Characterization of topological phase transitions from a non-Abelian topological state and its Galois conjugate through condensation and confinement order parameters

Wen-Tao Xu (Corresponding author), Norbert Schuch

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Topological phases exhibit unconventional order that cannot be detected by any local order parameter. In the framework of projected entangled pair states, topological order is characterized by an entanglement symmetry of the local tensor that describes the model. This symmetry can take the form of a tensor product of group representations [for quantum double models of a group , or in the more general case a correlated symmetry action in the form of a matrix product operator (MPO), which encompasses all string-net models, including those that are not quantum double models. Among other things, these entanglement symmetries allow for the succinct description of ground states and topological excitations (anyons). Recently, the idea has been put forward to use those symmetries and the anyonic objects they describe as order parameters for probing topological phase transitions, and the applicability of this idea has been demonstrated for Abelian groups. In this paper, we extend this construction to the domain of non-Abelian models with MPO symmetries, and we use it to study the breakdown of topological order in the double Fibonacci (DFib) string-net model and its Galois conjugate, namely the non-Hermitian double Yang-Lee (DYL) string-net model. We start by showing how to construct topological order parameters for condensation and deconfinement of anyons using the MPO symmetries. Subsequently, we set up interpolations from the DFib and the DYL model to the trivial phase, and we show that these can be mapped to certain restricted solid on solid (RSOS) models, which are equivalent to the -state Potts model, respectively. Moreover, the order parameter for condensation maps to the RSOS order parameter. The known exact solutions of the statistical models subsequently allow us to locate the critical points of the models, and to predict the critical exponents for the order parameters from conformal field theory. We complement this by numerical study of the phase transitions, which fully confirms our theoretical predictions; remarkably, we find that both models exhibit a duality between the behavior of order parameters for condensation and deconfinement.
Original languageEnglish
Article number155119
Number of pages16
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume104
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Oct 2021

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 103015 Condensed matter
  • 103029 Statistical physics

Keywords

  • OPERATOR CONTENT
  • QUANTUM

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Characterization of topological phase transitions from a non-Abelian topological state and its Galois conjugate through condensation and confinement order parameters'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this