Strong-disorder Renormalization Group Research Articles

Heisenberg spin chain with random-sign couplings

We study the 1D quantum Heisenberg chain with randomly ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic couplings [a model previously studied by approximate strong-disorder renormalization group (RG)]. We find that, at least for sufficiently large spin S, the ground state has "spin glass" order. The spin waves on top of this state have the dynamical exponent [Formula: see text], intermediate between the values z = 1 of the antiferromagnet and z = 2 of the ferromagnet. Density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations are in good agreement with the analytical results for spins S = 1 and [Formula: see text]. The case [Formula: see text] shows large finite size effects: We suggest that this case is also ordered, but with a small ordered moment.

Critical behavior of dirty free parafermionic chains

Abstract A family of $\mathbb Z_n$-symmetric non-Hermitian models of Baxter was shown by Fendley to be exactly solvable via a parafermionic generalization of the Clifford algebra. We study these models with spatially random couplings, and obtain several exact results on thermodynamic singularities as the distributions of couplings are varied. We find that these singularities, independent of $n$, are identical to those in the random transverse-field Ising chain; correspondingly the models host infinite-randomness critical points. Similarities in structure to exact methods for random Ising models, a strong-disorder renormalization group, and generalizations to other models with free spectra, are discussed.

Numerical evidence of a universal critical behavior of two-dimensional and three-dimensional random quantum clock and Potts models.

The random quantum q-state clock and Potts models are studied in two and three dimensions. The existence of Griffiths phases is tested in the two-dimensional case with q=6 by sampling the integrated probability distribution of local susceptibilities of the equivalent McCoy-Wu three-dimensional classical models with Monte Carlo simulations. For the random Potts model, numerical evidence of the existence of Griffiths phases is given and the finite-size effects are analyzed. For the clock model, the data also suggest the existence of a Griffiths phase but with much larger finite-size effects. The critical point of the random quantum clock model is then studied with the Strong-Disorder Renormalization Group. Evidence is given that, at strong enough disorder, this critical behavior is governed by the same infinite-disorder fixed point as the Potts model, for all the number of states q considered. At weak disorder, our renormalization group method becomes unstable and does not allow us to make conclusions.

Strong-disorder renormalization group approach to the Anderson model using Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory

Previous work proposed a strong-disorder renormalization approach for the Anderson model, using it to calculate the density of states and the inverse participation ratio, Johri and Bhatt (2014). This is interesting because of the potential for expansion to higher dimensions and to interacting systems. The original proposal used a non-standard perturbation theory approach which avoided degeneracies. We implemented the same structure but with standard Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory. Here degeneracies do arise, and we consider two approaches, one in which renormalization is suppressed if degeneracy is present and a second in which the most common form of degeneracy is handled using standard degenerate perturbation theory. The version in which degeneracies are not handled performs similarly to the original proposal, and the addition of degeneracies provides some improvement.

Random Ising chain in transverse and longitudinal fields: Strong disorder RG study

Motivated by the compound LiHoxY1-xF4, we consider the Ising chain with random couplings and in the presence of simultaneous random transverse and longitudinal fields, and study its low-energy properties at zero temperature by the strong disorder renormalization group approach. In the absence of longitudinal fields, the system exhibits a quantum-ordered and a quantum-disordered phase separated by a critical point of infinite disorder. When the longitudinal random field is switched on, the ordered phase vanishes and the trajectories of the renormalization group are attracted to two disordered fixed points: one is characteristic of the classical random field Ising chain, the other describes the quantum disordered phase. The two disordered phases are separated by a separatrix that starts at the infinite disorder fixed point and near which there are strong quantum fluctuations.

