Topological order

and

quantum criticality
March 2010

Les Houches

Simon Trebst Microsoft Station Q UC Santa Barbara

Charlotte Gils Alexei Kitaev Andreas Ludwig

Simon Trebst

Matthias Troyer Zhenghan Wang

news & views

e ective ion concentration close to the surface, this crucially helps to transduce the ion channels sensitivity to the nanowire. is step having been made, a number of formidable challenges remain to make the ion-channel-based biointerface a reality. In their experiment, Misra and co-workers used two simple peptide pores, which are commonly used as test devices. It will be quite challenging to incorporate real ion channels with more versatile functions into the lipid membrane coating news & views would truly result in the nanowires. is new ion-channel-based biosensors that combine the extraordinary biochemical and electronic sensitivities of their components. For neuroprosthetics, however, it will also be important to make information transfer bidirectional, that is, to controllably transfer electronic to ionic or chemical signals. Furthermore, at present it is unclear how such devices would be made to function in vivo.
Friedrich C. Simmel is in the Physics Department at the Technical University Munich, James-FranckStrae, D-854748 Garching, Germany. e-mail: simmel@ph.tum.de References
1. Gibson, W. Neuromancer (Ace, 1984). 2. Gibson, W. Count Zero (Ace, 1986).

Physics in the plane: From condensed matter to string theory

1, 5165 (2006).

3. Gibson, W. Mona Lisa Overdrive (Ace, 1988). 4. Misra, N. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 1378013784 (2009). 5. Sigworth, F. J. Nature 423, 2122 (2003). 6. Fromherz, P., O enhausser, A., Vetter, T. & Weis, J. Science 252, 12901293 (1991). 7. Fromherz, P. & Stett, A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 16701673 (1995). 8. Peitz, I., Voelker, M. & Fromherz, P. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46, 57875790 (2007). 9. Cornell, B. A. et al. Nature 387, 580583 (1997). 10. Patolsky, F., Zheng, G. & Lieber, C. M. Nanomedicine 11. Patolsky, F. et al. Science 313, 11001104 (2006).

e ective ion concentration close to the combine the extraordinary biochemical and References TOPOLOGICAL PHASES 1. Gibson, W. Neuromancer (Ace, 1984). surface, this crucially helps to transduce the electronic sensitivities of their components. 2. Gibson, W. Count Zero (Ace, 1986). ion channels sensitivity to the nanowire. For neuroprosthetics, however, it will 3. Gibson, W. Mona Lisa Overdrive (Ace, 1988). is step having been made, a number also be important to make information of formidable challenges remain to make transfer bidirectional, that is, to controllably 4. Misra, N. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 1378013784 (2009). the ion-channel-based biointerface a transfer electronic to ionic or chemical 5. Sigworth, F. J. Nature 423, 2122 (2003). reality. In their experiment, Misra and defects in a topological phase ofit is signals. Furthermore, at present quantum matter leads to a critical T. & Weis, J. Sciencecan Proliferation of so-called anyonic 6. Fromherz, P., O enhausser, A., Vetter, state that 252, 12901293 (1991). co-workers used as asimple peptide pores,withunclear how such devices would be made to length scales. two quantum foam, be visualized topology-changing uctuations on all 7. Fromherz, P. & Stett, A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 16701673 (1995). which are commonly used as test devices. function in vivo. 8. Peitz, I., Voelker, M. & Fromherz, P. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. It will be quite challenging to incorporate 46, 57875790 (2007). Kareljan Schoutens versatile real ion channels with more Friedrich C. Simmel is in the Physics Department 9. Cornell, B. A. et al. Nature 387, 580583 (1997). functions into the lipid membrane coating at the Technical University Munich, James-Franck10. Patolsky, F., Zheng, G.three-dimensional systems, a here is no end to the list of remarkable restrictions for & Lieber, C. M. Nanomedicine the nanowires. is would truly result in Strae, D-854748 Garching, Germany. 1, 5165 (2006). quantum phases of matter that can where bosonic or fermionic statistics are 11. Patolsky, F. et al. Science 313, 11001104 (2006). new ion-channel-based biosensors that e-mail: simmel@ph.tum.de Simon Trebst

Wormholes in quantum matter

Topological quantum liquids

Spontaneous symmetry breaking

ground state has less symmetry than high-T phase Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory local order parameter
cosmic microwave background

Topological order

ground state has more symmetry than high-T phase degenerate ground states non-local order parameter quasiparticles have fractional statistics = anyons

