Replica Symmetry Research Articles

The replica symmetric formula for the SK model revisited

We provide a simple extension of Bolthausen’s Morita-type proof of the replica symmetric formula [E. Bolthausen, “A Morita type proof of the replica-symmetric formula for SK,” in Statistical Mechanics of Classical and Disordered Systems, Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics (Springer, Cham., 2018), pp. 63–93; arXiv:1809.07972] for the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model and prove the replica symmetry for all (β, h) that satisfy β2Esech2(βqZ+h)≤1, where q=E⁡tanh2(βqZ+h). Compared to the work of Bolthausen [“A Morita type proof of the replica-symmetric formula for SK,” in Statistical Mechanics of Classical and Disordered Systems, Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics (Springer, Cham., 2018), pp. 63–93; arXiv:1809.07972], the key of the argument is to apply the conditional second moment method to a suitably reduced partition function.

Replica symmetry breaking in random non-Hermitian systems

Recent studies have revealed intriguing similarities between the contribution of wormholes to the gravitational path integral and the phenomenon of replica symmetry breaking observed in spin glasses and other disordered systems. Interestingly, these configurations may also be important for the explanation of the information paradox of quantum black holes. Motivated by these developments, we investigate the thermodynamic properties of a $PT$-symmetric system composed of two random non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with no explicit coupling between them. After performing ensemble averaging, we identify numerically and analytically a robust first-order phase transition in the free energy of two models with quantum chaotic dynamics: the elliptic Ginibre ensemble of random matrices and a non-Hermitian Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. The free energy of the Ginibre model is temperature independent in the low-temperature phase. The SYK model has similar behavior for sufficiently low temperature, and then it experiences a possible continuous phase transition to a phase with a temperature-dependent free energy before the first-order transition takes place at a higher temperature. We identify the order parameter of the first-order phase transition and obtain analytical expressions for the critical temperature. The mechanism behind the transition is the existence of replica symmetry breaking configurations coupling left and right replicas that control the low-temperature limit of the partition function. We speculate that quantum chaos may be necessary for the observed dominance of off-diagonal replica symmetry breaking configurations in the low-temperature limit.

Crisanti–Sommers Formula and Simultaneous Symmetry Breaking in Multi-species Spherical Spin Glasses

There is a rich history of expressing the limiting free energy of mean-field spin glasses as a variational formula over probability measures on $[0,1]$, where the measure represents the similarity (or "overlap") of two independently sampled spin configurations. At high temperatures, the formula's minimum is achieved at a measure which is a point mass, meaning sample configurations are asymptotically orthogonal up to a magnetic field correction. At low temperatures, though, a very different behavior emerges known as replica symmetry breaking (RSB). The deep wells in the energy landscape create more rigid structure, and the optimal overlap measure is no longer a point mass. The exact size of its support remains in many cases an open problem. Here we consider these themes for multi-species spherical spin glasses. Following a companion work in which we establish the Parisi variational formula, here we present this formula's Crisanti-Sommers representation. In the process, we gain new access to a problem unique to the multi-species setting. Namely, if RSB occurs for one species, does it necessarily occur for other species as well? We provide sufficient conditions for the answer to be yes. For instance, we show that if two species share any quadratic interaction, then RSB for one implies RSB for the other. Moreover, the level of symmetry breaking must be identical, even in cases of full RSB. In the presence of an external field, any type of interaction suffices.

The discrete random energy model and one step replica symmetry breaking

We solve the random energy model when the energies of the configurations take only integer values. In the thermodynamic limit, the average overlaps remain size dependent and oscillate as the system size increases. While the extensive part of the free energy can still be obtained by a standard replica calculation with one step replica symmetry breaking, it is no longer possible to recover the overlaps in this way. A possible way to adapt the replica approach is to allow the sizes of the blocks in the Parisi matrix to fluctuate and to take complex values.

The Ising Antiferromagnet and Max Cut on Random Regular Graphs

The Ising antiferromagnet is an important statistical physics model with close connections to the {\sc Max Cut} problem. Combining spatial mixing arguments with the method of moments and the interpolation method, we pinpoint the replica symmetry breaking phase transition predicted by physicists. Additionally, we rigorously establish upper bounds on the {\sc Max Cut} of random regular graphs predicted by Zdeborova and Boettcher [Journal of Statistical Mechanics 2010]. As an application we prove that the information-theoretic threshold of the disassortative stochastic block model on random regular graphs coincides with the Kesten-Stigum bound.

