arXiv:1204.0113 · Physical Review B
Projective non-Abelian statistics of dislocation defects in a ZN rotor model
Yi‐Zhuang You, Xiao-Gang Wen
Abstract
Non-Abelian statistics is a phenomenon of topologically protected non-Abelian geometric phases as we exchange quasiparticle excitations. Here we construct a ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N}$ rotor model that realizes a self-dual ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N}$ Abelian gauge theory. We find that lattice dislocation defects in the model produce topologically protected degeneracy. Even though dislocations are not quasiparticle excitations, they resemble non-Abelian anyons with quantum dimension $\sqrt{N}$. Exchanging dislocations can produce topologically protected projective non-Abelian geometric phases. Therefore, we discover a kind of (projective) non-Abelian anyon that appears as the dislocations in an Abelian ${\mathbb{Z}}_{N}$ rotor model. These types of non-Abelian anyons can be viewed as a generalization of the Majorana zero modes.