Topological Charge Density Research Articles

Dyons near the transition temperature in lattice QCD

We study the topological structure of QCD by cluster analysis. The fermionic topological charge density is constructed from low lying modes of overlap Dirac operator for three types of temporal boundary conditions for fermion field. This gives the possibility to mark all three dyon constitutents of KvBLL caloron in gluonic fields. The gluonic topological charge density is appearing in the process of overimproved gradient flow process stopped at the moment when it maximally matches the fermionic topological charge density. This corresponds to the smearing of gluonic fields up to the scale set by dyon size. The time-like Abelian monopoles and specific KvBLL pattern of Polyakov line correlate with topological clusters.

Topological charge conservation in stochastic optical fields

The fact that phase singularities in scalar stochastic optical fields are topologically conserved implies the existence of an associated conserved current, which can be expressed in terms of local correlation functions of the optical field and its transverse derivatives. Here, we derive the topological charge current for scalar stochastic optical fields and show that it obeys a conservation equation. We use the expression for the topological charge current to investigate the topological charge flow in inhomogeneous stochastic optical fields with a one-dimensional topological charge density.

High-topological-number magnetic skyrmions and topologically protected dissipative structure

The magnetic skyrmion with the topological number of unity ($Q=1$) is a well-known nanometric swirling spin structure in the nonlinear $\sigma$ model with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Here, we show that magnetic skyrmion with the topological number of two ($Q=2$) can be created and stabilized by applying vertical spin-polarized current though it cannot exist as a static stable excitation. Magnetic skyrmion with $Q=2$ is a nonequilibrium dynamic object, subsisting on a balance between the energy injection from the current and the energy dissipation by the Gilbert damping. Once it is created, it becomes a topologically protected object against fluctuations of various variables including the injected current itself. Hence, we may call it a topologically protected dissipative structure. We also elucidate the nucleation and destruction mechanisms of the magnetic skyrmion with $Q=2$ by studying the evolutions of the magnetization distribution, the topological charge density as well as the energy density. Our results will be useful for the study of the nontrivial topology of magnetic skyrmions with higher topological numbers.

Skyrmions in chiral magnets with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling

Skyrmions are topological spin textures of interest for fundamental science and applications. Previous theoretical studies have focused on systems with broken bulk inversion symmetry, where skyrmions are stabilized by easy-axis anisotropy. We investigate here systems that break surface inversion symmetry, in addition to possible broken bulk inversion. This leads to two distinct Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) terms with strengths $D_\perp$, arising from Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and $D_\parallel$ from Dresselhaus SOC. We show that skyrmions become progressively more stable with increasing $D_\perp/D_\parallel$, extending into the regime of easy-plane anisotropy. We find that the spin texture and topological charge density of skyrmions develops nontrivial spatial structure, with quantized topological charge in a unit cell given by a Chern number. Our results give a design principle for tuning Rashba SOC and magnetic anisotropy to stabilize skyrmions in thin films, surfaces, interfaces and bulk magnetic materials that break mirror symmetry.

Computing the Topological Susceptibility from Fixed Topology QCD Simulations

The topological susceptibility is an important quantity in QCD, which can be computed using lattice methods. However, at a fine lattice spacing, or when using high quality chirally symmetric quarks, algorithms which proceed in small update steps --- in particular the HMC algorithm --- tend to get stuck in a single topological sector. In such cases, the computation of the topological susceptibility is not straightforward. Here, we explore two methods to extract the topological susceptibility from lattice QCD simulations restricted to a single topological sector. The first method is based on the correlation function of the topological charge density, while the second method relies on measuring the topological charge within spacetime subvolumes. Numerical results for two-flavor QCD obtained by using both methods are presented.

Measuring the topological susceptibility in a fixed sector

For field theories with a topological charge Q, it is often of interest to measure the topological susceptibility chi_t = ( < Q^2 > - < Q >^2 ) / V. If we manage to perform a Monte Carlo simulation where Q changes frequently, chi_t can be evaluated directly. However, for local update algorithms and fine lattices, the auto-correlation time with respect to Q tends to be extremely long, which invalidates the direct approach. Nevertheless, the measurement of chi_t is still feasible, even when the entire Markov chain is topologically frozen. We test a method for this purpose, based on the correlation of the topological charge density, as suggested by Aoki, Fukaya, Hashimoto and Onogi. Our studies in non-linear sigma-models and in 2d Abelian gauge theory yield accurate results for chi_t, which confirm that the method is applicable. We also obtain promising results in 4d SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, which suggest the applicability of this method in QCD.

