum lattice models in the presence of long-range interactions decaying asymptotically as a power law. For exponents larger than the lattice dimensionality, a Lieb-Robinson-type bound effectively restricts the spreading of correlations to a causal region, but allows supersonic propagation. We show that this decay is not only sufficient but also necessary. Using tools of quantum metrology, for any exponents smaller than the lattice dimension, we construct Hamiltonians giving rise to quantum channels with capacities not restricted to a causal region. An analytical analysis of long-range Ising models illustrates the disappearance of the causal region and the creation of correlations becoming distance independent. Numerical results obtained using matrix product state methods for the XXZ spin chain reveal the presence of a sound cone for large exponents and supersonic propagation for small ones. In all models we analyzed, the fast spreading of correlations follows a power law, but not the exponential increase of the long-range Lieb-Robinson bound.

Long-range random-field Ising model: Phase transition threshold and equivalence of short and long ranges

The Ising model in a random field and with power-law decaying ferromagnetic bonds is studied at zero temperature. Comparing the scaling of the energy contributions of the ferromagnetic domain wall flip and of the random field a la Imry-Ma we obtain a threshold value for the power $\rho$ of the long-range interaction, beyond which no critical behavior occurs. The critical threshold value is $\rho_c=3/2$, at a difference with the zero field model in which $\rho_c=2$. This prediction is confirmed by numerical computation of the ground states below, at, and above this threshold value. Some possible implications for the critical behavior of spin-glasses in a field are conjectured.

Spread of Correlations in Long-Range Interacting Quantum Systems

The nonequilibrium response of a quantum many-body system defines its fundamental transport properties and how initially localized quantum information spreads. However, for long-range-interacting quantum systems little is known. We address this issue by analyzing a local quantum quench in the long-range Ising model in a transverse field, where interactions decay as a variable power law with distance ∝r(-α), α>0. Using complementary numerical and analytical techniques, we identify three dynamical regimes: short-range-like with an emerging light cone for α>2, weakly long range for 1<α<2 without a clear light cone but with a finite propagation speed of almost all excitations, and fully nonlocal for α<1 with instantaneous transmission of correlations. This last regime breaks generalized Lieb-Robinson bounds and thus locality. Numerical calculation of the entanglement spectrum demonstrates that the usual picture of propagating quasiparticles remains valid, allowing an intuitive interpretation of our findings via divergences of quasiparticle velocities. Our results may be tested in state-of-the-art trapped-ion experiments.

Probing Real-Space and Time-Resolved Correlation Functions with Many-Body Ramsey Interferometry

We propose to use Ramsey interferometry and single-site addressability, available in synthetic matter such as cold atoms or trapped ions, to measure real-space and time-resolved spin correlation functions. These correlation functions directly probe the excitations of the system, which makes it possible to characterize the underlying many-body states. Moreover, they contain valuable information about phase transitions where they exhibit scale invariance. We also discuss experimental imperfections and show that a spin-echo protocol can be used to cancel slow fluctuations in the magnetic field. We explicitly consider examples of the two-dimensional, antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model and the one-dimensional, long-range transverse field Ising model to illustrate the technique.

Dimensional reduction and its breakdown in the three-dimensional long-range random-field Ising model

We investigate dimensional reduction, the property that the critical behavior of a system in the presence of quenched disorder in dimension d is the same as that of its pure counterpart in d-2, and its breakdown in the case of the random-field Ising model in which both the interactions and the correlations of the disorder are long-ranged, i.e. power-law decaying. To some extent the power-law exponents play the role of spatial dimension in a short-range model, which allows us to probe the theoretically predicted existence of a nontrivial critical value separating a region where dimensional reduction holds from one where it is broken, while still considering the physical dimension d=3. By extending our recently developed approach based on a nonperturbative functional renormalization group combined with a supersymmetric formalism, we find that such a critical value indeed exists, provided one chooses a specific relation between the decay exponents of the interactions and of the disorder correlations. This transition from dimensional reduction to its breakdown should therefore be observable in simulations and numerical analyses, if not experimentally.