Towards explicit discrete holography: Aperiodic spin chains from hyperbolic tilings

We propose a new example of discrete holography that provides a new step towards establishing the AdS/CFT duality for discrete spaces. A class of boundary Hamiltonians is obtained in a natural way from regular tilings of the hyperbolic Poincaré disk, via an inflation rule that allows to construct the tiling using concentric layers of tiles. The models in this class are aperiodic spin chains, whose sequences of couplings are obtained from the bulk inflation rule. We explicitly choose the aperiodic XXZ spin chain with spin 1/2 degrees of freedom as an example. The properties of this model are studied by using strong disorder renormalization group techniques, which provide a tensor network construction for the ground state of this spin chain. This can be regarded as discrete bulk reconstruction. Moreover we compute the entanglement entropy in this setup in two different ways: a discretization of the Ryu-Takayanagi formula and a generalization of the standard computation for the boundary aperiodic Hamiltonian. For both approaches, a logarithmic growth of the entanglement entropy in the subsystem size is identified. The coefficients, i.e. the effective central charges, depend on the bulk discretization parameters in both cases, albeit in a different way.

Ground-state interface exponents of the diluted Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass

We present a large-scale simulation of the ground state interface properties of the diluted Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass of Gaussian disorder for a broad range of the bond occupation probability $p$ using the strong disorder renormalization group and the population annealing Monte Carlo methods. We find that the interface is space-filling independent of $p$, i.e., the fractal dimension $d_s=1$. The stiffness exponent $\theta$ is likely also independent of $p$, despite that the energy finite-size correction exponent $\omega$ varies with $p$ as recently found. The energy finite-size scaling is also analyzed and compared with that of the $\pm J$ disorder, finding that the thermodynamic energy is universal in both $p$ and the disorder, and the exponent $\omega$ varies with $p$ but is universal in the disorder.

Random singlet-like phase of disordered Hubbard chains

Local moment formation is ubiquitous in disordered semiconductors such as Si:P, where it is observed both in the metallic and the insulating regimes. Here, we focus on local moment behavior in disordered insulators, which arises from short-ranged, repulsive electron-electron interactions. Using density matrix renormalization group and strong-disorder renormalization group methods, we study paradigmatic models of interacting insulators: one dimensional Hubbard chains with quenched randomness. In chains with either random fermion hoppings or random chemical potentials, both at and away from half-filling, we find exponential decay of charge and fermion 2-point correlations but power-law decay of spin correlations that are indicative of the random singlet phase. The numerical results can be understood qualitatively by appealing to the large-interaction limit of the Hubbard chain, in which a remarkably simple picture emerges.

Multipartite entanglement in the random Ising chain

Quantifying entanglement of multiple subsystems is a challenging open problem in interacting quantum systems. Here, we focus on two subsystems of length $\ensuremath{\ell}$ separated by a distance $r=\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\ell}$ and quantify their entanglement negativity ($\mathcal{E}$) and mutual information ($\mathcal{I}$) in critical random Ising chains. We find universal constant $\mathcal{E}(\ensuremath{\alpha})$ and $\mathcal{I}(\ensuremath{\alpha})$ over any distances, using the asymptotically exact strong disorder renormalization group method. Our results are qualitatively different from both those in the clean Ising model and random spin chains of a singlet ground state, like the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ random Heisenberg chain and the random XX chain. While for random singlet states $\mathcal{I}(\ensuremath{\alpha})/\mathcal{E}(\ensuremath{\alpha})=2$, in the random Ising chain this universal ratio is strongly $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ dependent. This deviation between systems contrasts with the behavior of the entanglement entropy of a single subsystem, for which the various random critical chains and clean models give the same qualitative behavior. The reason is that $\mathcal{E}$ and $\mathcal{I}$ are sensitive to higher order correlations in the ground-state structure. Therefore, studying multipartite entanglement provides additional universal information in random quantum systems, beyond what we can learn from a single subsystem.

