Topological order and semions in a strongly correlated quantum spin Hall insulator

We provide a self-consistent mean-field framework to study the effect of strong interactions in a quantum spin Hall insulator on the honeycomb lattice. We identify an exotic phase for large spin-orbit coupling and intermediate Hubbard interaction. This phase is gapped and does not break any symmetry. Instead, we find a fourfold topological degeneracy of the ground state on the torus and fractionalized excitations with semionic mutual braiding statistics. Moreover, we argue that it has gapless edge modes protected by time-reversal symmetry but a trivial Z(2) topological invariant. Finally, we discuss the experimental signatures of this exotic phase. Our work highlights the important theme that interesting phases arise in the regime of strong spin-orbit coupling and interactions.     

Spectral functions in the two-dimensional Hubbard model within a spin-charge rotating frame approach

We have performed electronic spectral function calculations for the Hubbard model on the square lattice using recently developed quantum SU(2) × U(1) rotor approach that enables a self-consistent treatment of the antiferromagnetic state. The collective variables for charge and spin are isolated in the form of the space-time fluctuating U(1) phase field and rotating spin quantization axis governed by the SU(2) symmetry, respectively. As a result interacting electrons appear as composite objects consisting of bare fermions with attached U(1) and SU(2) gauge fields. This allows us to write the fermion Green’s function in the space-time domain as a product of the SU(2) gauge fields, U(1) phase propagator and the pseudo-fermion correlation function. Consequently, the calculation of the spectral line shapes now reduces to performing the convolution of spin, charge and pseudo-fermion Green’s functions. The collective spin and charge fluctuations are governed by the effective actions that are derived from the Hubbard model for any value of the Coulomb interaction. The emergence of a sharp peak in the electron spectral function in the antiferromagnetic state indicates the decay of the electron into separate spin and charge carrying particle excitations.     

Realization of a SU(2)×SU(6) system of fermions in a cold atomic gas

We report the realization of a novel degenerate Fermi mixture with an SU(2)×SU(6) symmetry in a cold atomic gas. We successfully cool the mixture of the two fermionic isotopes of ytterbium 171Yb with the nuclear spin I=1/2 and 173Yb with I=5/2 below the Fermi temperature T_{F} as 0.46TF for 171Yb and 0.54TF for 173Yb. The same scattering lengths for different spin components make this mixture featured with the novel SU(2)×SU(6) symmetry. The nuclear spin components are separately imaged by exploiting an optical Stern-Gerlach effect. In addition, the mixture is loaded into a 3D optical lattice to implement the SU(2)×SU(6) Hubbard model. This mixture will open the door to the study of novel quantum phases such as a spinor Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-like fermionic superfluid.     

Scaling limit of the one-dimensional attractive Hubbard model: the non-half-filled band case

The scaling limit of the less than half-filled attractive Hubbard chain is studied. This is a continuum limit in which the particle number per lattice site, n, is kept finite (0 < n < 1) while adjusting the interaction and bandwidth in such a way that there is a finite mass gap. We construct this limit both for the spectrum and the secular equations describing the excitations. We find that similarly to the half-filled case, the limiting model has a massive and a massless sector. The structure of the massive sector is closely analogous to that of the half-filled band and consequently to the chiral invariant SU(2) Gross-Neveu (CGN) model. The structure of the massless sector differs from that of the half-filled band case: the excitations are of particle and hole type, however they are not uniquely defined. The energy and the momentum of this sector exhibits a tower structure corresponding to a conformal field theory with c = 1 and SU(2) × SU(2) symmetry. The energy-momentum spectrum and the zero temperature free energy of the states with finite density coincides with that of the half-filled case supporting the identification of the limiting model with the SU(2) symmetric CGN theory.     

