Symmetry-enriched Topological Phases Research Articles

Quantum phase transition between symmetry enriched topological phases in tensor-network states

Quantum phase transition between symmetry enriched topological phases in tensor-network states

Rotational symmetry protected edge and corner states in Abelian topological phases

Spatial symmetries can enrich the topological classification of interacting quantum matter and endow systems with non-trivial strong topological invariants (protected by internal symmetries) with additional "weak" topological indices. In this paper, we study the edge physics of systems with a non-trivial shift invariant, which is protected by either a continuous $\text{U}(1)_r$ or discrete $\text{C}_n$ rotation symmetry, along with internal $\text{U}(1)_c$ charge conservation. Specifically, we construct an interface between two systems which have the same Chern number but are distinguished by their Wen-Zee shift and, through analytic arguments supported by numerics, show that the interface hosts counter-propagating gapless edge modes which cannot be gapped by arbitrary local symmetry-preserving perturbations. Using the Chern-Simons field theory description of two-dimensional Abelian topological orders, we then prove sufficient conditions for continuous rotation symmetry protected gapless edge states using two complementary approaches. One relies on the algebraic Lagrangian sub-algebra framework for gapped boundaries while the other uses a more physical flux insertion argument. For the case of discrete rotation symmetries, we extend the field theory approach to show the presence of fractional corner charges for Abelian topological orders with gappable edges, and compute them in the case where the Abelian topological order is placed on the two-dimensional surface of a Platonic solid. Our work paves the way for studying the edge physics associated with spatial symmetries in symmetry enriched topological phases.

Symmetry fractionalization in the gauge mean-field theory of quantum spin ice

Symmetry fractionalization is a ubiquitous feature of topologically ordered states that can be used to classify different symmetry-enriched topological phases and reveal some of their unique experimental signatures. Despite its vast popularity, there is currently no available framework to study symmetry fractionalization of quantum spin ice (QSI) -- a $U(1)$ quantum spin liquid (QSL) on the pyrochlore lattice supporting emergent photons -- within the most widely used theoretical framework to describe it, gauge mean-field theory (GMFT). In this work, we provide an extension of GMFT that allows for the classification of space-time symmetry fractionalization. The construction classifies all GMFT Ans\"atze that yield physical wavefunctions invariant under given symmetries and a specific low-energy gauge structure. As an application of the framework, we first show that the only two Ans\"atze with emergent $U(1)$ gauge fields that respect all space-group symmetries are the well-known 0- and $\pi$-flux states. We then showcase how the framework may describe QSLs beyond the currently known ones by classifying chiral $U(1)$ QSI. We find two new states described by $\pi/2$- and $3\pi/2$-fluxes of the emergent gauge field threading the hexagonal plaquettes of the pyrochlore lattice. We finally discuss how the different ways translation symmetries fractionalize for all these states lead to unique experimentally relevant signatures and compute their respective inelastic neutron scattering cross-section to illustrate the argument.

Exactly solvable models for U(1) symmetry-enriched topological phases

We propose a general construction of commuting projector lattice models for 2D and 3D topological phases enriched by U(1) symmetry, with finite-dimensional Hilbert space per site. The construction starts from a commuting projector model of the topological phase and decorates U(1) charges to the state space in a consistent manner. We show that all 2D U(1) symmetry-enriched topological phases, which allow gapped boundaries without breaking the symmetry, can be realized through our construction. We also construct a large class of 3D topological phases with U(1) symmetry fractionalized on particles or loop excitations.