Simon Trebst

Topological quantum liquids

Gapped spectrum No broken symmetry

Degenerate ground state on torus

Fractional statistics of excitations

e
0 1
H

Hilbert space split into topological sectors No local matrix element mixes the sectors

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Topological order
time reversal symmetry
broken quantum Hall liquids invariant magnetic materials

2a

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Quantum phase transitions

time-reversal invariant systems

topological order

some other (ordered) state

c
How can we describe these phase transitions? no local order parameter no Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory complex field theoretical framework doubled (non-Abelian) Chern-Simons theories Liquids on surfaces can provide a topological framework.
Simon Trebst

The toric code in a magnetic field

A first example

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The toric code

A. Kitaev, Ann. Phys. 303, 2 (2003).

L1

As Bp

As =

jstar(s)

x j

Bp =
L2

jp

z j

HTC = Je

As Jm

topological phase

Bp +

x z (hx i + hz i )

paramagnet

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Toric code and the transverse field Ising model

Bp =
Bp

jp

z j

Bp = 2z p
x i = x x p q

p
HTC = Jm
HTFIM = 2Jm

Bp + hx

x i

z p

+ hx

p,q

x x p q

Simon Trebst

Phase diagram
I.S. Tupitsyn et al., arXiv:0804.3175

first-order transition multicritical point?

hx

paramagnet

vortex condensate

topological phase
continuous transition

charge condensate

deconfined phase
lin e se lfdu ali ty

0
Simon Trebst

hz

Excitations: condensation vs. confinement

L1

As Bp
L2

vertex excitations x As = j electric charges jstar(s) plaquette excitations z Bp = j magnetic vortices jp

topological phase electric

confinement length !c

confinement length c confinement length !c 6/(L2 + 2)

magnetic vortices

charges
paramagnet

topological phase topological phase

1 1

0.8

gap / 2B

0.6

0.95 0.5

0.95

0.4

0.2

topological phase topological phase

paramagnet
0.6 0.8 1

0.9 0.56

0.5 0.5

L=8 L = 12 L = 16 L=8
L = 12 L = 16

0.57 0.9
0.56

0.58
0.57

0.59
0.58

0.6
0.59 0.6

0 0
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0.2

0.4

0 0

loop tension h

0 00 0.1 0

0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2

0.1

0.2

0.3 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0.5 0.6 0.4 loop tension 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.5 0.50.6 h 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.9 11

loop tension loop tension h h

Splitting the topological degeneracy

ST et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 070602 (2007).

topological phase
4 2

paramagnet
4

energy splitting !E(L)

E exp(L)

2 0

0 -2 -4 -6 -8 0.54 0.55 0.56 0.57 0.58

L = 48 L = 40 L = 32 L = 24 L = 16 L = 12 L=8

-2 -4 -6

E L
magnetic field hx
0.59 0.6 0.61 0.62

-8

Simon Trebst

Phase diagram
I.S. Tupitsyn et al., arXiv:0804.3175

first-order transition multicritical point?

hx

paramagnet

vortex condensate

topological phase
continuous transition

charge condensate

deconfined phase
lin e se lfdu ali ty

0
Simon Trebst

hz

Toric code: phase transitions

Hamiltonian deformations
Fradkin & Shenker (1979) ST et al. (2007) Tupitsyn et al. (2008) Vidal, Dusuel, Schmidt (2009)

3D Ising universality z=1

toric code

RG flow

paramagnet

z~2

2D Ising conformal QCP universality

wavefunction deformations
Simon Trebst

Ardonne, Fendley, Fradkin (2004) Castelnovo & Chamon (2008) Fendley (2008)

Quantum double models

for time-reversal invariant systems

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Time-reversal invariant liquids

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chiral excitations

anyonic liquid

flux excitations
non-chiral anyonic liquid

The skeleton lattice

anyonic liquid

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The skeleton lattice

anyonic liquid

skeleton lattice
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Abelian liquids loop gas // toric code Abelian liquids loop gas toric code

Semion fusion rules

ss=1
s
1 1 1 1

loop gas

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Flux excitations
anyonic liquid flux through hole

flux through tube skeleton lattice

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Extreme limits

no flux through holes close holes two sheets The two sheets ground state exhibits topological order. In the toric code model this is the flux-free, loop gas ground state
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Extreme limits

no flux through tubes pinch off tubes decoupled spheres The decoupled spheres ground state exhibits no topological order. In the toric code model this is the paramagnetic state.
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Connecting the limits: a microscopic model