Oblique-basis shell-model calculations

A one-dimensional harmonic oscillator in a box is used to introduce the oblique-basis concept. The method is extended to the nuclear shell model by combining traditional spherical shell model states, which yield a diagonal representation of the usual single-particle interaction, with SU(3) shell model collective configurations that track deformation. An application to ²⁴Mg, using the realistic two-body interaction of Wildenthal, is used to explore the validity of this mixed-mode shell-model scheme. The theory is also applied to lower pf-shell nuclei, ^44–48Ti and ⁴⁸Cr, using the Kuo-Brown-3 interaction. These nuclei show strong SU(3) symmetry breaking due mainly to the single-particle spin-orbit splitting. Nevertheless, the results also show that yrast band B(E2) values are insensitive to fragmentation of SU(3) symmetry. Specifically, the quadrupole collectivity as measured by B(E2) strengths remains high even though the SU(3) symmetry is rather badly broken. The results suggest that an oblique-basis mixed-mode shell-model theory may be useful in situations where competing degrees of freedom dominate the dynamics.     

Theoretical study of Mn doping effects and O or Zn vacancies on the magnetic properties in wurtzite ZnO

The effects of including the exchange interaction (J) and Hubbard on-site Coulombic interaction (U) on the structural parameters and magnetic moment of Mn-doped ZnO were explored. The calculations were performed with the plane-wave pseudopotential method along with generalized-gradient approximations (GGA). Using the GGA+U + +J method by applying Hubbard corrections U_d to the Zn 3d states and U_p to the O 2p states, the lattice constants were calculated for various reported Hubbard parameters. The difference in the lattice constants between the calculated results and experimental measurements is within 1% for pure ZnO and pure MnO. This study considers three cases: (i) substitution of Mn for Zn, (ii) substitution of Mn for Zn combined with Zn vacancy, and (iii) substitution of Mn for Zn with O vacancy. Results are shown that the system is ferromagnetic (FM) when zinc vacancies are present. For three cases with oxygen vacancies, only one of them is FM. It was also found that the Hubbard U and exchange interaction J improved the calculated results, allowing it to exhibit good agreement properties for Mn-doped ZnO with the experimental data.     

Ultracold fermions and the SU(N) Hubbard model

We investigate the fermionic SU(N) Hubbard model on the two-dimensional square lattice for weak to moderate interactions using renormalization group and mean-field methods. For the repulsive case U>0 at half filling and small N the dominant tendency is towards breaking of the SU(N) symmetry. For N>6 staggered flux order takes over as the dominant instability, in agreement with the large-N limit. Away from half filling for N=3 two flavors remain half filled by cannibalizing the third flavor. For U<0 and odd N a full Fermi surface coexists with a superconductor. These results may be relevant to future experiments with cold fermionic atoms in optical lattices.     

Interaction and spin–orbit effects on a kagome lattice at 1/3 filling

We investigate the competing effects of spin-orbit coupling and electron--electron interaction on a kagome lattice at 1/3 filling. We apply the cellular dynamical mean-field theory and its real-space extension combined with the continuous time quantum Monte Carlo method, and obtain a phase diagram including the effects of the interaction and the spin-orbit coupling at T = 0. 1t, where T is the temperature and t is the hopping energy. We find that without the spin-orbit coupling, the system is in a semi-metal phase stable against the electron--electron interaction. The presence of the spin-orbit coupling can induce a topological non-trivial gap and drive the system to a topological insulator, and as the interaction increases, a larger spin--orbit coupling is required to reach the topological insulating phase.     

Masses of the 70(-) baryons in large N(c) QCD

The masses of the negative parity 70-plet baryons are analyzed in large N(c) QCD to order 1/N(c) and to first order in SU(3) symmetry breaking. The existing experimental data are well reproduced and 20 new observables are predicted. The leading order SU(6) spin-flavor symmetry breaking is small and, as it occurs in the quark model, the subleading in 1/N(c) hyperfine interaction is the dominant source of the breaking. It is found that the Lambda(1405) and Lambda(1520) are well described as three-quark states and spin-orbit partners. New relations between splittings in different SU(3) multiplets are found.     

