卡西米尔力

量子电动力学中的卡西米尔力是真空零点能的体现.广义的卡西米尔力则依赖于涨落介质的类型广泛地出现于物理中,包括量子,临界,戈德斯通模,以及非平衡卡西米尔力.长程关联的涨落介质和约束是产生卡西米尔力的两个条件.本文通过回顾卡西米尔物理的发展,讨论了不同类型的卡西米尔力,几种正规化方法,并对卡西米尔物理的进一步发展做了展望.     

Insight into the role of instantons and their zero modes from lattice QCD

Evidence from lattice QCD calculations is presented showing that instantons and their associated zero modes play a major role in the physics of light hadrons and the propagation of ight quarks in the QCD vacuum.     

Non-perturbative superpotentials in string theory

The non-perturbative superpotential can be effectively calculated in M-theory compactification to three dimensions on a Calabi-Yau four-fold X. For certain X, the superpotential is identically zero, while for other X, a non-perturbative superpotential is generated. Using F-theory, these results carry over to certain Type IIB and heterotic string compactifications to four dimensions with N = 1 supersymmetry. In the heterotic string case, the non-perturbative superpotential can be interpreted as coming from space-time and world-sheet instantons; in many simple cases contributions come only from finitely many values of the instanton numbers.     

Quen's gambit: Decuplet quarks and composite axions

Exotic quarks transforming as decuplets under SU(3)_c (quens) qith zero bare (current) mass plausibly condense at a scale exponentially removed from the ordinary triplet quark chiral symmetry breaking scale. The pseudoscalar pseudo-Goldstone boson remaining after the breaking of the quentic global chiral U(1)_A in the presence of QCD instantons is a likely composite invisible axion (CIA) candidate.     

Dynamics and properties of chiral cosmic strings

Chiral cosmic strings naturally arise in many particle physics models, in particular in supersymmetric theories with a D-term. These strings have a single fermion zero mode in the core. We derive the general equation of motion for such strings. In Minkowski space we give the self-intersections for an arbitrary varying current on the loop, showing that the self-intersection probability is dominated by the fraction of loop with maximal charge. We show how to relate the charge to the fermion condensation temperature, arguing that strings which become current carrying at formation will automatically have a maximal charge. Any daughter loops produced are likely to have the same charge as the parent loop. Possible models for chiral cosmic strings are also discussed and consequences for D-term inflation mentioned.     

Axial anomalies of Lifshitz fermions

We compute the axial anomaly of a Lifshitz fermion theory with anisotropic scaling z = 3 which is minimally coupled to geometry in 3+1 space‐time dimensions. We find that the result is identical to the relativistic case using path integral methods. An independent verification is provided by showing with spectral methods that the η‐invariant of the Dirac and Lifshitz fermion operators in three dimensions are equal. Thus, by the integrated form of the anomaly, the index of the Dirac operator still accounts for the possible breakdown of chiral symmetry in non‐relativistic theories of gravity. We apply this framework to the recently constructed gravitational instanton backgrounds of Hořava–Lifshitz theory and find that the index is non‐zero provided that the space‐time foliation admits leaves with harmonic spinors. Using Hitchin's construction of harmonic spinors on Berger spheres, we obtain explicit results for the index of the fermion operator on all such gravitational instanton backgrounds with SU(2) × U(1) isometry. In contrast to the instantons of Einstein gravity, chiral symmetry breaking becomes possible in the unimodular phase of Hořava–Lifshitz theory arising at λ = 1/3 provided that the volume of space is bounded from below by the ratio of the Ricci to Cotton tensor couplings raised to the third power. Some other aspects of the anomalies in non‐relativistic quantum field theories are also discussed.     

