Low depth quantum circuits for Ising models

A scheme for measuring complex temperature partition functions of Ising models is introduced. Two applications of this scheme are presented. First, through appropriate Wick rotations, those amplitudes can be analytically continued to yield estimates for partition functions of Ising models. Bounds on the estimated error are provided through a central-limit theorem whose validity extends beyond the present context; it holds for example for estimations of the Jones polynomial. The kind of state preparations and measurements involved in this application can be made independent of the system size or the parameters of the system being simulated. Second, the scheme allows to accurately estimate non-trivial invariants of links. Another result concerns the computational power of estimations of partition functions for real temperature classical ferromagnetic Ising models. We provide conditions under which estimating such partition functions allows to reconstruct scattering amplitudes of quantum circuits, making the problem BQP-hard. We also show fidelity overlaps for ground states of quantum Hamiltonians, which serve as a witness to quantum phase transitions, can be estimated from classical Ising model partition functions. Finally, we discuss how accurate corner magnetisation measurements on thermal states of two-dimensional Ising models lead to fully polynomial random approximation schemes (FPRAS) for the partition function.     

Non-periodic Ishibashi states: the su(2) and su(3) affine theories

We consider the su(2) and su(3) affine theories on a cylinder, from the point of view of their discrete internal symmetries. To this end, we adapt the usual treatment of boundary conditions leading to the Cardy equation to take the symmetry group into account. In this context, the role of the Ishibashi states from all (non-periodic) bulk sectors is emphasized. This formalism is then applied to the su(2) and su(3) models, for which we determine the action of the symmetry group on the boundary conditions, and we compute the twisted partition functions. Most if not all data relevant to the symmetry properties of a specific model are hidden in the graphs associated with its partition function, and their subgraphs. A synoptic table is provided that summarizes the many connections between the graphs and the symmetry data that are to be expected in general.     

Lee–Yang zeros in the Rydberg atoms

Lee–Yang (LY) zeros play a fundamental role in the formulation of statistical physics in terms of (grand) partition functions, and assume theoretical significance for the phenomenon of phase transitions. In this paper, motivated by recent progress in cold Rydberg atom experiments, we explore the LY zeros in classical Rydberg blockade models. We find that the distribution of zeros of partition functions for these models in one dimension (1d) can be obtained analytically. We prove that all the LY zeros are real and negative for such models with arbitrary blockade radii. Therefore, no phase transitions happen in 1d classical Rydberg chains. We investigate how the zeros redistribute as one interpolates between different blockade radii. We also discuss possible experimental measurements of these zeros.     

Completeness of the classical 2D Ising model and universal quantum computation

We prove that the 2D Ising model is complete in the sense that the partition function of any classical q-state spin model (on an arbitrary graph) can be expressed as a special instance of the partition function of a 2D Ising model with complex inhomogeneous couplings and external fields. In the case where the original model is an Ising or Potts-type model, we find that the corresponding 2D square lattice requires only polynomially more spins with respect to the original one, and we give a constructive method to map such models to the 2D Ising model. For more general models the overhead in system size may be exponential. The results are established by connecting classical spin models with measurement-based quantum computation and invoking the universality of the 2D cluster states.     

Q-Systems, Heaps, Paths and Cluster Positivity

We consider the cluster algebra associated to the Q-system for A _r as a tool for relating Q-system solutions to all possible sets of initial data. Considered as a discrete integrable dynamical system, we show that the conserved quantities are partition functions of hard particles on certain weighted graphs determined by the choice of initial data. This allows us to interpret the solutions of the system as partition functions of Viennot’s heaps on these graphs, or as partition functions of weighted paths on dual graphs. The generating functions take the form of finite continued fractions. In this setting, the cluster mutations correspond to local rearrangements of the fractions which leave their final value unchanged. Finally, the general solutions of the Q-system are interpreted as partition functions for strongly non-intersecting families of lattice paths on target lattices. This expresses all cluster variables as manifestly positive Laurent polynomials of any initial data, thus proving the cluster positivity conjecture for the A _r Q-system. We also give the relation to domino tilings of deformed Aztec diamonds with defects.     