Testing the validity of random-singlet state for long-range hopping models through the scaling of entanglement entropy

We consider a sublattice-symmetric free-fermion model on a one-dimensional lattice with random hopping amplitudes decaying with the distance as $|t_l|\sim l^{-\alpha}$, and address the question how far an analogue of the random-singlet state (RSS) conceived originally for describing the ground state of certain random spin chains is valid for this model. For this purpose, we study the effective central charge characterizing the logarithmic divergence of the entanglement entropy (EE) and the prefactor of the distribution of distances between localization centers on the two sublattices, which must fulfill a consistency relation for a RSS. For $\alpha>1$, we find by exact diagonalization an overall logarithmic divergence of the entanglement entropy with an effective central charge varying with $\alpha$. The large $\alpha$ limit of the effective central charge is found to be different from that of the nearest-neighbor hopping model. The consistency relation of RSS is violated for $\alpha\le 2$, while for $\alpha>2$ it is possibly valid, but this conclusion is hampered by a crossover induced by the short-range fixed point. The EE is also calculated by the strong-disorder renormalization group (SDRG) method numerically. Besides the traditional scheme, we construct and apply a more efficient minimal SDRG scheme having a linear (nearest-neighbor) structure, which turns out to be an accurate approximation of the full SDRG scheme for not too small $\alpha$. The SDRG method is found to provide systematically lower effective central charges than exact diagonalization does, nevertheless it becomes more and more accurate for increasing $\alpha$. Furthermore, as opposed to nearest-neighbor models, it indicates a weak dependence on the disorder distribution.

Quantum multicritical point in the two- and three-dimensional random transverse-field Ising model

Quantum multicritical points (QMCPs) emerge at the junction of two or more quantum phase transitions due to the interplay of disparate fluctuations, leading to novel universality classes. While quantum critical points have been well characterized, our understanding of QMCPs is much more limited, even though they might be less elusive to study experimentally than quantum critical points. Here, we characterize the QMCP of an interacting heterogeneous quantum system in two and three dimensions, the ferromagnetic random transverse-field Ising model (RTIM). The QMCP of the RTIM emerges due to both geometric and quantum fluctuations, studied here numerically by the strong disorder renormalization group method. The QMCP of the RTIM is found to exhibit ultraslow, activated dynamic scaling, governed by an infinite disorder fixed point. This ensures that the obtained multicritical exponents tend to the exact values at large scales, while also being universal---i.e., independent of the form of disorder---providing a solid theoretical basis for future experiments.

Renormalization group analysis of near-field induced dephasing of optical spin waves in an atomic medium

While typical theories of atom–light interactions treat the atomic medium as being smooth, it is well-known that microscopic optical effects driven by atomic granularity, dipole–dipole interactions, and multiple scattering can lead to important effects. Recently, for example, it was experimentally observed that these ingredients can lead to a fundamental, density-dependent dephasing of optical spin waves in a disordered atomic medium. Here, we go beyond the short-time and dilute limits considered previously, to develop a comprehensive theory of dephasing dynamics for arbitrary times and atomic densities. In particular, we develop a novel, non-perturbative theory based on strong disorder renormalization group (RG), in order to quantitatively predict the dominant role that near-field optical interactions between nearby neighbors has in driving the dephasing process. This theory also enables one to capture the key features of the many-atom dephasing dynamics in terms of an effective single-atom model. These results should shed light on the limits imposed by near-field interactions on quantum optical phenomena in dense atomic media, and illustrate the promise of strong disorder RG as a method of dealing with complex microscopic optical phenomena in such systems.

Infinite randomness with continuously varying critical exponents in the random XYZ spin chain

We study the antiferromagnetic XYZ spin chain with quenched bond randomness, focusing on a critical line between localized Ising magnetic phases. A previous calculation using the spectrum-bifurcation renormalization group, and assuming marginal many-body localization, proposed that critical indices vary continuously. In this work we solve the low-energy physics using an unbiased numerically exact tensor network method named the "rigorous renormalization group." We find a line of fixed points consistent with infinite-randomness phenomenology, with indeed continuously varying critical exponents for average spin correlations. A self-consistent Hartree-Fock-type treatment of the $z$ couplings as interactions added to the free-fermion random XY model captures much of the important physics including the varying exponents; we provide an understanding of this as a result of local correlation induced between the mean-field couplings. We solve the problem of the locally-correlated XY spin chain with arbitrary degree of correlation and provide analytical strong-disorder renormalization group proofs of continuously varying exponents based on an associated classical random walk problem. This is also an example of a line of fixed points with continuously varying exponents in the equivalent disordered free-fermion chain. We argue that this line of fixed points also controls an extended region of the critical interacting XYZ spin chain.