Out-of-equilibrium dynamics with matrix product states

Theoretical understanding of strongly correlated systems in one spatial dimension has been greatly advanced by the density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm, which is a variational approach using a class of entanglement-restricted states called matrix product states (MPSs). However, DMRG suffers from inherent accuracy restrictions when multiple states are involved due to multi-state targeting and also the approximate representation of the Hamiltonian and other operators. By formulating the variational approach of DMRG explicitly for MPSs one can avoid errors inherent in the multi-state targeting approach. Furthermore, by using the matrix product operator (MPO) formalism, one can exactly represent the Hamiltonian and other operators relevant for the calculation. The MPO approach allows one-dimensional (1D) Hamiltonians to be templated using a small set of finite state automaton rules without reference to the particular microscopic degrees of freedom. We present two algorithms which take advantage of these properties: eMPS to find excited states of 1D Hamiltonians and tMPS for the time evolution of a generic time-dependent 1D Hamiltonian. We properly account for time-ordering of the propagator such that the error does not depend on the rate of change of the Hamiltonian. Our algorithms are applicable to microscopic degrees of freedom of any variety, and do not require Hamiltonian-specialized implementation. We benchmark our algorithms with a case study of the Ising model, where the critical point is located using entanglement measures. We then study the dynamics of this model under a time-dependent quench of the transverse field through the critical point. Finally, we present studies of a dipolar, or long-range Ising model, again using entanglement measures to find the critical point and study the dynamics of a time-dependent quench through the critical point.

Tailoring three-point functions and integrability III. Classical tunneling

We compute three-point functions between one large classical operator and two large BPS operators at weak coupling. We consider operators made out of the scalars of N=4 SYM, dual to strings moving in the sphere. The three-point function exponentiates and can be thought of as a classical tunneling process in which the classical string-like operator decays into two classical BPS states. From an Integrability/Condensed Matter point of view, we simplified inner products of spin chain Bethe states in a classical limit corresponding to long wavelength excitations above the ferromagnetic vacuum. As a by-product we solved a new long-range Ising model in the thermodynamic limit.

The one-dimensional long-range ferromagnetic Ising model with a periodic external field

We consider the one-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model with very long-range interaction under a periodic, biased and weak external field and prove that at sufficiently low temperatures the model has a unique limiting Gibbs state.

Crossover between a short-range and a long-range Ising model

Recently, it has been found that an effective long-range interaction is realized among local bistable variables (spins) in systems where the elastic interaction causes ordering of the spins. In such systems, generally we expect both long-range and short-range interactions to exist. In the short-range Ising model, the correlation length diverges at the critical point. In contrast, in the long-range interacting model the spin configuration is always uniform and the correlation length is zero. As long as a system has non-zero long-range interactions, it shows criticality in the mean-field universality class, and the spin configuration is uniform beyond a certain scale. Here we study the crossover from the pure short-range interacting model to the long-range interacting model. We investigate the infinite-range model (Husimi-Temperley model) as a prototype of this competition, and we study how the critical temperature changes as a function of the strength of the long-range interaction. This model can also be interpreted as an approximation for the Ising model on a small-world network. We derive a formula for the critical temperature as a function of the strength of the long-range interaction. We also propose a scaling form for the spin correlation length at the critical point, which is finite as long as the long-range interaction is included, though it diverges in the limit of the pure short-range model. These properties are confirmed by extensive Monte Carlo simulations.

Diverging Equilibration Times in Long-Range Quantum Spin Models

The approach to equilibrium is studied for long-range quantum Ising models where the interaction strength decays like r(-α) at large distances r with an exponent α not exceeding the lattice dimension. For a large class of observables and initial states, the time evolution of expectation values can be calculated. We prove analytically that, at a given instant of time t and for sufficiently large system size N, the expectation value of some observable <A>(t) will practically be unchanged from its initial value <A>(0). This finding implies that, for large enough N, equilibration effectively occurs on a time scale beyond the experimentally accessible one and will not be observed in practice.

Wilsonʼs momentum shell renormalization group from Fourier Monte Carlo simulations

Previous attempts to accurately compute critical exponents from Wilsonʼs momentum shell renormalization prescription suffered from the difficulties posed by the presence of an infinite number of irrelevant couplings. Taking the example of the 1d long-ranged Ising model, we calculate the momentum shell renormalization flow in the plane spanned by the coupling constants ( u 0 , r 0 ) for different values of the momentum shell thickness parameter b by simulation using our recently developed Fourier Monte Carlo algorithm. We report strong anomalies in the b-dependence of the fixed point couplings and the resulting exponents y τ and ω in the vicinity of a shell parameter b ⁎ < 1 characterizing a thin but finite momentum shell. Evaluation of the exponents for this value of b yields a dramatic improvement of their numerical accuracy, indicating a strong damping of the influence of irrelevant couplings for b = b ⁎ .