Replica wormholes and holographic entanglement negativity

Recent work has shown how to understand the Page curve of an evaporating black hole from replica wormholes. However, more detailed information about the structure of its quantum state is needed to fully understand the dynamics of black hole evaporation. Here we study entanglement negativity, an important measure of quantum entanglement in mixed states, in a couple of toy models of evaporating black holes. We find four phases dominated by different types of geometries: the disconnected, cyclically connected, anti-cyclically connected, and pairwise connected geometries. The last of these geometries are new replica wormholes that break the replica symmetry spontaneously. We also analyze the transitions between these four phases by summing more generic replica geometries using a Schwinger-Dyson equation. In particular, we find enhanced corrections to various negativity measures near the transition between the cyclic and pairwise phase.

Derivation of the two Schwarzians effective action for the Sachdev–Ye-Kitaev spectral form factor

The Sachdev–Ye-Kitaev model spectral form factor exhibits absence of information loss, in the form of a ramp and a plateau that are typical in random matrix theory. In a large N collective fields description, the ramp was reproduced by Saad et al. (A semiclassical ramp in SYK and in gravity, arXiv:1806.06840) by replica symmetry breaking saddles. We derive a two sides Schwarzians effective action for fluctuations around the ramp critical saddles, by computing responses to a smeared version of the two replica kinetic kernel. Our result confirms [1], where the form of the action was heuristically guessed by indirect arguments supported by numerical evidences.

Stabilizing Brillouin random laser with photon localization by feedback of distributed random fiber grating array.

Strong scattering random media can localize light and extend photon lifetime through multiple scattering, which offers opportunities for stabilizing random lasers. Here, we demonstrate a frequency stabilized Brillouin random laser with high coherence enabled by photon localization in random fiber grating array (RFGA). Photon trapping is realized due to wave interference in multi-scattering Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavities between random fiber gratings enabling light localization to prolong photon lifetime. The formation of the high finesse peaks of RFGA suppresses multi-longitudinal modes, which offers single-mode operation at high pump power. The RFGA distributed feedback-based Brillouin random fiber laser (BRFL) maintains a small frequency drift with the pump laser (a phase-locked laser with a linewidth of 100 Hz) at 51 kHz/s for a total change of 620 kHz over 12 s. Note there is no locking between the two lasers, and the beat frequency is measured by the optical heterodyne method. The correlation coefficient change of the measured optical beat frequency is maintained at 4.5%. This indicates that the BRFL is capable of maintaining a small optical frequency difference with the phase-locked pump laser over 12 s thanks to the RFGA capable of trapping photons in the same path, which is a remarkable feature for a random fiber laser. Furthermore, we confirm the single-mode lasing with a long lifetime in the stabilizing BRFL by the replica symmetry behavior and ultralow intensity noise at high pump power. Our findings explore a new approach to stabilize the frequency of Brillouin random lasers passively without commonly used active phase locking laser themes, which makes a simple and cost-effective system.

Marginal stability of soft anharmonic mean field spin glasses

We investigate the properties of the glass phase of a recently introduced spin glass model of soft spins subjected to an anharmonic quartic local potential, which serves as a model of low temperature molecular or soft glasses. We solve the model using mean field theory and show that, at low temperatures, it is described by full replica symmetry breaking. As a consequence, at zero temperature the glass phase is marginally stable. We show that in this case, marginal stability comes from a combination of both soft linear excitations—appearing in a gapless spectrum of the Hessian of linear excitations—and pseudogapped non-linear excitations—corresponding to nearly degenerate two level systems. Therefore, this model is a natural candidate to describe what happens in soft glasses, where quasi localized soft modes in the density of states appear together with non-linear modes triggering avalanches and conjectured to be essential to describe the universal low temperature anomalies of glasses.

Quantum Coulomb glass on the Bethe lattice

We study the Coulomb glass emerging from the interplay of strong interactions and disorder in a model of spinless fermions on the Bethe lattice. In the infinite coordination number limit, strong interactions induce a metallic Coulomb glass phase with a pseudogap structure at the Fermi energy. Quantum and thermal fluctuations both melt this glass and induce a disordered quantum liquid phase. We combine self-consistent diagrammatic perturbation theory with continuous time quantum Monte-Carlo simulations to obtain the complete phase diagram of the electron glass and to characterize its dynamical properties in the quantum liquid, as well as in the replica symmetry broken glassy phase. Tunneling spectra display an Efros-Shklovskii pseudogap upon decreasing temperatures, but the density of states remains finite at the Fermi energy due to residual quantum fluctuations. Our results bear relevance to the metallic glass phase observed in Si inversion layers.

Ground-state stability and the nature of the spin glass phase.

