Guided random walks for solving Hamiltonian lattice gauge theories

Motivated by developments for many-particle quantum systems, a Monte Carlo method for solving Hamiltonian lattice gauge theories without fermions is presented in which a stochastic random walk is guided by a trial wave function. To the extent that a substantial portion of the local structure of the theory can be incorporated in the trial function, the method offers significant advantages relative to existing techniques. The method is applicable to the study of SU(N) lattice gauge theories, and its utility is demonstrated by solving the compact U(1) gauge theory in three spatial dimensions.     

Loss of continuum Lorentz invariance in gauge theories on a triangular lattice

On a triangular lattice, a weakly chiral lagrangian of interacting bosons and fermions is constructed to be naturally invariant under the triangular symmetry. The continuum limit of the resulting field theory is not Lorentz invariant. We explicitly show this for the propagator of the massive Schwinger model.     

Energy-momentum dispersion of glueballs and the restoration of Lorentz invariance in lattice gauge theories

The strong-coupling expansion for the energy-momentum dispersion of the scalar glueball is carried out for euclidean Z₂ and SU(2) lattice gauge theories up to 10th order in 3 dimensions and to 8th order in 4 dimensions. The results are used to study the restoration of Lorentz invariance in the continuum limit.     

On-shell improved lattice gauge theories

By means of a spectrum conserving transformation, we show that one of the 3 coefficients in Symanzik's improved action can be chosen freely, if only spectral quantities (masses of stable particles, heavy quark potential etc.) are to be improved. In perturbation theory, the other 2 coefficients are however completely determined and their values are obtained to lowest order.Heisenberg foundation fellow     

Optical Abelian lattice gauge theories

We discuss a general framework for the realization of a family of Abelian lattice gauge theories, i.e., link models or gauge magnets, in optical lattices. We analyze the properties of these models that make them suitable for quantum simulations. Within this class, we study in detail the phases of a U(1)$U\left(1\right)$-invariant lattice gauge theory in 2+1$2+1$ dimensions, originally proposed by P. Orland. By using exact diagonalization, we extract the low-energy states for small lattices, up to 4×4$4\times 4$. We confirm that the model has two phases, with the confined entangled one characterized by strings wrapping around the whole lattice. We explain how to study larger lattices by using either tensor network techniques or digital quantum simulations with Rydberg atoms loaded in optical lattices, where we discuss in detail a protocol for the preparation of the ground-state. We propose two key experimental tests that can be used as smoking gun of the proper implementation of a gauge theory in optical lattices. These tests consist in verifying the absence of spontaneous (gauge) symmetry breaking of the ground-state and the presence of charge confinement. We also comment on the relation between standard compact U(1)$U\left(1\right)$ lattice gauge theory and the model considered in this paper.     

Stochastic models for lattice gauge theories

Stochastic equations are derived which describe the (Euclidean) time evolution of lattice field configurations, with and without fermions, on a three-dimensional space lattice. It is indicated how the drifts and transition functions may be obtained as asymptotic solutions of a differential equation or from a ground state ansatz. For non-Abelian gauge fields (without fermions) a ground state is constructed which is an exact eigenstate of a Hamiltonian with the same (naive) continuum limit as the Kogut-Susskind Hamiltonian. It is described how Euclidean correlations (like the Wilson loop) are obtained from the stochastic equations and how mass gaps may be obtained from the technique of exit times.     

Recent advances in lattice gauge theories

Recent progress in the field of lattice gauge theories is briefly reviewed for a nonspecialist audience. While the emphasis is on the latest and more definitive results that have emerged prior to this symposium, an effort has been made to provide them with minimal technicalities.     

Averaging operations for lattice gauge theories

Usually renormalization group transformations are defined by some averaging operations. In this paper we study such operations for lattice gauge fields and for gauge transformations. We are interested especially in characterizing some classes of field configurations on which the averaging operations are regular (e.g., analytic). These results will be used in subsequent papers on the renormalization group method in lattice gauge theories.Research supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant PHY-82-03669     

Chiral gauge theories on the lattice

We propose a method for constructing lattice gauge theories in which fermions transform as a complex representation of the gauge group.     

Homology and abelian lattice gauge theories

A simple Abelian model with both Higgs and gauge field degrees of freedom is investigated on a simplicial lattice of arbitrary dimension. We use group character expansion for both fields to get a diagrammatic expansion of the partition function. The diagrams consist of gauge group representation valued 1- and 2-chains. The diagrams are proved to satisfy the constraint that the boundary of the 2-chain representing the gauge field is equal to the 1-chain representing the Higgs field. Otherwise they identically vanish. Simple consequences of this are current conservation and the vanishing of non-null-homologous Wilson loops. Finally we use this picture for giving a lowest order estimate for the critical length of a string. This is the length at which the flux-tube string connecting two opposite charges is likely to break into two pieces due to pair creation.     

Anomalous gauge theories as constrained Hamiltonian systems

Anomalous gauge theories considered as constrained systems are investigated. The effects of chiral anomaly on the canonical structure are examined first for nonlinear σ-model and later for fermionic theory. The breakdown of the Gauss law constraints and the anomalous commutators among them are studied in a systematic way. An intrinsic mass term for gauge fields makes it possible to solve the Gauss law relations as second class constraints. Dirac brackets between the time components of gauge fields are shown to involve anomalous terms. Based upon the Ward-Takahashi identities for gauge symmetry, we investigate anomalous fermionic theory within the framework of path integral approach.