The Ginibre inequality

In the Ising-type models of statistical mechanics and the related quantum field theories, an inequality of Ginibre implies useful positivity and monotonicity properties: the Griffiths correlation inequalities. Essentially, the Ginibre inequality states that certain functions on the cycle group of a graph are positive definite. This has been proved for arbitrary graphs when the spin dimension is 1 or 2 (classical Ising or plane rotator models). We give a counterexample to show that these spin dimensions are the only ones for which the Ginibre inequality is generally true: there are graphs for which it never holds when the spin dimension is at least 3. On the other hand, we show that for any graph the inequality holds for the apparent leading term in the largespin-dimension limit. (The leading term vanishes in the graph of the counterexample.) Based on these results, one expects the Ginibre inequality to be true in most instances, with infrequent exceptions. A numerical survey supports this. The surprising failure of the Ginibre inequality in higher dimensions need not necessarily mean the Griffiths inequalities fail as well, but a different approach to them is required.     

From quantum mechanics to classical statistical physics: Generalized Rokhsar-Kivelson Hamiltonians and the “Stochastic Matrix Form” decomposition

Quantum Hamiltonians that are fine-tuned to their so-called Rokhsar-Kivelson (RK) points, first presented in the context of quantum dimer models, are defined by their representations in preferred bases in which their ground state wave functions are intimately related to the partition functions of combinatorial problems of classical statistical physics. We show that all the known examples of quantum Hamiltonians, when fine-tuned to their RK points, belong to a larger class of real, symmetric, and irreducible matrices that admit what we dub a Stochastic Matrix Form (SMF) decomposition. Matrices that are SMF decomposable are shown to be in one-to-one correspondence with stochastic classical systems described by a Master equation of the matrix type, hence their name. It then follows that the equilibrium partition function of the stochastic classical system partly controls the zero-temperature quantum phase diagram, while the relaxation rates of the stochastic classical system coincide with the excitation spectrum of the quantum problem. Given a generic quantum Hamiltonian construed as an abstract operator defined on some Hilbert space, we prove that there exists a continuous manifold of bases in which the representation of the quantum Hamiltonian is SMF decomposable, i.e., there is a (continuous) manifold of distinct stochastic classical systems related to the same quantum problem. Finally, we illustrate with three examples of Hamiltonians fine-tuned to their RK points, the triangular quantum dimer model, the quantum eight-vertex model, and the quantum three-coloring model on the honeycomb lattice, how they can be understood within our framework, and how this allows for immediate generalizations, e.g., by adding non-trivial interactions to these models.     

A motivic approach to phase transitions in Potts models

We describe an approach to the study of phase transitions in Potts models based on an estimate of the complexity of the locus of real zeros of the partition function, computed in terms of the classes in the Grothendieck ring of the affine algebraic varieties defined by the vanishing of the multivariate Tutte polynomial. We give completely explicit calculations for the examples of the chains of linked polygons and of the graphs obtained by replacing the polygons with their dual graphs. These are based on a deletion–contraction formula for the Grothendieck classes and on generating functions for splitting and doubling edges.     

Localization for Yang-Mills Theory on the Fuzzy Sphere

We present a new model for Yang-Mills theory on the fuzzy sphere in which the configuration space of gauge fields is given by a coadjoint orbit. In the classical limit it reduces to ordinary Yang-Mills theory on the sphere. We find all classical solutions of the gauge theory and use nonabelian localization techniques to write the partition function entirely as a sum over local contributions from critical points of the action, which are evaluated explicitly. The partition function of ordinary Yang-Mills theory on the sphere is recovered in the classical limit as a sum over instantons. We also apply abelian localization techniques and the geometry of symmetric spaces to derive an explicit combinatorial expression for the partition function, and compare the two approaches. These extend the standard techniques for solving gauge theory on the sphere to the fuzzy case in a rigorous framework.     