The heterotic string is a soliton

It is shown that the Type IIA superstring compactified on K3 has a smooth string soliton with the same zero mode structure as the heterotic string compactified on a four-torus, thus providing new evidence for a conjectured exact duality between the two six-dimensional string theories. The chiral worldsheet bosons arise as zero modes of Ramond-Ramond fields of the IIA string theory and live on a signature (20,4) even, self-dual lattice. Stable, finite loops of soliton string provide the charged Ramond-Ramond states necessary for enhanced gauge symmetries at degeneration points of the K3 surface. It is also shown that Type IIB strings toroidally compactified to six dimensions have a multiplet of string solutions with Type II worldsheets.     

QCD vacuum as a disordered medium: a simplified model for the QCD dirac operator

We model the QCD Dirac operator as a power-law random banded matrix (RBM) with the appropriate chiral symmetry. Our motivation is the form of the Dirac operator in a basis of instantonic zero modes with a corresponding gauge background of instantons. We compare the spectral correlations of this model to those of an instanton liquid model (ILM) and find agreement well beyond the Thouless energy. In the bulk of the spectrum the dimensionless Thouless energy of the RBM scales with the square root of system size in agreement with the ILM and chiral perturbation theory. Near the origin the scaling in the RBM remains the same as in the bulk which agrees with chiral perturbation theory but not with the ILM. Finally we discuss how this RBM should be modified in order to describe the spectral correlations of the QCD Dirac operator at the finite temperature chiral restoration transition.     

电子型FeSe基高温超导体的磁通束缚态与Majorana零能模

作为凝聚态物理中一类新奇准粒子态,Majorana零能模(Majorana zero mode)由于可用来实现拓扑量子计算而成为当前的研究热点.理论预言,Majorana零能模可作为特殊的束缚态出现在一些拓扑超导体的磁通涡旋中.但实际超导体磁通中还可能存在其他低能束缚态或杂质态,这给Majorana零能模的辨别和具体应用带来了困难.目前实验上寻找合适的拓扑超导体系、分辨出清晰的Majorana零能模仍然是十分迫切的.本文主要介绍最近利用高能量分辨的扫描隧道显微镜,对电子掺杂铁硒类超导体(Li,Fe)OHFeSe和单层FeSe/SrTiO3磁通态进行的研究.实验上在前者的自由磁通中观测到清晰的零能模,并进一步测量到Majorana零能模的重要特征—量子化电导.而在后者磁通中只发现常规Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon(CdGM)束缚态,反映出s波对称性的特征.这系列实验既为Majorana零能模物性的进一步研究提供了合适平台,也为澄清铁基超导体中拓扑超导电性的来源提供了线索.     

Topological fluctuations and breaking of chiral symmetry in gauge theories involving massless fermions

Using the method of Euclidean functional integrals, we show the occurrence of a certain types of chiral symmetry breaking as a result of local fluctuations in the winding number. We mainly restrict our discussion to QED₂ in order to have an independent check of our methods from the known solution of this model. We do not use instantons (pseudo-particles), and we also avoid functional integration over fields with global winding (Pontryagin) number different from zero.     

Topological confinement in bilayer graphene

We study a new type of one-dimensional chiral states that can be created in bilayer graphene (BLG) by electrostatic lateral confinement. These states appear on the domain walls separating insulating regions experiencing the opposite gating polarity. While the states are similar to conventional solitonic zero modes, their properties are defined by the unusual chiral BLG quasiparticles, from which they derive. The number of zero mode branches is fixed by the topological vacuum charge of the insulating BLG state. We discuss how these chiral states can manifest experimentally and emphasize their relevance for valleytronics.     

Thin-film magnetization dynamics on the surface of a topological insulator

We theoretically study the magnetization dynamics of a thin ferromagnetic film exchange coupled with a surface of a strong three-dimensional topological insulator. We focus on the role of electronic zero modes imprinted by domain walls (DWs) or other topological textures in the magnetic film. Thermodynamically reciprocal hydrodynamic equations of motion are derived for the DW responding to electronic spin torques, on the one hand, and fictitious electromotive forces in the electronic chiral mode fomented by the DW, on the other. An experimental realization illustrating this physics is proposed based on a ferromagnetic strip, which cuts the topological insulator surface into two gapless regions. In the presence of a ferromagnetic DW, a chiral mode transverse to the magnetic strip acts as a dissipative interconnect, which is itself a dynamic object that controls (and, inversely, responds to) the magnetization dynamics.     