Fractionalizing global symmetry on looplike topological excitations

Symmetry fractionalization (SF) on topological excitations is one of the most remarkable quantum phenomena in topological orders with symmetry, i.e., symmetry-enriched topological phases. While much progress has been theoretically and experimentally made in 2D, the understanding on SF in 3D is far from complete. A long-standing challenge is to understand SF on looplike topological excitations which are spatially extended objects. In this work, we construct a powerful topological-field-theoretical framework approach for 3D topological orders, which leads to a systematic characterization and classification of SF. For systems with Abelian gauge groups ($G_g$) and Abelian symmetry groups ($G_s$), we successfully establish equivalence classes that lead to a finite number of patterns of SF, although there are notoriously infinite number of Lagrangian-descriptions of the system. We compute topologically distinct types of fractional symmetry charges carried by particles. Then, for each type, we compute topologically distinct statistical phases of braiding processes among loop excitations and external symmetry fluxes. As a result, we are able to unambiguously list all physical observables for each pattern of SF. We present detailed calculations on many concrete examples. As an example, we find that the SF in an untwisted $\mathbb{Z}_2\times \mathbb{Z}_2$ topological order with $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry is classified by $ (\mathbb{Z}_2)^6\oplus (\mathbb{Z}_2)^2\oplus (\mathbb{Z}_2)^2\oplus (\mathbb{Z}_2)^2$. If the topological order is twisted, the classification reduces to $(\mathbb{Z}_2)^6$ in which particle excitations always carry integer charge. Pure algebraic formalism of the classification is given by: $ \bigoplus_{\nu_i} \mathcal H^4 ( G_g\leftthreetimes_{\nu_i}G_s, U (1)) /\Gamma_\omega ({\nu_i}) \,$. Several future directions are proposed.

Anyon condensation: coherent states, symmetry enriched topological phases, Goldstone theorem, and dynamical rearrangement of symmetry

Although the mathematics of anyon condensation in topological phases has been studied intensively in recent years, a proof of its physical existence is tantamount to constructing an effective Hamiltonian theory. In this paper, we concretely establish the physical foundation of anyon condensation by building the effective Hamiltonian and the Hilbert space, in which we explicitly construct the vacuum of the condensed phase as the coherent states that are the eigenstates of the creation operators creating the condensate anyons. Along with this construction, which is analogous to Laughlin’s construction of wavefunctions of fractional quantum hall states, we generalize the Goldstone theorem in the usual spontaneous symmetry breaking paradigm to the case of anyon condensation. We then prove that the condensed phase is a symmetry enriched (protected) topological phase by directly constructing the corresponding symmetry transformations, which can be considered as a generalization of the Bogoliubov transformation.

Gauge theory of strongly-correlated symmetric topological Phases

In the presence of symmetry-protection, topological invariants of topological phases of matter in free fermion systems, e.g., topological band insulators, can be directly computed via the properties of band structure. Nevertheless, it is usually difficult to extract topological invariants in strongly-correlated topological phases of matter in which band structure is not well-defined. One typical example is the fractional quantum Hall effect whose low-energy physics is governed by Chern-Simons topological gauge theory and Hall conductivity plateaus involve extremely fruitful physics of strong correlation. In this article, we focus on intrinsic topological order (iTO), symmetry-protected topological phases (SPT), and symmetry-enriched topological phases (SET) in boson and spin systems. Through gauge field-theoretical approach, we review some research progress on these topological phases of matter from the aspects of projective construction, low-energy effective theory and topological response theory.

Symmetry fractionalization, defects, and gauging of topological phases

We examine the interplay of symmetry and topological order in $2+1$ dimensional topological phases of matter. We present a definition of the \it topological symmetry \rm group, which characterizes the symmetry of the emergent topological quantum numbers of a topological phase, and we describe its relation with the microscopic symmetry of the underlying physical system. We derive a general framework to characterize and classify symmetry fractionalization in topological phases, including phases that are non-Abelian and symmetries that permute the quasiparticle types and/or are anti-unitary. We develop a theory of extrinsic defects (fluxes) associated with elements of the symmetry group, which provides a general classification of symmetry-enriched topological phases derived from a topological phase of matter $\mathcal{C}$ with symmetry group $G$. The algebraic theory of the defects, known as a $G$-crossed braided tensor category $\mathcal{C}_{G}^{\times}$, allows one to compute many properties, such as the number of topologically distinct types of defects associated with each group element, their fusion rules, quantum dimensions, zero modes, braiding exchange transformations, a generalized Verlinde formula for the defects, and modular transformations of the $G$-crossed extensions of topological phases. We also examine the promotion of the global symmetry to a local gauge invariance, wherein the extrinsic $G$-defects are turned into deconfined quasiparticle excitations, which results in a different topological phase $(\mathcal{C}_{G}^{\times})^{G}$. A number of instructive and/or physically relevant examples are studied in detail.

