Self-dual Point Research Articles

Two species of semilocal cosmic strings in Abelian gauged CP2 -sigma models coupled to gravity

We study a semi-local Abelian Higgs sigma model with $\mathbb{CP}^2$-valued scalar fields coupled to gravity. We establish the conditions needed for self-duality in this system and obtain cosmic strings, both of self-dual character and out of the self-dual point, in the reference chart of $\mathbb{CP}^2$. In any of the other two charts of a minimum atlas, the transition functions break the global $SU(2)$ symmetry to the Abelian subgroup $e^{i \sigma^3 \alpha}$. In this context, using the transition functions a new self-dual structure can be constructed, which defines a second species of cosmic strings. Because of the presence of a potential energy for the scalar fields, each species takes values in a different bounded region of the target space and is most naturally described using a particular chart of $\mathbb{CP}^2$.

Free fermionic and parafermionic quantum spin chains with multispin interactions

We introduce a family of $Z(N)$ multispin quantum chains with a free fermionic ($N=2$) or free parafermionic ($N>2$) eigenspectrum. The models have $(p+1)$ interacting spins ($p=1,2,\ensuremath{\cdots}$), which are Hermitian in the $Z(2)$ (Ising) case and non-Hermitian for $N>2$. We construct a set of mutually commuting charges that allows us to derive the eigenenergies in terms of the roots of polynomials generated by a recurrence relation of order $(p+1)$. In the critical limit we identify these polynomials with certain hypergeometric polynomials ${}_{p+1}{F}_{p}$. Also in the critical regime, we calculate the ground-state energy in the bulk limit and verify that they are given in terms of the Lauricella hypergeometric series. The models with special couplings are self-dual and at the self-dual point show a critical behavior with a dynamical critical exponent ${z}_{c}=\frac{p+1}{N}$.

Functional equations and separation of variables for exact g-function

The g-function is a measure of degrees of freedom associated to a boundary of two-dimensional quantum field theories. In integrable theories, it can be computed exactly in a form of the Fredholm determinant, but it is often hard to evaluate numerically. In this paper, we derive functional equations — or equivalently integral equations of the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) type — which directly compute the g-function in the simplest integrable theory; the sinh-Gordon theory at the self-dual point. The derivation is based on the classic result by Tracy and Widom on the relation between Fredholm determinants and TBA, which was used also in the context of topological string. We demonstrate the efficiency of our formulation through the numerical computation and compare the results in the UV limit with the Liouville CFT. As a side result, we present multiple integrals of Q-functions which we conjecture to describe a universal part of the g-function, and discuss its implication to integrable spin chains.

't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles in non-Hermitian quantum field theory

We construct exact 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole solutions in a non-Hermitian field theory with local non-Abelian SU(2) gauge symmetry and a modified antilinear CPT symmetry. The solutions are obtained in a fourfold Bogomolny-Prasad-Sommerfield scaling limit giving rise to two different types of monopole masses that saturate the lower energy bound. These two masses only coincide in the Hermitian limit and in the limit in which the symmetry breaking vacuum tends to the trivial symmetry preserving vacuum. In the two theories corresponding to the two known Dyson maps these two masses are exchanged, unlike the Higgs and the gauge masses, which remain the same in both theories. We identify three separate regions in parameter space bounded by different types of exceptional points. In the first region the monopole masses are finite and tend both to zero at the boundary exceptional point, in the second the monopole masses become complex and in the third only one of the monopole masses becomes zero at the boundary exceptional point, whereas the other tends to infinity. We find a self-dual point in parameter space at which the gauge mass becomes exactly identical to the monopole mass.

Symmetries and Dualities in the Theory of Elasticity.

Microscopic symmetries impose strong constraints on the elasticity of a crystalline solid. In addition to the usual spatial symmetries captured by the tensorial character of the elastic tensor, hidden nonspatial symmetries can occur microscopically in special classes of mechanical structures. Examples of such nonspatial symmetries occur in families of mechanical metamaterials where a duality transformation relates pairs of different configurations. We show on general grounds how the existence of nonspatial symmetries further constrains the elastic tensor, reducing the number of independent moduli. In systems exhibiting a duality transformation, the resulting constraints on the number of moduli are particularly stringent at the self-dual point but persist even away from it, in a way reminiscent of critical phenomena.