η′meson mass from topological charge density correlator in QCD

The flavor-singlet component of the eta prime meson is related to the topological structure of the SU(3) gauge field through the chiral anomaly. We perform a 2+1-flavor lattice QCD calculation and demonstrate that the two-point function of a gluonically defined topological charge density after a short Yang-Mills gradient flow contains the propagation of the eta prime meson, by showing that its mass in the chiral and continuum limit is consistent with the experimental value. The gluonic correlator does not suffer from the contamination of the pion contribution, and the clean signal is obtained at significantly lower numerical cost compared to the conventional method with the quark bilinear operators.

Versatile Coordination Modes in Silver-Imidazolecarbaldehyde Oxime Complexes: Structural and Computational Analysis

Silver imidazolecarbaldehyde oxime complexes [Ag(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde oxime)2][NO3] (1), [Ag(1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde oxime)2][ClO3] (2), [Ag(1H-5-methylimidazole-4-carbaldehyde oxime)]2[NO3]2 (3), [Ag(1H-imidazole-2-carbaldehyde oxime)]n[NO3]n (4), [Ag(1H-4-methylimidazole-5-carbaldehyde oxime)]n[ClO3]n (5), and [Ag(N-hydroxy-1-methyl-1H-imidazole-2-carboximidamide)2]2[CF3SO3]2 (6) were structurally and computationally analyzed. Weak intramolecular interactions were found to play the main role in determining the most favorable structure of the free ligands, therefore controlling the final coordination mode, and the nuclearity of the complexes. Further information on the nature of the intra- and intermolecular interactions were provided utilizing computational density functional theory calculations and topological charge density analysis according to the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules. The efficient control of the structure of the complexes also results in a better control of the material properties.

Scattering of high-energy magnons off a magnetic skyrmion

We discuss the scattering of high-energy magnons off a single magnetic skyrmion within the field-polarized ground state of a two-dimensional chiral magnet. For wavevectors larger than the inverse skyrmion radius, krs ≫ 1 the magnon scattering is dominated by an emerging magnetic field whose flux density is essentially determined by the topological charge density of the skyrmion texture. This leads to skew and rainbow scattering characterized by an asymmetric and oscillating differential cross section. We demonstrate that the transversal momentum transfer to the skyrmion is universal due to the quantization of the total emerging flux while the longitudinal momentum transfer is negligible in the high-energy limit. This results in a magnon-driven skyrmion motion approximately antiparallel to the incoming magnon current and a universal relation between current and skyrmion-velocity.

Signatures of Planck corrections in a spiralling axion inflation model

The minimal sub-Planckian axion inflation model accounts for a large scalar-to-tensor ratio via a spiralling trajectory in the field space of a complex field Φ. Here we consider how the predictions of the model are modified by Planck scale-suppressed corrections. In the absence of Planck corrections the model is equivalent to a ϕ4/3 chaotic inflation model. Planck corrections become important when the dimensionless coupling ξ of |Φ|2 to the topological charge density of the strongly-coupled gauge sector F F̃ satisfies ξ ∼ 1. For values of |Φ| which allow the Planck corrections to be understood via an expansion in powers of |Φ|2/MPl2, we show that their effect is to produce a significant modification of the tensor-to-scalar ratio from its ϕ4/3 chaotic inflation value without strongly modifying the spectral index. In addition, to leading order in |Φ|2/MPl2, the Planck modifications of ns and r satisfy a consistency relation, Δ ns = −Δr/16. Observation of these modifications and their correlation would allow the model to be distinguished from a simple ϕ4/3 chaotic inflation model and would also provide a signature for the influence of leading-order Planck corrections.