Exact diagonalization study of 2D Hubbard model on honeycomb lattice: Semi-metal to insulator transition

Phase transition in a honeycomb lattice is studied by the means of the two-dimensional Hubbard model and the exact diagonalization dynamical mean field theory at zero temperature. At low energies, the dispersion relation is shown to be a linear function of the momentum. In the limit of weak interactions, the system is in the semi-metal phase. By increasing the on site interaction a semi-metal to insulator transition takes place in the paramagnetic phase. Calculation of double occupancy shows such a phase transition is of the second order. The respective phase transition point and critical on-site interaction are determined using renormalized Fermi velocity factor.     

SU(3) spin-orbit coupled fermions in an optical lattice

We propose a scheme to realize the SU(3)spin-orbit coupled three-component fermions in an one-dimensional optical lattice.The topological properties of the single-particle Hamiltonian are studied by calculating the Berry phase,winding number and edge state.We also investigate the effects of the interaction on the ground-state topology of the system,and characterize the interaction-induced topological phase transitions,using a state-of-the-art density-matrix renormalization-group numerical method.Finally,we show the typical features of the emerging quantum phases,and map out the many-body phase diagram between the interaction and the Zeeman field.Our results establish a way for exploring novel quantum physics induced by the SOC with SU(N)symmetry.     

Marginal fermi liquid theory in the Hubbard model

We find marginal-Fermi-liquid- (MFL) like behavior in the Hubbard model on a square lattice for a range of hole doping and on-site interaction parameter U. Thereby we use a self-consistent projection operator method. It enables us to compute the momentum and frequency dependence of the single-particle excitations with high resolution. The Fermi surface is found to be holelike in the underdoped regime and electronlike in the overdoped regime. Our calculations concern normal state properties of the system. When a comparison is possible, we find consistency with finite temperature quantum Monte Carlo results. We also find a discontinuous change with doping concentration from a MFL to a Fermi-liquid behavior resulting from a collapse of the lower Hubbard band. This renders Luttinger's theorem inapplicable in the underdoped regime.     

六极子磁场中自旋轨道耦合玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体的基态结构

研究囚禁在环形势中的Rashba自旋轨道耦合玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体在六极子磁场中的基态特性。在这种情况下,磁场破坏了自旋轨道耦合哈密顿量的旋转对称性,但系统仍具有2π/3的离散对称性。数值结果发现:在弱相互作用情况下,六极子磁场和Rashba自旋轨道耦合使环形囚禁的凝聚体呈类六边形的基态密度分布,当磁场强度超过某一临界值时,凝聚体将崩塌;在强相互作用情况下,半量子涡旋出现在凝聚体中,且被六极子磁场钉在方位角Ф=nπ/3的径向位置,涡旋的旋转方向取决于径向磁场的方向。     

Investigation on the Ground State of the Hubbard Model

The absolute ground states of the Hubbard model are explicitly presented within the framework of pseudospin when U > 2μ and U < 2μ. It is shown that the states do not possess true off-diagonal long-range order in the two cases. It is also discovered that in the ground states the U(1) phase symmetry of the Hubbard model is spontaneously broken away from the half-filling, and the total spin is zero, which is independent of the sign of U and the electron filling in the considered periodic lattice.     