“Not- A ”, representation symmetry-protected topological, and Potts phases in an S3 -invariant chain

We analyse in depth an $S_3$-invariant nearest-neighbor quantum chain in the region of a U(1)-invariant self-dual multicritical point. We find four distinct proximate gapped phases. One has three-state Potts order, corresponding to topological order in a parafermionic formulation. Also nearby is a phase with "representation" symmetry-protected topological (RSPT) order. Its dual exhibits an unusual "not-A" order, where the spins prefer to align in two of the three directions. Within each of the four phases, we find a frustration-free point with exact ground state(s). The exact RSPT ground state is similar to that of Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki, whereas its dual states in the not-A phase are product states, each an equal-amplitude sum over all states where one of the three spin states on each site is absent. A field-theory analysis shows that all transitions are in the universality class of the critical three-state Potts model. They provide a lattice realization of a flow from a free-boson field theory to the Potts conformal field theory.

Trajectory phase transitions in noninteracting spin systems.

We show that a collection of independent Ising spins evolving stochastically can display surprisingly large fluctuations toward ordered behavior, as quantified by certain types of time-integrated plaquette observables, despite the underlying dynamics being noninteracting. In the large-deviation (LD) regime of long times and large system size, this can give rise to a phase transition in trajectory space. As a noninteracting system we consider a collection of spins undergoing single spin-flip dynamics at infinite temperature. For the dynamical observables we study, the associated tilted generators have an exact and explicit spin-plaquette duality. Such setup suggests the existence of a transition (in the large size limit) at the self-dual point of the tilted generator. The nature of the LD transition depends on the observable. We consider explicitly two situations: (i) for a pairwise bond observable the LD transition is continuous and equivalent to that of the transverse field Ising model and (ii) for a higher-order plaquette observable, in contrast, the LD transition is first order. Case (i) is easy to prove analytically, while we confirm case (ii) numerically via an efficient trajectory sampling scheme that exploits the noninteracting nature of the original dynamics.

Integrability and cycles of deformed [formula omitted] gauge theory

To analyse pure N=2SU(2) gauge theory in the Nekrasov-Shatashvili (NS) limit (or deformed Seiberg-Witten (SW)), we use the Ordinary Differential Equation/Integrable Model (ODE/IM) correspondence, and in particular its (broken) discrete symmetry in its extended version with two singular irregular points. Actually, this symmetry appears to be ‘manifestation’ of the spontaneously broken Z2 R-symmetry of the original gauge problem and the two deformed SW one-cycle periods are simply connected to the Baxter's T and Q functions, respectively, of the Liouville conformal field theory at the self-dual point. The liaison is realised via a second order differential operator which is essentially the ‘quantum’ version of the square of the SW differential. Moreover, the constraints imposed by the broken Z2 R-symmetry acting on the moduli space (Bilal-Ferrari equations) seem to have their quantum counterpart in the TQ and the T periodicity relations, and integrability yields also a useful Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA) for the periods (Y(θ,±u) or their square roots, Q(θ,±u)). A latere, two efficient asymptotic expansion techniques are presented. Clearly, the whole construction is extendable to gauge theories with matter and/or higher rank groups.

Self-dual ν=1 bosonic quantum Hall state in mixed-dimensional QED

We consider a (2+1) dimensional Wilson-Fisher boson coupled to a (3+1) dimensional U(1) gauge field. This theory possesses a strong-weak duality in terms of the coupling constant e, and is self-dual at a particular value of $e$. We derive exact relations between transport coefficients for a $\nu=1$ quantum Hall state at the self-dual point. Using boson-fermion duality, we map the $\nu=1$ bosonic quantum Hall state to a Fermi sea of the dual fermion, and observed that the exact relationships between transport coefficients at the bosonic self-dual point are reproduced by a simple random phase approximation, coupled with a Drude formula, in the fermionic theory. We explain this success of the RPA by pointing out a cancellation of a parity-breaking term in the fermion theory which occurs only at the self-dual point, resulting in the fermion self-dual theory explored previously. In addition, we argue n that the equivalence of self-dual structure can be understood in terms of electromagnetic duality or modular invariance, and these features are not inherited by the non-relativistic cousins of the present model.

Universal Thermodynamic Signature of Self-Dual Quantum Critical Points.

Self-duality is an algebraic structure of certain critical theories, which is not encoded in the scaling dimensions and critical exponents. In this work, a universal thermodynamic signature of self-dual quantum critical points (QCPs) is proposed. It is shown that the Grüneisen ratio at a self-dual QCP remains finite as T→0, which is in sharp contrast to its universal divergence at a generic QCP without self-duality, Γ(T,g_{c})∼T^{-1/zν}. This conclusion is drawn based on the hyperscaling theory near the QCP, and has far-reaching implications for experiments and numerical simulations.