Entanglement-based tensor-network strong-disorder renormalization group

We propose an entanglement-based algorithm of the tensor-network strong-disorder renormalization group (tSDRG) method for quantum spin systems with quenched randomness. In contrast to the previous tSDRG algorithm based on the energy spectrum of renormalized block Hamiltonians, we directly utilizes the entanglement structure associated with the blocks to be renormalized. We examine accuracy of the new algorithm for the random antiferromagnetic Heisenberg models on the one-dimensional, triangular, and square lattices. We then find that the entanglement-based tSDRG achieves better accuracy than the previous one for the square lattice model with weak randomness, while it is less efficient for the one-dimensional and triangular lattice models particularly in the strong randomness region. The theoretical background and possible improvements of the algorithm are also discussed.

Corrections to the singlet-length distribution and the entanglement entropy in random singlet phases

We consider random singlet phases of spin-$\frac{1}{2}$, random, antiferromagnetic spin chains, in which the universal leading-order divergence $\frac{\ln 2}{3}\ln\ell$ of the average entanglement entropy of a block of $\ell$ spins, as well as the closely related leading term $\frac{2}{3}l^{-2}$ in the distribution of singlet lengths are well known by the strong-disorder renormalization group (SDRG) method. Here, we address the question of how large the subleading terms of the above quantities are. By an analytical calculation performed along a special SDRG trajectory of the random XX chain, we identify a series of integer powers of $1/l$ in the singlet-length distribution with the subleading term $\frac{4}{3}l^{-3}$. Our numerical SDRG analysis shows that, for the XX fixed point, the subleading term is generally $O(l^{-3})$ with a non-universal coefficient and also reveals terms with half-integer powers: $l^{-7/2}$ and $l^{-5/2}$ for the XX and XXX fixed points, respectively. We also present how the singlet lengths originating in the SDRG approach can be interpreted and calculated in the XX chain from the one-particle states of the equivalent free-fermion model. These results imply that the subleading term next to the logarithmic one in the entanglement entropy is $O(\ell^{-1})$ for the XX fixed point and $O(\ell^{-1/2})$ for the XXX fixed point with non-universal coefficients. For the XX model, where a comparison with exact diagonalization is possible, the order of the subleading term is confirmed but we find that the SDRG fails to provide the correct non-universal coefficient.

Extreme statistics of the excitations in the random transverse Ising chain

In random quantum magnets, like the random transverse Ising chain, low energy excitations are localized in rare regions and there are only weak correlations between them. It is an open question whether these correlations are relevant in the sense of the renormalization group. To answer this question, we calculate the distribution of the excitation energy of the random transverse Ising chain in the disordered Griffiths phase with high numerical precision by the strong disorder renormalization group method and---for shorter chains---by free-fermion techniques. Asymptotically, the two methods give identical results, which are well fitted by the Fr\'echet limit law of the extremes of independent and identically distributed random numbers. Considering the finite size corrections, the two numerical methods give very similar results, but these differ from the correction term for uncorrelated random variables, indicating that the weak correlations between low-energy excitations in random quantum magnets are relevant.

Numerical evidence of superuniversality of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional random quantum Potts models

The random q-state quantum Potts model is studied on hypercubic lattices in dimensions 2 and 3 using the numerical implementation of the Strong Disorder Renormalization Group introduced by Kovacs and Igl{\'o}i [Phys. Rev. B 82, 054437 (2010)]. Critical exponents $\nu$, d f and $\psi$ at the Infinite Disorder Fixed Point are estimated by Finite-Size Scaling for several numbers of states q between 2 and 50. When scaling corrections are not taken into account, the estimates of both d f and $\psi$ systematically increase with q. It is shown however that q-dependent scaling corrections are present and that the exponents are compatible within error bars, or close to each other, when these corrections are taking into account. This provides evidence of the existence of a super-universality of all 2D and 3D random Potts models.