Fermionic Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorems and weak symmetry-protected phases

The Lieb-Schultz-Mattis (LSM) theorem and its higher-dimensional generalizations by Oshikawa and Hastings establish that a translation-invariant lattice model of spin-$1/2$'s can not have a non-degenerate ground state preserving both spin and translation symmetries. Recently it was shown that LSM theorems can be interpreted in terms of bulk-boundary correspondence of certain weak symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. In this work we discuss LSM-type theorems for two-dimensional fermionic systems, which have no bosonic analogs. They follow from a general classification of weak SPT phases of fermions in three dimensions. We further derive constraints on possible gapped symmetry-enriched topological phases in such systems. In particular, we show that lattice translations must permute anyons, thus leading to "symmetry-enforced" non-Abelian dislocations, or "genons". We also discuss surface states of other weak SPT phases of fermions.

Building symmetry-enriched topological phases from a bipartite lattice construction and anyon condensation

We introduce a construction of symmetry-enriched topological orders on bipartite lattices in which two $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin liquids defined on each sublattice are combined, and then anyons are condensed to reduce the topological order. By choosing different anyon condensate structures, one can vary the fractionalization pattern of the resulting spin liquid, some of which cannot be readily constructed from parton based approaches. We demonstrate the construction for $i$) a spin-1/2 honeycomb lattice where we construct a featureless state as well as intermediate states with topological order, $ii$) a nonsymmorphic lattice, and $iii$) lattices with magnetic translation symmetry. At last, we discuss constraints on non-chiral topological orders in a bosonic system under magnetic field.

Time-reversal and spatial-reflection symmetry localization anomalies in (2+1)-dimensional topological phases of matter

We study a class of anomalies associated with time-reversal and spatial reflection symmetry in (2+1)D topological phases of matter. In these systems, the topological quantum numbers of the quasiparticles, such as the fusion rules and braiding statistics, possess a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry which can be associated with either time-reversal (denoted $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\bf T})$ or spatial reflections. Under this symmetry, correlation functions of all Wilson loop operators in the low energy topological quantum field theory (TQFT) are invariant. However, the theories that we study possess a severe anomaly associated with the failure to consistently localize the symmetry action to the quasiparticles, precluding even defining a notion of symmetry fractionalization. We present simple sufficient conditions which determine when $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\bf T}$ symmetry localization anomalies exist. We present an infinite series of TQFTs with such anomalies, some examples of which include USp$(4)_2$ and SO$(4)_4$ Chern-Simons (CS) theory. The theories that we find with these $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\bf T}$ anomalies can be obtained by gauging the unitary $\mathbb{Z}_2$ subgroup of a different TQFT with a $\mathbb{Z}_4^{\bf T}$ symmetry. We show that the anomaly can be resolved in several ways: (1) the true symmetry of the theory is $\mathbb{Z}_4^{\bf T}$, or (2) the theory can be considered to be a theory of fermions, with ${\bf T}^2 = (-1)^{N_f}$ corresponding to fermion parity. Finally, we demonstrate that theories with the $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\bf T}$ localization anomaly can be compatible with $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\bf T}$ if they are "pseudo-realized" at the surface of a (3+1)D symmetry-enriched topological phase. The "pseudo-realization" refers to the fact that the bulk (3+1)D system is described by a dynamical $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge theory and thus only a subset of the quasiparticles are confined to the surface.

Commuting-projector Hamiltonians for chiral topological phases built from parafermions

We introduce a family of commuting-projector Hamiltonians whose degrees of freedom involve $\mathbb{Z}_{3}$ parafermion zero modes residing in a parent fractional-quantum-Hall fluid. The two simplest models in this family emerge from dressing Ising-paramagnet and toric-code spin models with parafermions; we study their edge properties, anyonic excitations, and ground-state degeneracy. We show that the first model realizes a symmetry-enriched topological phase (SET) for which $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin-flip symmetry from the Ising paramagnet permutes the anyons. Interestingly, the interface between this SET and the parent quantum-Hall phase realizes symmetry-enforced $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermion criticality with no fine-tuning required. The second model exhibits a non-Abelian phase that is consistent with $\text{SU}(2)_{4}$ topological order, and can be accessed by gauging the $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetry in the SET. Employing Levin-Wen string-net models with $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-graded structure, we generalize this picture to construct a large class of commuting-projector models for $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ SETs and non-Abelian topological orders exhibiting the same relation. Our construction provides the first commuting-projector-Hamiltonian realization of chiral bosonic non-Abelian topological order.