Phase transitions in theZpand U(1) clock models

Quantum phase transitions are studied in the non-chiral $p$-clock chain, and a new explicitly U(1)-symmetric clock model, by monitoring the ground-state fidelity susceptibility. For $p\ge 5$, the self-dual $\mathbb{Z}_p$-symmetric chain displays a double-hump structure in the fidelity susceptibility with both peak positions and heights scaling logarithmically to their corresponding thermodynamic values. This scaling is precisely as expected for two Beresinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) transitions located symmetrically about the self-dual point, and so confirms numerically the theoretical scenario that sets $p=5$ as the lowest $p$ supporting BKT transitions in $\mathbb{Z}_p$-symmetric clock models. For our U(1)-symmetric, non-self-dual minimal modification of the $p$-clock model we find that the phase diagram depends strongly on the parity of $p$ and only one BKT transition survives for $p\geq 5$. Using asymptotic calculus we map the self-dual clock model exactly, in the large $p$ limit, to the quantum $O(2)$ rotor chain. Finally, using bond-algebraic dualities we estimate the critical BKT transition temperatures of the classical planar $p$-clock models defined on square lattices, in the limit of extreme spatial anisotropy. Our values agree remarkably well with those determined via classical Monte Carlo for isotropic lattices. This work highlights the power of the fidelity susceptibility as a tool for diagnosing the BKT transitions even when only discrete symmetries are present.

Out-of-equilibrium transport in the interacting resonant level model: Surprising relevance of the boundary sine-Gordon model

Using time-dependent density matrix renormalization group calculations we study the transport properties ($I-V$ curves and shot noise) of the interacting resonant level model (IRLM) in a large range of the interaction parameter $U$, in the scaling limit. We find that these properties can be described remarkably well by those of the Boundary sine-Gordon model (BSG), which are known analytically (Fendley, Ludwig and Saleur, 1995). We argue that the two models are nevertheless in different universality classes out of equilibrium: this requires a delicate discussion of their infra-red (IR) properties ({\it i.e.} at low voltage), where we prove in particular that the effective tunneling charge is $e$ in the infra-red regime of the IRLM (except at the self-dual point where it jumps to $2e$), while it is known to be a continuously varying function of $U$ in the BSG. This behavior is confirmed by careful analysis of the numerical data in the IR. The remarkable agreement of the transport properties, especially in the crossover region, remains however unexplained.

Unitary circuits of finite depth and infinite width from quantum channels

We introduce an approach to compute reduced density matrices for local quantum unitary circuits of finite depth and infinite width. Suppose the time-evolved state under the circuit is a matrix-product state with bond dimension $D$; then the reduced density matrix of a half-infinite system has the same spectrum as an appropriate $D\times D$ matrix acting on an ancilla space. We show that reduced density matrices at different spatial cuts are related by quantum channels acting on the ancilla space. This quantum channel approach allows for efficient numerical evaluation of the entanglement spectrum and R\'enyi entropies and their spatial fluctuations at finite times in an infinite system. We benchmark our numerical method on random unitary circuits, where many analytic results are available, and also show how our approach analytically recovers the behaviour of the kicked Ising model at the self-dual point. We study various properties of the spectra of the reduced density matrices and their spatial fluctuations in both the random and translation-invariant cases.

Knots, links, anyons and statistical mechanics of entangled polymer rings

The field theory approach to the statistical mechanics of a system of N polymer rings linked together is extended to the case of links whose paths in space are characterized by a fixed number 2s of maxima and minima. Such kind of links are called 2s-plats and appear for instance in the DNA of living organisms or in the wordlines of quasiparticles associated with vortices nucleated in a quasi-two-dimensional superfluid. The path integral theory describing the statistical mechanics of polymers subjected to topological constraints is mapped here into a field theory of quasiparticles (anyons). In the particular case of s=2, it is shown that this field theory admits vortex solutions with special self-dual points in which the interactions between the vortices vanish identically. The topological states of the link are distinguished using two topological invariants, namely the Gauss linking number and the so-called bridge number which is related to s. The Gauss linking number is a topological invariant that is relatively weak in distinguishing the different topological configurations of a general link. The addition of topological constraints based on the bridge number allows to get a glimpse into the non-abelian world of quasiparticles, which is relevant for important applications like topological quantum computing and high-TC superconductivity. At the end an useful connection with the cosh-Gordon equation is shown in the case s=2.