Introduction to M(atrix) theory and noncommutative geometry

Noncommutative geometry is based on an idea that an associative algebra can be regarded as “an algebra of functions on a noncommutative space”. The major contribution to noncommutative geometry was made by A. Connes, who, in particular, analyzed Yang–Mills theories on noncommutative spaces, using important notions that were introduced in his papers (connection, Chern character, etc). It was found recently that Yang–Mills theories on noncommutative spaces appear naturally in string/M-theory; the notions and results of noncommutative geometry were applied very successfully to the problems of physics.

In this paper we give a mostly self-contained review of some aspects of M(atrix) theory, of Connes’ noncommutative geometry and of applications of noncommutative geometry to M(atrix) theory. The topics include introduction to BFSS and IKKT matrix models, compactifications on noncommutative tori, a review of basic notions of noncommutative geometry with a detailed discussion of noncommutative tori, Morita equivalence and -duality, an elementary discussion of noncommutative orbifolds, noncommutative solitons and instantons. The review is primarily intended for physicists who would like to learn some basic techniques of noncommutative geometry and how they can be applied in string theory and to mathematicians who would like to learn about some new problems arising in theoretical physics.

The second part of the review (Sections 10–12) devoted to solitons and instantons on noncommutative Euclidean space is almost independent of the first part.     

粒子探测器的进展

本文简要地评述粒子探测器的发展近况。文中讨论了以下问题:大型高能粒子探测器、高能实验电子学及探测器物理。     

Massive tensor multiplets in N = 1 supersymmetry

We derive the action for a massive tensor multiplet coupled to chiral and vector multiplets as it can appear in orientifold compactifications of type IIB string theory. We compute the potential of the theory and show its consistency with the corresponding Kaluza‐Klein reduction of N = 1 orientifold compactifications. The potential contains an explicit mass term for the scalar in the tensor multiplet which does not arise from eliminating an auxiliary field. A dual action with an additional massive vector multiplet is derived at the level of superfields.     

The geodesic motion on generalized Taub-NUT gravitational instantons

A class of generalized Taub-NUT gravitational instantons is reported in five-dimensional Einstein gravity coupled to a non-linear sigma model. The geodesic dynamics of a spinless particle of unit mass on these static gravitational instantons is studied. This is accomplished by finding a generalized Runge-Lenz vector. Unlike the Kepler problem, or, the dynamics of a spinless particle on the familiar Taub-NUT gravitational instantons, the orbits are not conic sections.     

自旋与手征动力学的输运模拟研究

自旋相关的物理是多个研究领域的热门课题。核子和夸克都是自旋为1/2的费米子,在非对心重离子碰撞中受到自旋-轨道相互作用以及磁场的影响,会产生有趣的自旋动力学,特别是在垂直于反应平面方向上会出现自旋极化。在相对论重离子碰撞中,由于产生了极端的高温高密环境,夸克可以近似看作无质量粒子,此时自旋动力学过渡为手征动力学。在外界电磁场、涡旋场作用下以及在电荷与手征荷不对称的条件下,会产生一系列手征反常效应。本文介绍我们课题组基于输运模拟在自旋与手征动力学方面开展的一系列研究工作,包括中能重离子碰撞及相对论重离子碰撞中粒子的自旋极化、理想体系及相对论重离子碰撞中的手征磁波等。     

Massless QCD and chiral symmetry breaking

It is well known that chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken in QCD. To relate this fact to non-perturbative features of the theory, like instantons, we start with a massless lagrangian and perform a non-linear chiral colored singlet transformation on the quark fields which yields (by means of Fujikawa's method) essentially two terms in the lagrangian. First a quark mass term induced by instantons and secondly a coupling between pseudoscalar mesons and the axial anomaly. Ward-Takahashi identities can be derived. To clarify the presence of this induced mass term we calculate its first perturbative part up to the two-loop level.