Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0904.4642 · Journal of Mathematical Physics

Approximating the ground state of gapped quantum spin systems

Eman Hamza, Spyridon Michalakis, Bruno Nachtergaele, Robert Sims

Published Sep 1, 2009• 15 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Zd. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset X⊂V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on X and one supported on Xc, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. This result generalizes to multidimensional models, a result of Hastings that was an important part of his proof of an area law in one dimension [“An area law for one dimensional quantum systems,” J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. 2007, 08024].

DOI
10.1063/1.3206662

Related papers

Approximating the ground state of gapped quantum spin systems

Eman Hamza, Spyridon Michalakis, Bruno Nachtergaele +1 more

Abstract. We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Z d. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset X ⊂ V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on X and one supported on X c, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. Such an approximation was useful in proving an area law in one dimension, and this result corresponds to a multi-dimensional analogue. 1.

•Apr 29, 2009•18 citations

Approximating the ground state of gapped quantum spin systems

Spyridon Michalakis

We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Z{sup d}. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset {chi} {contained_in} V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on {chi} and one supported on {chi}{sup c}, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. Such an approximation was useful in proving an area law in one dimension, and this result corresponds to a multi-dimensional analogue.

•Feb 5, 2024•0 citations

An area law for 2d frustration-free spin systems

Anurag Anshu, Itai Arad, David Gosset

We prove that the entanglement entropy of the ground state of a locally gapped frustration-free 2D lattice spin system satisfies an area law with respect to a vertical bipartition of the lattice into left and right regions. We first establish that the ground state projector of any locally gapped frustration-free 1D spin system can be approximated to within error є by a degree O(√nlog(є−1)) multivariate polynomial in the interaction terms of the Hamiltonian. This generalizes the optimal bound on the approximate degree of the boolean AND function, which corresponds to the special case of commuting Hamiltonian terms. For 2D spin systems we then construct an approximate ground state projector (AGSP) that employs the optimal 1D approximation in the vicinity of the boundary of the bipartition of interest. This AGSP has sufficiently low entanglement and error to establish the area law using a known technique.

arXiv:2103.02492•ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC)•Jun 9, 2022•40 citations

Entanglement and ground states of gapped Hamiltonians

Spyridon Michalakis

We begin by deriving bounds for the entanglement of a spin with an (adjacent and non-adjacent) interval of spins in an arbitrary pure Finitely Correlated States (FCS). The bounds we derive become exact in the case where one considers the entanglement of a single spin with a half-infinite chain to the right of it. Our result permits a more efficient calculation, numerically and in some cases even analytically, of the entanglement in arbitrary finitely correlated quantum spin chains. We continue the study of entanglement in the setting of ground states of Hamiltonians with a spectral gap. In particular, for $V$ a finite subset of $Z^d$, we let $H_V$ denote a Hamiltonian on $V$ with finite range, finite strength interactions and a unique ground state with a non-vanishing spectral gap. For a density matrix $ρ_A$ that describes the finite-volume restriction to a region $A$ of the unique ground state, we provide a detailed version of a proof by M. Hastings, that the entropy of $ρ_A$ is bounded by a uniform constant $C$. Moreover, we provide a detailed generalization of the 1-dimensional construction of Hastings' approximation to the ground state in dimensions 2 and higher. Finally, we turn our attention to the study of a conjecture central to Quantum Information Theory, the multiplicativity of the maximal output Schatten $p$-norm of quantum channels, for $p > 1$. In particular, we study the output 2-norm for a special class of quantum channels, the depolarized Werner-Holevo channels, and show that multiplicativity holds for a product of two identical channels in this class.

arXiv:0807.4741•Jul 29, 2008•0 citations

Quasi-Locality Bounds for Quantum Lattice Systems. Part II. Perturbations of Frustration-Free Spin Models with Gapped Ground States

Bruno Nachtergaele, Robert Sims, Amanda Young

Abstract We study the stability with respect to a broad class of perturbations of gapped ground-state phases of quantum spin systems defined by frustration-free Hamiltonians. The core result of this work is a proof using the Bravyi–Hastings–Michalakis (BHM) strategy that under a condition of local topological quantum order (LTQO), the bulk gap is stable under perturbations that decay at long distances faster than a stretched exponential. Compared to previous work, we expand the class of frustration-free quantum spin models that can be handled to include models with more general boundary conditions, and models with discrete symmetry breaking. Detailed estimates allow us to formulate sufficient conditions for the validity of positive lower bounds for the gap that are uniform in the system size and that are explicit to some degree. We provide a survey of the BHM strategy following the approach of Michalakis and Zwolak, with alterations introduced to accommodate more general than just periodic boundary conditions and more general lattices. We express the fundamental condition known as LTQO by means of an indistinguishability radius, which we introduce. Using the uniform finite-volume results, we then proceed to study the thermodynamic limit. We first study the case of a unique limiting ground state and then also consider models with spontaneous breaking of a discrete symmetry. In the latter case, LTQO cannot hold for all local observables. However, for perturbations that preserve the symmetry, we show stability of the gap and the structure of the broken symmetry phases. We prove that the GNS Hamiltonian associated with each pure state has a non-zero spectral gap above the ground state.