Enriched classification of parafermionic gapped phases with time-reversal symmetry

Based on the recently established parafermionic matrix product states, we study the classification of one-dimensional gapped phases of parafermions with the time reversal (TR) symmetry satisfying $T^{2}=1$. Without extra symmetry, it has been found that $\mathbb{Z}_{p}$ parafermionic gapped phases can be classified as topological phases, spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) phases, and a trivial phase, which are uniquely labelled by the divisors $n$ of $p$. In the presence of TR symmetry, however, the enriched classification is characterized by three indices $n$, $\kappa $ and $\mu $, where $\kappa \in \mathbb{Z}_{2}$ denotes the linear or projective TR actions on the edges, and $\mu \in \mathbb{Z}_{2}$ indicates the commutation relations between the TR and (fractionalized) charge operator. For the $\mathbb{Z}_{r}$ symmetric parafermionic ground states, where $r=p$ for trivial or topological phases, and $r=p/n$ for SSB phases, the original gapped phases with odd $r$ are divided into two phases, while those phases with even $r$ are further separated into four phases. The gapped parafermionic phases with the TR symmetry include the symmetry protected topological phases, symmetry enriched topological phases, and the SSB coexisting symmetry protected topological phases. From analyzing the structures and symmetries of their reduced density matrices of those resulting topological phases, we can obtain the topological protected degeneracies of their entanglement spectra.

Irreducible projective representations and their physical applications

An eigenfunction method is applied to reduce the regular projective representations (Reps) of finite groups to obtain their irreducible projective Reps. Anti-unitary groups are treated specially, where the decoupled factor systems and modified Schur’s lemma are introduced. We discuss the applications of irreducible Reps in many-body physics. It is shown that in symmetry protected topological phases, geometric defects or symmetry defects may carry projective Rep of the symmetry group; while in symmetry enriched topological phases, intrinsic excitations (such as spinons or visons) may carry projective Rep of the symmetry group. We also discuss the applications of projective Reps in problems related to spectrum degeneracy, such as in search of models without sign problem in quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

Exactly solvable models for symmetry-enriched topological phases

We construct fixed-point wave functions and exactly solvable commuting-projector Hamiltonians for a large class of bosonic symmetry-enriched topological (SET) phases, based on the concept of equivalent classes of symmetric local unitary transformations. We argue that for onsite unitary symmetries, our construction realizes all SETs free of anomaly, as long as the underlying topological order itself can be realized with a commuting-projector Hamiltonian. We further extend the construction to anti-unitary symmetries (e.g. time-reversal symmetry), mirror-reflection symmetries, and to anomalous SETs on the surface of three-dimensional symmetry-protected topological phases. Mathematically, our construction naturally leads to a generalization of group extensions of unitary fusion categories to anti-unitary symmetries.

Topological order, symmetry, and Hall response of two-dimensional spin-singlet superconductors

The interplay between symmetry and topology is one of the most exciting avenues of modern condensed matter research. Here, the authors propose a new and unified approach for describing the low-energy physics of two-dimensional spin-singlet superconductors, placing them in a class of topologically ordered states akin to quantum Hall fluids and spin liquids. Starting from a microscopic model of two-dimensional paired fermions with a dynamical electromagnetism (that is also confined to two spatial dimensions), the authors derive Chern-Simons theories for all spin-singlet gapped superconductors, including $s$-wave and chiral states. The topological field theories constructed here thus pave the way towards understanding superconductors as symmetry-enriched topological phases of matter.