We propose an approach toward understanding the spin glass phase at zero and low temperature by studying the stability of a spin glass ground state against perturbations of a single coupling. After reviewing the concepts of flexibility, critical droplet, and related quantities for both finite- and infinite-volume ground states, we study some of their properties and review three models in which these quantities are partially or fully understood. We also review a recent result showing the connection between our approach and that of disorder chaos. We then view four proposed scenarios for the low-temperature spin glass phase-replica symmetry breaking, scaling-droplet, TNT, and chaotic pairs-through the lens of the predictions of each scenario for the lowest-energy large-lengthscale excitations above the ground state. Using a new concept called σ-criticality, which quantifies the sensitivity of ground states to single-bond coupling variations, we show that each of these four pictures can be identified with different critical droplet geometries and energies. We also investigate necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of multiple incongruent ground states.

Acoustic Wave Coupling in Dual-Wavelength Orthogonal Polarized Brillouin Random Fiber Laser Using Polarization-Maintaining Fiber

Acoustic wave coupling in dual-wavelength orthogonal polarized Brillouin random fiber laser (BRFL) based on polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber is characterized experimentally for the first time. Dual-wavelength BRFL is generated when the pump light is injected to the Brillouin gain PM fiber at 45 degrees from the slow axis. The dynamics of intensity and frequency of dual-wavelength and single-wavelength BRFLs are investigated. The spectrum of Pearson’s correlation coefficient between different frequencies of the dual-wavelength BRFL shows several correlation peaks due to gain competition of two spatially overlapped coupled modes induced by acoustic wave coupling. The dual-wavelength BRFL presents a lower laser frequency drift with a standard deviation of 2.55 MHz and a larger relative intensity fluctuation with a standard deviation of 0.54 compared with that of single-wavelength BRFL (3.68 MHz and 0.32), which is attributed by increased photon-phonon coupling over the Brillouin gain fiber resulting from the coupling of acoustic waves in fast and slow axis due to 45 degrees pumping. In addition, replica symmetry breaking (RSB) is observed in dual-wavelength BRFL due to the increased gain competition of more random modes from acoustic wave coupling, which leads to correlated intensity fluctuations from trace to trace. The exploration of the internal spectral correlation, intensity fluctuation, RSB and frequency drift exposes the acoustic wave coupling in the dual-wavelength Brillouin random lasing process.

Strong Replica Symmetry in High-Dimensional Optimal Bayesian Inference

We consider generic optimal Bayesian inference, namely, models of signal reconstruction where the posterior distribution and all hyperparameters are known. Under a standard assumption on the concentration of the free energy, we show how replica symmetry in the strong sense of concentration of all multioverlaps can be established as a consequence of the Franz–de Sanctis identities; the identities themselves in the current setting are obtained via a novel perturbation coming from exponentially distributed “side-observations” of the signal. Concentration of multioverlaps means that asymptotically the posterior distribution has a particularly simple structure encoded by a random probability measure (or, in the case of binary signal, a non-random probability measure). We believe that such strong control of the model should be key in the study of inference problems with underlying sparse graphical structure (error correcting codes, block models, etc) and, in particular, in the rigorous derivation of replica symmetric formulas for the free energy and mutual information in this context.

On Gaussian spin glass with P-wise interactions

The purpose of this paper is to face up the statistical mechanics of dense spin glasses using the well-known Ising case as a prelude for testing the methodologies we develop and then focusing on the Gaussian case as the main subject of our investigation. We tackle the problem of solving for the quenched statistical pressures of these models both at the replica symmetric level and under the first step of replica symmetry breaking by relying upon two techniques: the former is an adaptation of the celebrated Guerra’s interpolation (closer to probability theory in its spirit) and the latter is an adaptation of the transport partial differential equation (closer to mathematical physics in spirit). We recover, in both assumptions, the same expression for quenched statistical pressure and self-consistency equation found with other techniques, including the well-known replica trick technique.

Role of frustration in a weakly disordered checkerboard lattice

Quenched disorder effects on frustrated systems are explored by considering random fluctuations on the antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions between spins on the checkerboard lattice. The replica framework is adopted within a cluster mean-field approach, resulting in an effective single-cluster model. This effective model is treated within a one-step replica symmetry breaking (RSB) approach with exact evaluations for all intracluster interactions. Competing interactions are introduced by tuning the ratio J2/J1 (where J1 and J2 are first-neighbor and second-neighbor interactions, respectively), which can lead to a highly frustrated scenario when J2/J1→1, where a phase transition between AF orders takes place in the absence of disorder. In particular, the AF order appears at lower values of J2/J1, with the Néel temperature decreasing as the frustration increases. However, quenched disorder changes this description, introducing a RSB spin-glass phase for strong enough disorder intensity J. In fact, for low levels of disorder, a RSB solution with staggered magnetization (mixed phase) emerges from the maximum frustration region. It suggests that, in the presence of weak quenched disorder, systems with competing interactions are prone to present a glassy behavior instead of conventional orders.

