Topological order from quantum loops and nets

Paul Fendley, Sergei V. Isakov, Matthias Troyer

We analyze a model of quantum nets and show it has a non-Abelian topological order of doubled-Fibonacci type. The ground state has the same topological behavior as that of the corresponding string-net model, but our Hamiltonian can be defined on any lattice, has less complicated interactions, and its excitations are dynamical, not fixed. This Hamiltonian includes terms acting on the spins around a face, around a vertex, and special "Jones-Wenzl" terms that serve to couple long loops together. We provide strong evidence for a gap by exact diagonalization, completing the list of ingredients necessary for topological order.

Xiao-Gang Wen

Jingbo Wang

Topological order (long-range entanglement) is a new type of order that beyond Landau's symmetry breaking theory. This concept plays important roles in modern condensed matter physics. The topological entanglement entropy provides a universal quantum number to characterize the topological order in a system. The topological entanglement entropy of the BTZ black hole was calculated and found that it coincides with that for fractional quantum Hall states. So the BTZ black hole has the same topological order with the fractional quantum Hall state. We show that the four dimensional black hole can also have topological order, by showing that the topological entanglement entropy of black holes is non-zero in loop quantum gravity. We also consider the Hamiltonian constraint in loop quantum gravity. By comparing with the BF theory, we found that the physical Hilbert space for loop quantum gravity is degenerate on non-trivial manifold, which indicate the existence of topological order in loop quantum gravity. We advise to bring in the methods and results in string-net condensation to loop quantum gravity to solve some difficult problems.

Zohar Nussinov, Gerardo Ortíz

Jingbo B. Wang

Topological order is a new type order that beyond Landau's symmetry breaking theory. The topological entanglement entropy provides a universal quantum number to characterize the topological order in a system. The topological entanglement entropy of the BTZ black hole was calculated and found that it coincides with that for fractional quantum Hall state. So the BTZ black holes have the same topological order with the fractional quantum Hall state. We conjecture that black holes in higher dimensions also have topological orders. Next we want to study the topological order of ordinary spaces which can be described by spin network states in loop quantum gravity. We advise to bring in the methods and results in string-net condensation to loop quantum gravity to solve some difficult problems.

F. D. M. Haldane