Translational Symmetry and Microscopic Constraints on Symmetry-Enriched Topological Phases: A View from the Surface

The Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem and its higher dimensional generalizations by Oshikawa and Hastings require that translationally invariant 2D spin systems with a half-integer spin per unit cell must either have a continuum of low energy excitations, spontaneously break some symmetries, or exhibit topological order with anyonic excitations. We establish a connection between these constraints and a remarkably similar set of constraints at the surface of a 3D interacting topological insulator. This, combined with recent work on symmetry-enriched topological phases (SETs) with on-site unitary symmetries, enables us to develop a framework for understanding the structure of SETs with both translational and on-site unitary symmetries, including the effective theory of symmetry defects. This framework places stringent constraints on the possible types of symmetry fractionalization that can occur in 2D systems whose unit cell contains fractional spin, fractional charge, or a projective representation of the symmetry group. As a concrete application, we determine when a topological phase must possess a "spinon" excitation, even in cases when spin rotational invariance is broken down to a discrete subgroup by the crystal structure. We also describe the phenomena of "anyonic spin-orbit coupling", which may arise from the interplay of translational and on-site symmetries. These include the possibility of on-site symmetry defect branch lines carrying topological charge per unit length and lattice dislocations inducing on-site symmetry protected degeneracies.

Hamiltonian models for topological phases of matter in three spatial dimensions

We present commuting projector Hamiltonian realizations of a large class of (3+1)D topological models based on mathematical objects called unitary G-crossed braided fusion categories. This construction comes with a wealth of examples from the literature of symmetry-enriched topological phases. The spacetime counterparts to our Hamiltonians are unitary state sum topological quantum fields theories (TQFTs) that appear to capture all known constructions in the literature, including the Crane–Yetter–Walker–Wang and 2-Group gauge theory models. We also present Hamiltonian realizations of a state sum TQFT recently constructed by Kashaev whose relation to existing models was previously unknown. We argue that this TQFT is captured as a special case of the Crane–Yetter–Walker–Wang model, with a premodular input category in some instances.

Symmetry enrichment in three-dimensional topological phases

While two-dimensional symmetry-enriched topological phases ($\mathsf{SET}$s) have been studied intensively and systematically, three-dimensional ones are still open issues. We propose an algorithmic approach of imposing global symmetry $G_s$ on gauge theories (denoted by $\mathsf{GT}$) with gauge group $G_g$. The resulting symmetric gauge theories are dubbed "symmetry-enriched gauge theories" ($\mathsf{SEG}$), which may be served as low-energy effective theories of three-dimensional symmetric topological quantum spin liquids. We focus on $\mathsf{SEG}$s with gauge group $G_g=\mathbb{Z}_{N_1}\times\mathbb{Z}_{N_2}\times\cdots$ and on-site unitary symmetry group $G_s=\mathbb{Z}_{K_1}\times\mathbb{Z}_{K_2}\times\cdots$ or $G_s=\mathrm{U(1)}\times \mathbb{Z}_{K_1}\times\cdots$. Each $\mathsf{SEG}(G_g,G_s)$ is described in the path integral formalism associated with certain symmetry assignment. From the path-integral expression, we propose how to physically diagnose the ground state properties (i.e., $\mathsf{SET}$ orders) of $\mathsf{SEG}$s in experiments of charge-loop braidings (patterns of symmetry fractionalization) and the \emph{mixed} multi-loop braidings among deconfined loop excitations and confined symmetry fluxes. From these symmetry-enriched properties, one can obtain the map from $\mathsf{SEG}$s to $\mathsf{SET}$s. By giving full dynamics to background gauge fields, $\mathsf{SEG}$s may be eventually promoted to a set of new gauge theories (denoted by $\mathsf{GT}^*$). Based on their gauge groups, $\mathsf{GT}^*$s may be further regrouped into different classes each of which is labeled by a gauge group ${G}^*_g$. Finally, a web of gauge theories involving $\mathsf{GT}$, $\mathsf{SEG}$, $\mathsf{SET}$ and $\mathsf{GT}^*$ is achieved. We demonstrate the above symmetry-enrichment physics and the web of gauge theories through many concrete examples.

Monte Carlo study of phase transitions out of symmetry-enriched topological phases of bosons in two dimensions

We study a statistical mechanics model of two species of bosons with mutual statistics $\theta=2\pi/n$ in (2+1) dimensions. This model realizes a fractionalized topological phase of bosons, which is a fractionalized version of the boson integer quantum Hall effect. The model can be studied with sign-free Monte Carlo simulations. We study the phase transitions between the fractionalized topological phase and a trivial insulator, and between different topological phases. We find that these transitions are continuous, and we measure their critical exponents.