The Hubbard model at high dimensions: some exact results and weak coupling theory

Recently it was shown that the theory of systems of correlated fermions on a lattice is greatly simplified in the limit of high dimensions as compared to lattice systems of dimensions 2 or 3 or to isotropic systems. We discuss here the implications of the limit of high dimensions on the single particle propagator of the Hubbard model. It is shown that all the typical Fermi liquid features are retained at high dimensions. Some exact results are obtained for infinite dimension: the shape of the Fermi surface as well as the density of states at the Fermi surface are not renormalized at all by the Coulomb interaction as long as the symmetry of the system is not broken. The self-consistent weak coupling theory is cast into a form which is solved numerically with very little effort.Research performed within the program of the Sonderforschungs-bereich 341 supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Stationary and periodic regimes in relaxing media with fluctuations

The non-linear Kerr medium in the presence of damping and earlier associated with an SU(1,1) symmetry, is exactly solved as a spin damped system, associated with an SU(2) symmetry. The association with SU(2) is exploited to express the dynamics of the system as a Schrödinger-like equation, whose solution is obtained using the appropriate disentanglement theorem. This method is then extended to multi-mode coupled nonlinear oscillators for obtaining exact solutions.     

Spin-orbit coupled weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensates in harmonic traps

We investigate theoretically the phase diagram of a spin-orbit coupled Bose gas in two-dimensional harmonic traps. We show that at strong spin-orbit coupling the single-particle spectrum decomposes into different manifolds separated by ?ω{⊥}, where ω{⊥} is the trapping frequency. For a weakly interacting gas, quantum states with Skyrmion lattice patterns emerge spontaneously and preserve either parity symmetry or combined parity-time-reversal symmetry. These phases can be readily observed in a spin-orbit coupled gas of ^{87}Rb atoms in a highly oblate trap.     

Hydrogen atom on null-plane and Melosh transformation

The null-plane dynamics of hydrogen-like atoms is studied in approximations depending on c, the velocity of light, being large. Neglecting terms in the Hamiltonian of order c^?3 (relative to electron rest energy) a symmetry SU (2)_W appears which is analogous to the SU (6)_W of hadron classification. This symmetry, if accurate, would dictate zero ground state magnetic moment. The symmetry is broken by terms of third order, which can, however, be transformed a way by the appropriate approximation to the Melosh transformation. There then emerges a better symmetry, SU (2)_M, broken only at fourth order. The ground state magnetic moment acquires its usual non-relativistic value. The symmetry SU (2)_M corresponds to a subgroup of a symmetry [U (2) × U (2)]_FW which appears in the old Foldy-Wouthuysen approach when spin-orbit coupling is neglected. As well as “current” and “constituent” pictures, “classification” pictures are distinguished; it is to one of the latter that the Melosh transformation transforms.     

Microscopic study of a spin-orbit-induced Mott insulator in Ir oxides

Motivated by recent experiments of a novel 5d Mott insulator in Sr2IrO4, we have studied the two-dimensional three-orbital Hubbard model with a spin-orbit coupling λ. The variational Monte Carlo method is used to obtain the ground state phase diagram with varying an on-site Coulomb interaction U as well as λ. It is found that the transition from a paramagnetic metal to an antiferromagnetic insulator occurs at a finite U=U(MI), which is greatly reduced by a large λ, characteristic of 5d electrons, and leads to the "spin-orbit-induced" Mott insulator. It is also found that the Hund's coupling induces the anisotropic spin exchange and stabilizes the in-plane antiferromagnetic order. We have further studied the one-particle excitations by using the variational cluster approximation and revealed the internal electronic structure of this novel Mott insulator. These findings are in agreement with experimental observations on Sr2IrO4.     

Simultaneous dimerization and SU(4) symmetry breaking of 4-color fermions on the square lattice

Using infinite projected entangled-pair states, exact diagonalization, and flavor-wave theory, we show that the SU(4) Heisenberg model undergoes a spontaneous dimerization on the square lattice, in contrast with its SU(2) and SU(3) counterparts, which develop Néel and three-sublattice stripelike long-range order. Since the ground state of a dimer is not a singlet for SU(4) but a 6-dimensional irreducible representation, this leaves the door open for further symmetry breaking. We provide evidence that, unlike in SU(4) ladders, where dimers pair up to form singlet plaquettes, here the SU(4) symmetry is additionally broken, leading to a gapless spectrum in spite of the broken translational symmetry.