Wall-Crossing,Free Fermions and Crystal Melting

We describe wall-crossing for local, toric Calabi-Yau manifolds without compact four-cycles, in terms of free fermions, vertex operators, and crystal melting. Firstly, to each such manifold we associate two states in the free fermion Hilbert space. The overlap of these states reproduces the BPS partition function corresponding to the non-commutative Donaldson-Thomas invariants, given by the modulus square of the topological string partition function. Secondly, we introduce the wall-crossing operators which represent crossing the walls of marginal stability associated to changes of the B-field through each two-cycle in the manifold. BPS partition functions in non-trivial chambers are given by the expectation values of these operators. Thirdly, we discuss crystal interpretation of such correlators for this whole class of manifolds. We describe evolution of these crystals upon a change of the moduli, and find crystal interpretation of the flop transition and the DT/PT transition. The crystals which we find generalize and unify various other Calabi-Yau crystal models which appeared in literature in recent years.     

Measurement-Based Quantum Computation and Undecidable Logic

We establish a connection between measurement-based quantum computation and the field of mathematical logic. We show that the computational power of an important class of quantum states called graph states, representing resources for measurement-based quantum computation, is reflected in the expressive power of (classical) formal logic languages defined on the underlying mathematical graphs. In particular, we show that for all graph state resources which can yield a computational speed-up with respect to classical computation, the underlying graphs—describing the quantum correlations of the states—are associated with undecidable logic theories. Here undecidability is to be interpreted in a sense similar to Gödel’s incompleteness results, meaning that there exist propositions, expressible in the above classical formal logic, which cannot be proven or disproven.     

Product-State Approximations to Quantum States

We show that for any many-body quantum state there exists an unentangled quantum state such that most of the two-body reduced density matrices are close to those of the original state. This is a statement about the monogamy of entanglement, which cannot be shared without limit in the same way as classical correlation. Our main application is to Hamiltonians that are sums of two-body terms. For such Hamiltonians we show that there exist product states with energy that is close to the ground-state energy whenever the interaction graph of the Hamiltonian has high degree. This proves the validity of mean-field theory and gives an explicitly bounded approximation error. If we allow states that are entangled within small clusters of systems but product across clusters then good approximations exist when the Hamiltonian satisfies one or more of the following properties: (1) high degree, (2) small expansion, or (3) a ground state where the blocks in the partition have sublinear entanglement. Previously this was known only in the case of small expansion or in the regime where the entanglement was close to zero. Our approximations allow an extensive error in energy, which is the scale considered by the quantum PCP (probabilistically checkable proof) and NLTS (no low-energy trivial-state) conjectures. Thus our results put restrictions on the possible Hamiltonians that could be used for a possible proof of the qPCP or NLTS conjectures. By contrast the classical PCP constructions are often based on constraint graphs with high degree. Likewise we show that the parallel repetition that is possible with classical constraint satisfaction problems cannot also be possible for quantum Hamiltonians, unless qPCP is false. The main technical tool behind our results is a collection of new classical and quantum de Finetti theorems which do not make any symmetry assumptions on the underlying states.     

Recent developments in topological string theory

This review summarizes the recent developments in topological string theory from the author's perspective, mostly focusing on aspects of research in which the author is involved. After a brief overview of the theory, we discuss two aspects of these developments. First, we discuss the computational progress in the topological string partition functions on a class of elliptic Calabi-Yau manifolds. We propose to use Jacobi forms as an ansatz for the partition function. For non-compact models, the techniques often provide complete solutions, while for compact models, though it is still not completely solvable, we compute to higher genus than previous works. Second, we explore a remarkable connection of refined topological strings on a class of non-compact toric Calabi-Yau threefolds with non-perturbative effects in quantum-mechanical systems. The connections provide rarely available exact quantization conditions for quantum systems and new insights on non-perturbative formulations of topological string theory.     

Nuclear partition functions in the random phase approximation and the temperature dependence of collective states

Green functions techniques at finite temperature are used to calculate nuclear partition functions in the random phase approximation. The theory is shown to yield corrections to the results of functional methods neglecting exchange terms. We discuss the special case of a schematic model for which the level density and the temperature dependence of collective states can be worked out explicitly.     