A finite temperature study of ideal quantum gases in the presence of one dimensional quasi-periodic potential

We study the thermodynamics of ideal Bose gas as well as the transport properties of non interacting bosons and fermions in a one dimensional quasi-periodic potential, namely Aubry–André (AA) model at finite temperature. For bosons in finite size systems, the effect of quasi-periodic potential on the crossover phenomena corresponding to Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC), superfluidity and localization phenomena at finite temperatures are investigated. From the ground state number fluctuation we calculate the crossover temperature of BEC which exhibits a non monotonic behavior with the strength of AA potential and vanishes at the self-dual critical point following power law. Appropriate rescaling of the crossover temperatures reveals universal behavior which is studied for different quasi-periodicity of the AA model. Finally, we study the temperature and flux dependence of the persistent current of fermions in presence of a quasi-periodic potential to identify the localization at the Fermi energy from the decay of the current.

Classical and quantum aspects of Yang-Baxter Wess-Zumino models

We investigate the integrable Yang-Baxter deformation of the 2d Principal Chiral Model with a Wess-Zumino term. For arbitrary groups, the one-loop β-functions are calculated and display a surprising connection between classical and quantum physics: the classical integrability condition is necessary to prevent new couplings being generated by renormalisation. We show these theories admit an elegant realisation of Poisson-Lie T-duality acting as a simple inversion of coupling constants. The self-dual point corresponds to the Wess-Zumino-Witten model and is the IR fixed point under RG. We address the possibility of having supersymmetric extensions of these models showing that extended supersymmetry is not possible in general.

Self-dual quasiperiodic systems with power-law hopping

We introduce and explore a family of self-dual models of single-particle motion in quasiperiodic potentials, with hopping amplitudes that fall off as a power law with exponent $p$. These models are generalizations of the familiar Aubry-Andre model. For large enough $p$, their static properties are similar to those of the Aubry-Andre model, although the low-frequency conductivity in the localized phase is sensitive to $p$. For $p \leq 2.1$ the Aubry-Andre localization transition splits into three transitions; two distinct intermediate regimes with both localized and delocalized states appear near the self-dual point of the Aubry-Andre model. In the intermediate regimes, the density of states is singular continuous in much of the spectrum, and is approximately self-similar: states form narrow energy bands, which are divided into yet narrower sub-bands; we find no clear sign of a mobility edge. When $p < 1$, localized states are not stable in random potentials; in the present model, however, tightly localized states are present for relatively large systems. We discuss the frequency-dependence and strong sample-to-sample fluctuations of the low-frequency optical conductivity, although a suitably generalized version of Mott's law is recovered when the power-law is slowly decaying. We present evidence that many of these features persist in models that are away from self-duality.

Phase Transition of the q-State Clock Model: Duality and Tensor Renormalization**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11474331.

We investigate the critical behavior and the duality property of the ferromagnetic q-state clock model on the square lattice based on the tensor-network formalism. From the entanglement spectra of local tensors defined in the original and dual lattices, we obtain the exact self-dual points for the model with q ≤ 5 and approximate self-dual points for q ≥ 6. We calculate accurately the lower and upper critical temperatures for the six-state clock model from the fixed-point tensors determined using the higher-order tensor renormalization group method and compare with other numerical results.

Studying critical string emerging from non-Abelian vortex in four dimensions

Recently a special vortex string was found [5] in a class of soliton vortices supported in four-dimensional Yang-Mills theories that under certain conditions can become infinitely thin and can be interpreted as a critical ten-dimensional string. The appropriate bulk Yang-Mills theory has the U(2) gauge group and the Fayet-Iliopoulos term. It supports semilocal non-Abelian vortices with the world-sheet theory for orientational and size moduli described by the weighted CP(2,2) model. The full target space is R_4\times Y_6 where Y_6 is a non-compact Calabi-Yau space. We study the above vortex string from the standpoint of string theory, focusing on the massless states in four dimensions. In the generic case all massless modes are non-normalizable, hence, no massless gravitons or vector fields are predicted in the physical spectrum. However, at the selfdual point (at strong coupling) weighted CP(2,2) admits deformation of the complex structure, resulting in a single massless hypermultiplet in the bulk. We interpret it as a composite "baryon."

Towards the entanglement negativity of two disjoint intervals for a one dimensional free fermion

We study the moments of the partial transpose of the reduced density matrix of two intervals for the free massless Dirac fermion. By means of a direct calculation based on a coherent state path integral, we find an analytic form for these moments in terms of the Riemann theta function. We show that moments of arbitrary order are equal to the same quantities for the compactified boson at the self-dual point. These equalities also imply the non-trivial result that the negativity of the free fermion and the self-dual boson are equal.