non-Abelian Gauge Fields Research Articles

A general recipe to observe non-Abelian gauge field in metamaterials

Abstract Recent research on non-Abelian phenomena has cast a new perspective on controlling light. In this work, we provide a simple and general approach to induce non-Abelian gauge field to tremble the light beam trajectory. With in-plane duality symmetry relaxed, our theoretical analysis finds that non-Abelian electric field can be synthesized through a simple real-space rotation of any biaxial material. With orthogonal optical modes excited, their interference leads to an oscillation of the propagating optical beam, which is a direct consequence of the emergence of non-Abelian electric field, influencing light in a manner similar with how electric fields act on charged particles. Our microwave experiments provide unambiguous evidence to the observation of such an optical Zitterbewegung effect where excellent agreement can be found between theorical derivation, numerical simulations and experiments. By extending the idea to optical regime using natural material, we here provide another example to shake the general intuition that light travels in straight lines in homogeneous media.

Temperature fluctuations in a relativistic gas: Pressure corrections and possible consequences in the deconfinement transition

In this work, we study the effects of random temperature fluctuations on the partition function of a quantum system by means of the . This picture provides a conceptual model for a quantum nonequilibrium system, depicted as an ensemble of subsystems at different temperatures, randomly distributed with respect to a given mean value. We then assume the temperature displays stochastic fluctuations T=T0+δT with respect to its ensemble average value T0, with zero mean δT¯=0 and standard deviation δT2¯=Δ. By means of the replica method, we obtain the average grand canonical potential, leading to the equation of state and the corresponding excess pressure caused by these fluctuations with respect to the equilibrium system at a uniform temperature. Our findings reveal an increase in pressure as the system’s ensemble average temperature T0 rises, consistently exceeding the pressure observed in an equilibrium state. We applied our general formalism to three paradigmatic physical systems; the relativistic Fermi gas, the ideal gas of photons, and a gas of non-Abelian gauge fields (gluons) in the noninteracting limit. Finally, we explore the implications for the deconfinement transition in the context of the simple bag model, where we show that the critical temperature decreases. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Smooth reheating and dark matter via non-Abelian gauge theory

We demonstrate how a dark sector can provide a crucial link between a vacuum-dominated early universe and the later radiation-dominated epoch. As an example, we consider a feeble axion-like coupling of dark non-Abelian gauge fields with a single inflaton. In this scenario, a dark heat bath emerges at the end of inflation. As the dark sector cools down, its gauge fields confine into composite glueball states. The reheating of the visible sector is realized through portal interactions. After confinement, discrete symmetries protect part of the glueball states that form relic dark matter, while the others keep decaying into Standard Model degrees of freedom. The dark relic abundance depends mostly on the departure from equilibrium dynamics after the phase transition, constraining the confinement scale of the dark sector. Moreover, indirect detection and Big-Bang nucleosynthesis set bounds on the scale of portal interactions. We show that in a narrow but non-vanishing region of the parameter space, the correct dark matter abundance and sufficient reheating temperature are simultaneously reached.

Temporal multilayer structures in discrete physical systems towards arbitrary-dimensional non-Abelian Aharonov-Bohm interferences

Temporal modulation recently draws great attentions in wave manipulations, with which one can introduce the concept of temporal multilayer structure, a temporal counterpart of spatially multilayer configurations. This kind of multilayer structure holds temporal interfaces in the time domain, which provides additional flexibility in temporal operations. Here we take this opportunity and propose to simulate a non-Abelian gauge field with a temporal multilayer structure in the discrete physical system. Two basic temporal operations, i.e., the folding/unfolding operation and the phase shift operation are used to design such a temporal multilayer structure, which hence can support noncommutative operations to realize the non-Abelian Aharonov-Bohm interference in the time domain. A two-/three-dimensional non-Abelian gauge field can be built, which may be further extended to higher dimensions. Our work therefore provides a unique platform enabling generalization of non-Abelian physics to arbitrary dimensions and offers a method for wave manipulations with temporal band engineering.

Non-Abelian Holonomy in Degenerate Non-Hermitian Systems.