Correlation and localization properties of topological charge density and the pseudoscalar glueball mass in SU(3) lattice Yang-Mills theory

Towards the goal of extracting the continuum properties, we have studied the Topological Charge Density Correlator (TCDC) and the Inverse Participation Ratio (IPR) for the topological charge density ($q(x)$) in SU(3) Lattice Yang-Mills theory for relatively small lattice spacings including some smaller than those explored before. With the help of recently proposed open boundary condition, it is possible to compute observables at a smaller lattice spacing since {\em trapping problem} is absent. On the other hand, the reference energy scale provided by Wilson flow allows us to study their scaling behavior in contrast to previously proposed smearing techniques. The behavior of TCDC for different lattice spacings at a fixed HYP smearing level shows apparent scaling violations. In contrast, at a particular Wilson flow time $t$ for all the lattice spacings investigated (except the largest one), the TCDC data show universal behavior within our statistical uncertainties. The continuum properties of TCDC are studied by investigating the small flow time behavior. We have also extracted the pseudoscalar glueball mass from TCDC, which appears to be insensitive to the lattice spacings (0.0345 fm $\leq a\leq$ 0.0667 fm) and agrees with the value extracted using anisotropic lattices, within statistical errors. Further, we have studied the localization property of $q(x)$ through IPR whose continuum behavior can be probed through the small values of Wilson flow time and observed the decrease of IPR with decreasing Wilson flow time. A detailed study of $q(x)$ under Wilson flow time revealed that as Wilson flow time decreases, the proximity of the regions of positive and negative charge densities of large magnitudes increases, and the charge density appears to be more delocalized resulting in the observed behavior of IPR.

Dyon structures in the deconfinement phase of lattice gluodynamics: Topological clusters, holonomies, and Abelian monopoles

The topological structure of lattice gluodynamics is studied at intermediate resolution scale in the deconfining phase with the help of a cluster analysis. UV filtered topological charge densities are determined from a fixed number of low-lying eigenmodes of the overlap Dirac operator with three types of temporal boundary conditions applied to the valence quark fields. This method usually allows to find all three distinguished (anti)dyon constituents in the gauge field of Kraan-van Baal-Lee-Lu (anti)caloron solutions. The clustering of the three topological charge densities in Monte Carlo generated configurations is then used to mark the positions of anticipated (anti)dyons of the corresponding type. In order to support this interpretation, inside these clusters, we search also for time-like Abelian monopole currents (defined in the maximally Abelian gauge) as well as for local holonomies with at least two approximately degenerated eigenvalues. Our results support the view that light dyon-antidyon pairs - in contrast to the heavy (anti)caloron dyon constituents - contribute dominantly to thermal Yang-Mills fields in the deconfinement phase. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Pierre van Baal and Dmitri Igorevich Diakonov who have influenced our work very much.

Topological charge densities in inhomogeneous stochastic optical fields

We show that it is possible to produce normally distributed stochastic optical fields with statistical properties that are neither homogeneous, nor stationary, in contrast to those of speckle fields. The key aspect that distinguishes these stochastic optical fields from speckle fields is the presence of multiple transverse correlations in their far-field distributions. They can have nonzero topological charge densities, which is not possible for speckle fields. However, the net topological charge remains zero. The inhomogeneous properties decay away as a function of propagation distance. We discuss an experimental setup that can produce such a stochastic optical field.

Manipulating topological states by imprinting non-collinear spin textures.

Topological magnetic states, such as chiral skyrmions, are of great scientific interest and show huge potential for novel spintronics applications, provided their topological charges can be fully controlled. So far skyrmionic textures have been observed in noncentrosymmetric crystalline materials with low symmetry and at low temperatures. We propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally the design of spin textures with topological charge densities that can be tailored at ambient temperatures. Tuning the interlayer coupling in vertically stacked nanopatterned magnetic heterostructures, such as a model system of a Co/Pd multilayer coupled to Permalloy, the in-plane non-collinear spin texture of one layer can be imprinted into the out-of-plane magnetised material. We observe distinct spin textures, e.g. vortices, magnetic swirls with tunable opening angle, donut states and skyrmion core configurations. We show that applying a small magnetic field, a reliable switching between topologically distinct textures can be achieved at remanence.

Realization of fractional Chern insulators in the thin-torus limit with ultracold bosons

Topological states of interacting many-body systems are at the focus of current research due to the exotic properties of their elementary excitations. In this paper we suggest a realistic experimental setup for the realization of a simple version of such a phase. We show how delta-interacting bosons hopping on the links of a one-dimensional (1D) ladder can be used to simulate the thin-torus-limit of the two-dimensional (2D) Hofstadter-Hubbard model at one-quarter magnetic flux per plaquette. Bosons can be confined to ladders by optical superlattices, and synthetic magnetic fields can be realized by far off-resonant Raman beams. We show that twisted boundary conditions can be implemented, enabling the realization of a fractionally quantized Thouless pump. Using numerical density-matrix-renormalization-group (DMRG) calculations we show that the groundstate of our model is an incompressible symmetry-protected topological charge density wave (CDW) phase at average filling $\rho = 1/8$ per lattice site, related to the 1/2 Laughlin-type state of the corresponding 2D model.