Skyrmion crystal in the RKKY system on the two-dimensional triangular lattice

We study the ordering properties of the isotropic RKKY Heisenberg model on the two-dimensional (2D) triangular lattice by extensive Monte Carlo simulations to get insights into the chiral-degenerate skyrmion crystal (SkX) of metallic magnets. Our Hamiltonian contains only the spin-quadratic RKKY interaction derived from the spherical Fermi surface, containing neither the nesting nor the many-body interaction. The SkX phase is stabilized under applied fields where the frustration associated with the oscillating nature of the RKKY interaction and the emergent many-body interactions generated by thermal fluctuations play important roles. Replica symmetry breaking, reported in our recent study on the 3D RKKY model [Phys. Rev. B 104, 184432 (2021)], turns out to be absent in the present 2D model. Implications to the SkX formation mechanism are discussed.

Emergence of Lie group symmetric classical spacetimes in the canonical tensor model

AbstractWe analyze a wave function of a tensor model in the canonical formalism, when the argument of the wave function takes Lie group invariant or nearby values. Numerical computations show that there are two phases, which we call the quantum and the classical phases. In the classical phase fluctuations are suppressed, and configurations emerge which are discretizations of classical geometric spaces invariant under Lie group symmetries. This is explicitly demonstrated for emergence of Sn (n = 1, 2, 3) for SO(n + 1) symmetries by checking the topological and geometric (Laplacian) properties of the emerging configurations. The transition between the two phases has the form of splitting/merging of distributions of variables, resembling a matrix model counterpart, namely the transition between one-cut and two-cut solutions. However, this resemblance is obscured by a difference in the mechanism of distribution in our setup from that in the matrix model. We also discuss this transition as a replica symmetry breaking. We perform various preliminary studies of the properties of the phases and the transition for such values of the argument.

Dominance of Replica Off-Diagonal Configurations and Phase Transitions in a PT Symmetric Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Model.

We show that, after ensemble averaging, the low temperature phase of a conjugate pair of uncoupled, quantum chaotic, non-Hermitian systems such as the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model or the Ginibre ensemble of random matrices is dominated by saddle points that couple replicas and conjugate replicas. This results in a nearly flat free energy that terminates in a first-order phase transition. In the case of the SYK model, we show explicitly that the spectrum of the effective replica theory has a gap. These features are strikingly similar to those induced by wormholes in the gravity path integral which suggests a close relation between both configurations. For a nonchaotic SYK, the results are qualitatively different: the spectrum is gapless in the low temperature phase and there is an infinite number of second order phase transitions unrelated to the restoration of replica symmetry.

Real-time dynamics in diluted quantum networks

We introduce an approach to characterize the dynamics of disordered quantum networks. Each quantum element (i.e., each node) of the network experiences the other nodes as an effective environment that can be self-consistently represented by a Feynman-Vernon influence functional. For networks having the topology of locally treelike graphs, these Feynman-Vernon (FV) functionals can be determined by a new version of the cavity or belief propagation (BP) method. Here, we find the fixed point solution of this version of BP for a network of uniform quantum harmonic oscillators. Then, we estimate the effects of the disorder in these networks within the replica symmetry ansatz. We show that over a large time interval, at small disorder, the real part of the FV functional induces decoherence and classicality while at sufficiently large disorder the Feynman-Vernon functional tends to zero and the coherence survives, signaling in a time setting, the onset of an Anderson's transition.

Simultaneous evaluation of intermittency effects, replica symmetry breaking and modes dynamics correlations in a Nd:YAG random laser

Random lasers (RLs) are remarkable experimental platforms to advance the understanding of complex systems phenomena, such as the replica-symmetry-breaking (RSB) spin glass phase, dynamics modes correlations, and turbulence. Here we study these three phenomena jointly in a Nd:YAG based RL synthesized for the first time using a spray pyrolysis method. We propose a couple of modified Pearson correlation coefficients that are simultaneously sensitive to the emergence and fading out of photonic intermittency turbulent-like effects, dynamics evolution of modes correlations, and onset of RSB behavior. Our results show how intertwined these phenomena are in RLs, and suggest that they might share some common underlying mechanisms, possibly approached in future theoretical models under a unified treatment.