Maximum Refractive Index of an Atomic Medium

It is interesting to observe that all optical materials with a positive refractive index have a value of index that is of order unity. Surprisingly, though, a deep understanding of the mechanisms that lead to this universal behavior seems to be lacking. Moreover, this observation is difficult to reconcile with the fact that a single, isolated atom is known to have a giant optical response, as characterized by a resonant scattering cross section that far exceeds its physical size. Here, we theoretically and numerically investigate the evolution of the optical properties of an ensemble of ideal atoms as a function of density, starting from the dilute gas limit, including the effects of multiple scattering and near-field interactions. Interestingly, despite the giant response of an isolated atom, we find that the maximum index does not indefinitely grow with increasing density, but rather reaches a limiting value $n\approx 1.7$. We propose an explanation based upon strong-disorder renormalization group theory, in which the near-field interaction combined with random atomic positions results in an inhomogeneous broadening of atomic resonance frequencies. This mechanism ensures that regardless of the physical atomic density, light at any given frequency only interacts with at most a few near-resonant atoms per cubic wavelength, thus limiting the maximum index attainable. Our work is a promising first step to understand the limits of refractive index from a bottom-up, atomic physics perspective, and also introduces renormalization group as a powerful tool to understand the generally complex problem of multiple scattering of light overall.

Entanglement properties of disordered quantum spin chains with long-range antiferromagnetic interactions

We examine the concurrence and entanglement entropy in quantum spin chains with random long-range couplings, spatially decaying with a power-law exponent $\alpha$. Using the strong disorder renormalization group (SDRG) technique, we find by analytical solution of the master equation a strong disorder fixed point, characterized by a fixed point distribution of the couplings with a finite dynamical exponent, which describes the system consistently in the regime $\alpha > 1/2$. A numerical implementation of the SDRG method yields a power law spatial decay of the average concurrence, which is also confirmed by exact numerical diagonalization. However, we find that the lowest-order SDRG approach is not sufficient to obtain the typical value of the concurrence. We therefore implement a correction scheme which allows us to obtain the leading order corrections to the random singlet state. This approach yields a power-law spatial decay of the typical value of the concurrence, which we derive both by a numerical implementation of the corrections and by analytics. Next, using numerical SDRG, the entanglement entropy (EE) is found to be logarithmically enhanced for all $\alpha$, corresponding to a critical behavior with an effective central charge $c = {\rm ln} 2$, independent of $\alpha$. This is confirmed by an analytical derivation. Using numerical exact diagonalization (ED), we confirm the logarithmic enhancement of the EE and a weak dependence on $\alpha$. For a wide range of distances $l$, the EE fits a critical behavior with a central charge close to $c=1$, which is the same as for the clean Haldane-Shastry model with a power-la-decaying interaction with $\alpha =2$. Consistent with this observation, we find using ED that the concurrence shows power law decay, albeit with smaller power exponents than obtained by SDRG.

Tensor-network strong-disorder renormalization groups for random quantum spin systems in two dimensions

Novel randomness-induced disordered ground states in two-dimensional (2D) quantum spin systems have been attracting much interest. For quantitative analysis of such random quantum spin systems, one of the most promising numerical approaches is the tensor-network strong-disorder renormalization group (tSDRG), which was basically established for one-dimensional (1D) systems. In this paper, we propose a possible improvement of its algorithm toward 2D random spin systems, focusing on a generating process of the tree network structure of tensors, and precisely examine their performances for the random antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model not only on the 1D chain but also on the square- and triangular-lattices. On the basis of comparison with the exact numerical results up to 36 site systems, we demonstrate that accuracy of the optimal tSDRG algorithm is significantly improved even for the 2D systems in the strong-randomness regime.