Diffusion of topological charge in lattice QCD simulations

We study the autocorrelations of observables constructed from the topological charge density, such as the topological charge on a time slice or in a subvolume, using a series of hybrid Monte Carlo simulations of pure SU(3) gauge theory with both periodic and open boundary conditions. We show that the autocorrelation functions of these observables obey a simple diffusion equation and we measure the diffusion coefficient, finding that it scales like the square of the lattice spacing. We use this result and measurements of the rate of tunneling between topological charge sectors to calculate the scaling behavior of the autocorrelation times of these observables on periodic and open lattices. There is a characteristic lattice spacing at which open boundary conditions become worthwhile for reducing autocorrelations and we show how this lattice spacing is related to the diffusion coefficient, the tunneling rate, and the lattice Euclidean time extent.

Enhanced Stability of Skyrmions in Two-Dimensional Chiral Magnets with Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling

Recent developments have led to an explosion of activity on skyrmions in three-dimensional (3D) chiral magnets. Experiments have directly probed these topological spin textures, revealed their nontrivial properties, and led to suggestions for novel applications. However, in 3D the skyrmion crystal phase is observed only in a narrow region of the temperature-field phase diagram. We show here, using a general analysis based on symmetry, that skyrmions are much more readily stabilized in two-dimensional (2D) systems with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. This enhanced stability arises from the competition between field and easy-plane magnetic anisotropy and results in a nontrivial structure in the topological charge density in the core of the skyrmions. We further show that, in a variety of microscopic models for magnetic exchange, the required easy-plane anisotropy naturally arises from the same spin-orbit coupling that is responsible for the chiral Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. Our results are of particular interest for 2D materials like thin films, surfaces, and oxide interfaces, where broken surface-inversion symmetry and Rashba spin-orbit coupling naturally lead to chiral exchange and easy-plane compass anisotropy. Our theory gives a clear direction for experimental studies of 2D magnetic materials to stabilize skyrmions over a large range of magnetic fields down to T=0.

Local CP-violation and electric charge separation by magnetic fields from lattice QCD

We study local CP-violation on the lattice by measuring the local correlation between the topological charge density and the electric dipole moment of quarks, induced by a constant external magnetic field. This correlator is found to increase linearly with the external field, with the coefficient of proportionality depending only weakly on temperature. Results are obtained on lattices with various spacings, and are extrapolated to the continuum limit after the renormalization of the observables is carried out. This renormalization utilizes the gradient flow for the quark and gluon fields. Our findings suggest that the strength of local CP-violation in QCD with physical quark masses is about an order of magnitude smaller than a model prediction based on nearly massless quarks in domains of constant gluon backgrounds with topological charge. We also show numerical evidence that the observed local CP-violation correlates with spatially extended electric dipole structures in the QCD vacuum.

Topology near the transition temperature in lattice gluodynamics analyzed by low lying modes of the overlap Dirac operator

Topological objects of $SU(3)$ gluodynamics are studied at the infrared scale near the transition temperature with the help of zero and near-zero modes of the overlap Dirac operator. We construct UV filtered topological charge densities corresponding to three versions of the temporal boundary condition applied to this operator, for which the zero mode is known to be located on corresponding three constituent dyons (antidyons) in the reference case of an analytical (anti)caloron solution. The clustering of the three topological charge densities marks the positions of three types of dyons and antidyons which can therefore be considered as present in equilibrium (Monte Carlo) gluonic fields at the given resolution scale. We classify them either as constituents of nondissociated (anti)calorons or as constituents of (anti)dyon pairs or as isolated (anti)dyons. The pattern of the Polyakov loop describing the centers and the interior of these clusters is observed after a limited number of overimproved cooling steps and resembles the description known from analytical caloron solutions.

On chromoelectric (super)conductivity of the Yang–Mills vacuum

We argue that in the Copenhagen (“spaghetti”) picture of the QCD vacuum the chromomagnetic flux tubes exhibit chromoelectric superconductivity. We show that the superconducting chromoelectric currents in the tubes may be induced by the topological charge density.