Non-Abelian holonomy, a noncommutative process that measures the parallel transport of non-Abelian gauge fields, has so far been realized in degenerate Hermitian systems with degenerate eigenstates or nondegenerate non-Hermitian systems with exceptional points. Here, we introduce non-Abelian holonomy into degenerate non-Hermitian systems possessing degenerate exceptional points and degenerate energy topologies. The interplay between energy degeneracy and energy topology around exceptional points leads to a non-Abelian holonomy with multiple energy levels and multiple degenerate levels simultaneously, going beyond that in degenerate Hermitian systems with a single energy level, or in nondegenerate non-Hermitian systems with a single degenerate level. We exploit an on-chip photonic platform to experimentally demonstrate the holonomy induced non-Abelian phenomenon, including the switching of eigenstates associated with different degenerate exceptional points and sequence-dependent holonomic outcomes. Our work shifts the paradigm of non-Abelian holonomy and adds new degrees of freedom for non-Abelian applications.

Non-relativistic limits of bosonic and heterotic Double Field Theory

The known stringy non-relativistic (NR) limit of the universal NS-NS sector of supergravity has a finite Lagrangian due to non-trivial cancellations of divergent parts coming from the metric and the B-field. We demonstrate that in Double Field Theory (DFT) and generalised geometry these cancellations already happen at the level of the generalised metric, which is convergent in the limit c → ∞, implying that the NR limit can be imposed before solving the strong constraint. We present the c-expansion of the generalised metric, which reproduces the Non-Riemannian formulation of DFT at the (finite) leading order, and the c-expansion of the generalised frame, which contains divergences. We also extend this approach to the non-Abelian gauge field of Heterotic DFT assuming a convergent expansion for the O(D, D + n) generalised metric. From this proposal, we derive a novel c-expansion for the bosonic part of the heterotic supergravity which is, by construction, compatible with O(D, D)-symmetry.

A new perspective on Kaluza–Klein theories

Assuming that the geometry of spacetime is uniquely determined by the energy–momentum tensor of matter alone, i.e. without any interactions, enables us to construct the Lagrangian from which the metric of higher dimensional spacetime follows. From the geodesic equations that follow, it becomes clear that the incorrect mass of elementary particles predicted by Kaluza–Klein theories arises from the assumption that in the absence of gravity the solution to the Einstein field equations reduces to the Minkowski metric. From construction of a consistent theory of 4D electromagnetism, we find that this assumption does not only result in the incorrect mass of elementary particles, but also the incorrect value of the cosmological constant. This suggests that these incorrect predictions, which are often regarded as major flaws of Kaluza–Klein theories, just reflect the inconsistency of the assumption that the solution to Einstein field equations reduces to Minkowski metric in the absence of gravity and Weyl invariance which is the symmetry of gauge theories in 4D spacetime. Abandoning this assumption results in modification of general relativity. We show that the unified description of fundamental interactions naturally incorporates the Higgs mechanism. For non-Abelian gauge fields, we find that the manifold comprising the extra dimensions has to be a group manifold and show that the standard model is realized in 16D spacetime. We show that charge and spin are the same concept, but what makes them different is that the former follows from symmetry of 4D spacetime while the latter follows from symmetry of the internal space.

Quantum [formula omitted]-Yang-Mills from the IKKT matrix model

We study the one-loop effective action of the higher-spin gauge theory induced by the IKKT matrix model on a M1,3×K background, where M1,3 is an FLRW cosmological spacetime brane and K are compact fuzzy extra dimensions. In particular, we show that all non-abelian (hs-valued) gauge fields in this model acquire mass via quantum effects, thus avoiding no-go theorems. This leads to a massive non-abelian quantum hs-Yang-Mills theory, whose detailed structure depends on K. The stabilization of K at one loop is understood as a result of the coupling between K and the U(1)-flux bundle on space-time. This flux stabilization induces the KK scale into the N=4 SYM sector of the model, which break superconformal symmetry.

Chromonatural warm inflation

Chromonatural inflation is a model where non-Abelian gauge fields are sustained by the coupling of the axion with the gauge field through the Chern-Simons term, while minimal warm inflation is a model where the axion produces a thermal bath of non-Abelian gauge particles through the Chern-Simons term. Since both axion inflation models are based on the same action, a natural question is if they are compatible or not. We study axion inflation with the Chern-Simons term and find that chromonatural inflation can accommodate radiation with a temperature much larger than the Hubble parameter during inflation, which is a characteristic feature of warm inflation. Thus, we conclude that chromonatural warm inflation exists, which must have phenomenologically interesting consequences. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Spin-charged point particle in a non-Abelian external field with the generalized uncertainty relation

The dynamics of a particle carrying a non-Abelian charge is studied in the presence of a minimal length. By choosing an appropriate non-Abelian gauge field, the system identifies with the Hamiltonian of the Jaynes-Cummings model whose solutions can be determined algebraically. The model has an underlying graded Lie algebra symmetry reminiscent of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. We calculate the energy levels and associated eigenstates using conservation of the number of excitations of the system. Then, we present the effect of the minimal length on the dynamics of the system and we are particularly interested in two particular cases, that of Rabi oscillations and that of the collapse-revival of the wave function. The results show that the higher the deformation parameter, the faster the oscillatory behavior of the atomic inversion.