Partition functions of atomic and diatomic species in high-temperature atmospheric plasmas

Accurate atomic and diatomic partition functions are required to determine the level populations for the calculations of radiative properties in thermodynamic equilibrium and nonequilibrium plasmas produced by various atmospheric re-entries. In this work, a reliable partition functions database was rebuilt for some atomic and diatomic species from 100 K to 50000 K. The atomic partition functions were obtained by a four-level model, while the diatomic partition functions were predicted based upon a more rigorous approach for the computation of the energy levels. Compared with previous publications, the number of diatomic electronic states considered in our work is as large as possible. Estimates are made for the contributions of each electronic state of the diatomic molecule to the partition function. Moreover, the effect of the number of electronic states on the partition function was also evaluated. Finally, we calculated the specific heat based upon the obtained partition functions. All the results were validated by the available data in recent references and the relative errors were systematically analysed.     

Correlated random networks

We develop a statistical theory of networks. A network is a set of vertices and links given by its adjacency matrix c, and the relevant statistical ensembles are defined in terms of a partition function Z= summation operator exp([-betaH(c)]. The simplest cases are uncorrelated random networks such as the well-known Erd?s-Rényi graphs. Here we study more general interactions H(c) which lead to correlations, for example, between the connectivities of adjacent vertices. In particular, such correlations occur in optimized networks described by partition functions in the limit beta--> infinity. They are argued to be a crucial signature of evolutionary design in biological networks.     

On the Exact Evaluation of Certain Instances of the Potts Partition Function by Quantum Computers

We present an efficient quantum algorithm for the exact evaluation of either the fully ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic q-state Potts partition function Z for a family of graphs related to irreducible cyclic codes. This problem is related to the evaluation of the Jones and Tutte polynomials. We consider the connection between the weight enumerator polynomial from coding theory and Z and exploit the fact that there exists a quantum algorithm for efficiently estimating Gauss sums in order to obtain the weight enumerator for a certain class of linear codes. In this way we demonstrate that for a certain class of sparse graphs, which we call Irreducible Cyclic Cocycle Code (ICCC_ε) graphs, quantum computers provide a polynomial speed up in the difference between the number of edges and vertices of the graph, and an exponential speed up in q, over the best classical algorithms known to date.     

Lifshitz Tails on the Bethe Lattice: A Combinatorial Approach

The density of states of disordered hopping models generically exhibits an essential singularity around the edges of its support, known as a Lifshitz tail. We study this phenomenon on the Bethe lattice, i.e. for the large-size limit of random regular graphs, converging locally to the infinite regular tree, for both diagonal and off-diagonal disorder. The exponential growth of the volume and surface of balls on these lattices is an obstacle for the techniques used to characterize the Lifshitz tails in the finite-dimensional case. We circumvent this difficulty by computing bounds on the moments of the density of states, and by deriving their implications on the behavior of the integrated density of states.     

Symmetries of the Classical Integrable Systems and 2-Dimensional Quantum Gravity: a ‘Map’

Abstract

We draw attention to the connections recently established by others between the classical integrable KdV and KP hierarchies in 1 + 1 and 2 + 1 dimensions respectively and the matrix models which relate to the partition functions of 2-dimensional (1 + 1 dimensional) quantum gravity. The symmetries of the classical KP hierarchy in 2 + 1 dimensions are fundamental to this connection.     

Quantum Ergodicity for Graphs Related to Interval Maps

We prove quantum ergodicity for a family of graphs that are obtained from ergodic one-dimensional maps of an interval using a procedure introduced by Pakónski et al (J. Phys. A, 34, 9303-9317 (2001)). As observables we take the L ² functions on the interval. The proof is based on the periodic orbit expansion of a majorant of the quantum variance. Specifically, given a one-dimensional, Lebesgue-measure-preserving map of an interval, we consider an increasingly refined sequence of partitions of the interval. To this sequence we associate a sequence of graphs, whose directed edges correspond to elements of the partitions and on which the classical dynamics approximates the Perron-Frobenius operator corresponding to the map. We show that, except possibly for subsequences of density 0, the eigenstates of the quantum graphs equidistribute in the limit of large graphs. For a smaller class of observables we also show that the Egorov property, a correspondence between classical and quantum evolution in the semiclassical limit, holds for the quantum graphs in question.