H = Jp

plaquettes p

(p),1 Je

edges e

(e),1

Varying the couplings Je /Jp we can connect the two extreme limits. Semions (Abelian): Toric code in a magnetic field / loop gas with loop tension Je /Jp .
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The quantum phase transition

two sheets topological order vary loop tension Je /Jp

decoupled spheres no topological order

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The quantum phase transition

two sheets topological order quantum foam topology fluctuations on all length scales continuous transition
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decoupled spheres no topological order

Universality classes (semions)

Hamiltonian deformations
Fradkin & Shenker (1979) ST et al. (2007) Tupitsyn et al. (2008) Vidal, Dusuel, Schmidt (2009)

3D Ising universality z=1

toric code

RG flow

paramagnet

z~2

2D Ising universality

wavefunction deformations
Simon Trebst

Ardonne, Fendley, Fradkin (2004) Castelnovo & Chamon (2008) Fendley (2008)

The non-Abelian case

Fibonacci anyon fusion rules

=1+

1 1

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Non-abelian liquids string net

Fibonacci anyon fusion rules

=1+

string net
1 1 1

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The quantum phase transition

two sheets topological order vary string tension Je /Jp

decoupled spheres no topological order

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One-dimensional analog

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A continuous transition

A continuous quantum phase transition connects the two extremal topological states. The transition is driven by topology fluctuations on all length scales. The gapless theory is exactly sovable.

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Phase diagram
Jr

c = 14/15
exactly solvable

non-Abelian topological phase

Jp
critical phase
c = 7/5

non-Abelian topological phase

c = 7/5
exactly solvable
Simon Trebst

Gapless theory & exact solution

The operators in the Hamiltonian form a Temperley-Lieb algebra
(Xi )2 = d Xi
d= 2+

Xi Xi1 Xi = Xi

[Xi , Xj ] = 0
for |i j| 2

The Hamiltonian maps onto the Dynkin diagram D6

(1, 1) 1 (, )

(1, )

(, 1)

The gapless theory is a CFT with c = 14/15.

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Gapless theory & exact solution

2
1+14/15
-flux

2
1+2/3
-flux

rescaled energy E(kx , ky )

8/5

no-flux

Jr
1.5

1.5
56/45

-flux

c = 14/15
exactly solvable

(+1)-flux

1+4/15 -flux 1+2/15 (+1)-flux 1+2/45 -flux

14/15 2/3

-flux no-flux

1 L = 12, ky = 0

0.5
4/15 2/15 2/45 0
-flux (+1)-flux -flux no-flux

non-abelian primary fields topological phase

L = 12, ky = descendant fields

0.5

Jp

momentum kx [2/L]

quantum foam
c = 7/5

10

12

non-abelian topological phase

c = 7/5
exactly solvable
Simon Trebst

Gapless theory & exact solution

2
7/4 -flux

Jr
7/5 -flux

rescaled energy E( kx, ky )

1.5
6/5 (+1)-flux 19/20 (+1)-flux

1.5

c = 14/15
exactly solvable

1
L = 8, ky = 0

0.5

2/5 -flux 0 no-flux

0 2

non-abelian topological phase primary fields

L = 8, ky = 3/20 -flux 1/5 (+1)-flux

0.5

0
4 6 8

Jp

momentum kx [2/L]

quantum foam
c = 7/5

non-abelian topological phase

c = 7/5
exactly solvable
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Dressed flux excitations

Jr

c = 14/15
exactly solvable

non-abelian topological phase

Jp
quantum foam
c = 7/5

2
non-abelian topological phase

c = 7/5
exactly solvable

energy E(Kx)

1.5

= 0.6 = 0.3

1.5

= 0.4 = 0.6

0.5

= 0.7 = 0.8

0.5

0 0
Simon Trebst

/2

0 3/2 2

momentum Kx

Back to two dimensions

z=1 string net
c = 14/15

1+1 D

classical state

Hamiltonian deformations

z=1 continuous transition?

2+1 D

string net

classical state z=2 wavefunction deformations

2+0 D
c = 14/15
Fendley & Fradkin (2008)

Simon Trebst

Summary

A topological framework for the description of topological phases and their phase transitions. Unifying description of loop gases and string nets. Quantum phase transition is driven by fluctuations of topology.
Visualization of a more abstract mathematical description, namely doubled non-Abelian Chern-Simons theories. The 2D quantum phase transition out of a non-Abelian phase is still an open issue: A continuous transition in a novel universality class?

C. Gils, ST, A. Kitaev, A. Ludwig, M. Troyer, and Z. Wang arXiv:0906.1579 Nature Physics 5, 834 (2009).
Simon Trebst