On sphaleron heating in the presence of fermions

Axion-like particles with a coupling to non-Abelian gauge fields at finite temperature can experience dissipation due to sphaleron heating. This could play an important role for warm inflation or dynamical dark energy. We investigate to what degree the efficiency of this non-perturbative mechanism depends on the details of the underlying particle physics model. For a wide range of scenarios and energy scales, we find that a previously discussed suppression of sphaleron heating by light fermions can be alleviated. As an outlook, we point out that fermionic effects may provide a new mechanism for ending warm inflation.

Heavy-Quark Momentum Broadening in a Non-Abelian Plasma away from Thermal Equilibrium.

We perform classical-statistical real-time lattice simulations to compute real-time spectral functions and momentum broadening of quarks in the presence of strongly populated non-Abelian gauge fields. Based on a novel methodology to extract the momentum broadening for relativistic quarks, we find that the momentum distribution of quarks exhibit interesting nonperturbative features as a function of time due to correlated momentum kicks it receives from the medium, eventually going over to a diffusive regime. We extract the momentum diffusion coefficient for a mass range describing charm and bottom quarks and find sizable discrepancies from the heavy-quark limit.

On the gauge invariance of the higher-derivative Yang–Mills–Chern–Simons action

In this work, we study the perturbative generation of the gauge invariant effective action for the non-Abelian gauge field in a (2+1)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$(2+1)$$\\end{document}-dimensional spacetime. We present a detailed analysis of the two, three and four-point functions in order to determine the non-Abelian Chern–Simons terms (parity odd) and Yang–Mills terms (parity even). Moreover, these terms are supplemented by the higher-derivative corrections which resulted in the Alekseev–Arbuzov–Baikov effective action (parity even) plus the higher-derivative (HD) corrections to the Chern–Simons terms (parity odd). In order to highlight some features about the perturbative generation of the effective action, we present a discussion based on the dimensional analysis, which allows us to establish the general structure of the permissible terms to guarantee the gauge invariance of the higher-derivative parts.

Parametric resonance in Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields via spacetime oscillations

Parametric resonance in Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields via spacetime oscillations

Some New Aspects of Quantum Gravity

We have proposed the quantization of the gravitational field in a synchronous reference frame taking as independent position fields, the six spatial components of the metric tensor. The Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian is quadratic in the space time derivatives of these metric tensor components and hence in particular, the momentum fields become linear functions of the space-time derivatives of the position fields. It is this fact that gives a simple form to the Hamiltonian density of the gravitational field in a synchronous frame, this simple form of the Hamiltonian being a quadratic function of the momentum fields with a shift that is linear in the spatial derivatives of the metric, very much like the Hamiltonian of a non-relativistic particle moving in a vector potential. Differential equations for the gravitational field propagator are derived and we explain how approximations to this propagator can be derived and used to deduce the graviton propagator corrections caused by nonlinear interactions of the graviton field with itself. We explain how this corrected graviton propagator can be used to deduce how much mass the graviton acquires due to these self-interactions of cubic and higher order. We then consider the important problem involving the coupling of a nonlinear field theory described by its Lagrangian density to a quantum noisy bath and explain how the resulting Hamiltonian of the field plus bath can be used to derive the Hudson-Parthasarathy noisy Schrodinger equation (HPS) which is a quantum stochastic differential equation for the joint unitary evolution of the field interacting with the noisy bath. We explain this in the context of gravity coupled to a noisy bath like a noisy electromagnetic field. The HPS equation contains linear as well as quadratic terms in the white bath noise with the linear terms representing quantum annihilation and creation/quantum Brownian motion process differentials and the quadratic terms representing quantum conservation/Poisson processes differentials. Finally we explain how using Feynman path integrals for fields for evaluating the quantum effective action produced by higher order cumulants of the current field, we can calculate corrections to the quantum effective action produced by higher order cumulants of the current field and hence demonstrate how gauge symmetries of the classical action get broken when we pass over to the quantum effective action with additional symmetry breaking terms produced by the presence of higher order cumulants of the current. This kind of approximate symmetry breaking is known to give masses to massless particles or more generally, corrections to the masses of already massive particles and we illustrate this idea in the context of interactions of the gravitational field with a random electromagnetic field being regarded as the current. This interaction is the standard Maxwell action used in general relativity. The drawback of our approach to quantum gravity is that is its not diffeomorphic invariant since we have chosen our frame to be always synchronous. Further work on how one can incorporate interactions of the gravitational field with a random non-Abelian gauge field is in progress which becomes important because it generates non only quadratic but also cubic and fourth degree terms in the gauge field when it interacts with gravity.