arXiv:2010.15337•Annales Henri Poincaré•Aug 14, 2021•30 citations

Local factorisation of the dynamics of quantum spin systems

Sven Bachmann, Andreas Blühm

Motivated by the study of area laws for the entanglement entropy of gapped ground states of quantum spin systems and their stability, we prove that the unitary cocycle generated by a local time-dependent Hamiltonian can be approximated, for any finite set X, by a tensor product of the corresponding unitaries in X and its complement, multiplied by a dynamics strictly supported in the neighbourhood of the surface ∂X. The error decays almost exponentially in the size of the neighbourhood and grows with the square of the area |∂X|2.

arXiv:1508.05254•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Jul 1, 2017•2 citations
We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Zd. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset X⊂V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on X and one supported on Xc, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. This result generalizes to multidimensional models, a result of Hastings that was an important part of his proof of an area law in one dimension [“An area law for one dimensional quantum systems,” J. Stat. Mech.: Theory Exp. 2007, 08024].
Abstract. We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Z d. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset X ⊂ V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on X and one supported on X c, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. Such an approximation was useful in proving an area law in one dimension, and this result corresponds to a multi-dimensional analogue. 1.
We consider quantum spin systems defined on finite sets V equipped with a metric. In typical examples, V is a large, but finite subset of Z{sup d}. For finite range Hamiltonians with uniformly bounded interaction terms and a unique, gapped ground state, we demonstrate a locality property of the corresponding ground state projector. In such systems, this ground state projector can be approximated by the product of observables with quantifiable supports. In fact, given any subset {chi} {contained_in} V the ground state projector can be approximated by the product of two projections, one supported on {chi} and one supported on {chi}{sup c}, and a bounded observable supported on a boundary region in such a way that as the boundary region increases, the approximation becomes better. Such an approximation was useful in proving an area law in one dimension, and this result corresponds to a multi-dimensional analogue.
We prove that the entanglement entropy of the ground state of a locally gapped frustration-free 2D lattice spin system satisfies an area law with respect to a vertical bipartition of the lattice into left and right regions. We first establish that the ground state projector of any locally gapped frustration-free 1D spin system can be approximated to within error є by a degree O(√nlog(є−1)) multivariate polynomial in the interaction terms of the Hamiltonian. This generalizes the optimal bound on the approximate degree of the boolean AND function, which corresponds to the special case of commuting Hamiltonian terms. For 2D spin systems we then construct an approximate ground state projector (AGSP) that employs the optimal 1D approximation in the vicinity of the boundary of the bipartition of interest. This AGSP has sufficiently low entanglement and error to establish the area law using a known technique.
We begin by deriving bounds for the entanglement of a spin with an (adjacent and non-adjacent) interval of spins in an arbitrary pure Finitely Correlated States (FCS). The bounds we derive become exact in the case where one considers the entanglement of a single spin with a half-infinite chain to the right of it. Our result permits a more efficient calculation, numerically and in some cases even analytically, of the entanglement in arbitrary finitely correlated quantum spin chains. We continue the study of entanglement in the setting of ground states of Hamiltonians with a spectral gap. In particular, for VVV a finite subset of ZdZ^dZd, we let HVH_VHV​ denote a Hamiltonian on VVV with finite range, finite strength interactions and a unique ground state with a non-vanishing spectral gap. For a density matrix ρAρ_AρA​ that describes the finite-volume restriction to a region AAA of the unique ground state, we provide a detailed version of a proof by M. Hastings, that the entropy of ρAρ_AρA​ is bounded by a uniform constant CCC. Moreover, we provide a detailed generalization of the 1-dimensional construction of Hastings' approximation to the ground state in dimensions 2 and higher. Finally, we turn our attention to the study of a conjecture central to Quantum Information Theory, the multiplicativity of the maximal output Schatten ppp-norm of quantum channels, for p>1p > 1p>1. In particular, we study the output 2-norm for a special class of quantum channels, the depolarized Werner-Holevo channels, and show that multiplicativity holds for a product of two identical channels in this class.
Abstract We study the stability with respect to a broad class of perturbations of gapped ground-state phases of quantum spin systems defined by frustration-free Hamiltonians. The core result of this work is a proof using the Bravyi–Hastings–Michalakis (BHM) strategy that under a condition of local topological quantum order (LTQO), the bulk gap is stable under perturbations that decay at long distances faster than a stretched exponential. Compared to previous work, we expand the class of frustration-free quantum spin models that can be handled to include models with more general boundary conditions, and models with discrete symmetry breaking. Detailed estimates allow us to formulate sufficient conditions for the validity of positive lower bounds for the gap that are uniform in the system size and that are explicit to some degree. We provide a survey of the BHM strategy following the approach of Michalakis and Zwolak, with alterations introduced to accommodate more general than just periodic boundary conditions and more general lattices. We express the fundamental condition known as LTQO by means of an indistinguishability radius, which we introduce. Using the uniform finite-volume results, we then proceed to study the thermodynamic limit. We first study the case of a unique limiting ground state and then also consider models with spontaneous breaking of a discrete symmetry. In the latter case, LTQO cannot hold for all local observables. However, for perturbations that preserve the symmetry, we show stability of the gap and the structure of the broken symmetry phases. We prove that the GNS Hamiltonian associated with each pure state has a non-zero spectral gap above the ground state.
Motivated by the study of area laws for the entanglement entropy of gapped ground states of quantum spin systems and their stability, we prove that the unitary cocycle generated by a local time-dependent Hamiltonian can be approximated, for any finite set X, by a tensor product of the corresponding unitaries in X and its complement, multiplied by a dynamics strictly supported in the neighbourhood of the surface ∂X. The error decays almost exponentially in the size of the neighbourhood and grows with the square of the area |∂X|2.