Non-Abelian physics in light and sound.

Non-Abelian phenomena arise when the sequence of operations on physical systems influences their behaviors. By possessing internal degrees of freedom such as polarization, light and sound can be subjected to various manipulations, including constituent materials, structured environments, and tailored source conditions. These manipulations enable the creation of a great variety of Hamiltonians, through which rich non-Abelian phenomena can be explored and observed. Recent developments have constituted a versatile testbed for exploring non-Abelian physics at the intersection of atomic, molecular, and optical physics; condensed matter physics; and mathematical physics. These fundamental endeavors could enable photonic and acoustic devices with multiplexing functionalities. Our review aims to provide a timely and comprehensive account of this emerging topic. Starting from the foundation of matrix-valued geometric phases, we address non-Abelian topological charges, non-Abelian gauge fields, non-Abelian braiding, non-Hermitian non-Abelian phenomena, and their realizations with photonics and acoustics and conclude with future prospects.

Cosmological phase transitions and the swampland

I consider the Festina Lente Swampland bound and argue taking thermal effects, as for instance occur during reheating, into account significantly strengthens the implications of this bound. I argue that the confinement scale should be higher than a scale proportional to the vacuum energy, while Festina Lente without thermal effects only bounds the confinement scale to be above the Hubble scale. For Higgsing of nonabelian gauge fields, I find that the magnitude of the Higgs mass should be heavier than a bound proportional to the Electroweak scale (or generally the scale set by the Higgs VEV). The measured values of the Higgs in the SM satisfy the bound. A way to avoid the bound being violated during inflation is to have a large number of species becoming light. If one wants the inflationary scale to lie below the species scale in this case, this bounds the inflationary scale to be ≪ 105 GeV. These bounds have phenomenological implications for BSM physics such as GUTs, suggesting for example a weak or absent gravitational wave signature from the GUT Higgsing phase transition.

Thermodynamic topological classification of higher dimensional and massive gravity black holes

In this work, we investigate the thermodynamic properties of black holes (BHs) that have non-trivial topological features in their phase diagrams. We consider three different models of BHs: (1) a class of BHs in dRGT massive gravity, which adds a mass term to general relativity; (2) a class of BHs in 5D Yang–Mills massive gravity, which combines dRGT massive gravity with a non-Abelian gauge field; and (3) a D-dimensional RN-AdS BH surrounded by Quintessence and a cloud of strings, which are strange forms of matter that change the thermodynamics of the BH. Our goal is to find the critical points of these BHs, which provide the location of first-order phase transitions, and figure out their corresponding topological charges. Topological charges are numbers that show how complicated the BH topology is. Then, we look at these BHs as topological defects in the thermodynamic domain, which is the space of thermodynamic variables like pressure and temperature. We calculate winding numbers to analyze topology on a global and local scale at these defects, which are integers that indicate how many times a curve encircling the defect wraps around the origin. Our analysis reveals that the total topological charge is either equal to 0 or 1 for all models, meaning that the BHs have either a trivial or simple topology. In some cases, we see that the BHs’ topology belongs to a different thermodynamic topological class. This means that the BHs can go through topological phase transitions.

Synthetic Non-Abelian Gauge Fields for Non-Hermitian Systems

Synthetic Non-Abelian Gauge Fields for Non-Hermitian Systems

Kerner Equation for Motion in a Non-Abelian Gauge Field

The equations of motion of an isospin-carrying particle in a Yang–Mills and gravitational field were first proposed in 1968 by Kerner, who considered geodesics in a Kaluza–Klein-type framework. Two years later, the flat space Kerner equations were completed by also considering the motion of the isospin by Wong, who used a field-theoretical approach. Their groundbreaking work was then followed by a long series of rediscoveries whose history is reviewed. The concept of isospin charge and the physical meaning of its motion are discussed. Conserved quantities are studied for Wu–Yang monopoles and diatomic molecules by using van Holten’s algorithm.