We introduce a generic scheme to perform nonperturbative linked cluster expansions in long-range ordered quantum phases. Clusters are considered to be surrounded by an ordered reference state leading to effective edge fields in the exact diagonalization on clusters, which break the associated symmetry of the ordered phase. Two approaches, based either on a self-consistent solution of the order parameter or on minimal sensitivity with respect to the ground-state energy per site, are formulated to find the optimal edge field in each NLCE order. Furthermore, we investigate the scaling behavior of the NLCE data sequences towards the infinite-order limit. We apply our scheme to gapped and gapless ordered phases of XXZ Heisenberg models on various lattices and for spins 1/2 and 1 using several types of cluster expansions ranging from a full-graph decomposition, rectangular clusters, up to more symmetric square clusters. It is found that the inclusion of edge fields allows to regularize nonperturbative linked-cluster expansions in ordered phases yielding convergent data sequences. This includes the long-range spin-ordered ground state of the spin-1/2 and spin-1 Heisenberg model on the square and triangular lattice as well as the trimerized valence bond crystal of the spin-1 Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice.
We introduce a generic scheme to perform nonperturbative linked cluster expansions in long-range ordered quantum phases. Clusters are considered to be surrounded by an ordered reference state leading to effective edge fields in the exact diagonalization on clusters, which break the associated symmetry of the ordered phase. Two approaches, based either on a self-consistent solution of the order parameter or on minimal sensitivity with respect to the ground-state energy per site, are formulated to find the optimal edge field in each NLCE order. Furthermore, we investigate the scaling behavior of the NLCE data sequences towards the infinite-order limit. We apply our scheme to gapped and gapless ordered phases of XXZ Heisenberg models on various lattices and for spins 1/2 and 1 using several types of cluster expansions ranging from a full-graph decomposition, rectangular clusters, up to more symmetric square clusters. It is found that the inclusion of edge fields allows to regularize nonperturbative linked-cluster expansions in ordered phases yielding convergent data sequences. This includes the long-range spin-ordered ground state of the spin-1/2 and spin-1 Heisenberg model on the square and triangular lattice as well as the trimerized valence bond crystal of the spin-1 Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice.
We use nonperturbative linked-cluster expansions to determine the ground-state energy per site of the spin-one Heisenberg model on the kagome lattice. To this end, a parameter is introduced allowing us to interpolate between a fully trimerized state and the isotropic model. The ground-state energy per site of the full graph decomposition up to graphs of six triangles (18 spins) displays a complex behavior as a function of this parameter close to the isotropic model which we attribute to divergencies of partial series in the graph expansion of quasi-1D unfrustrated chain graphs. More concretely, these divergencies can be traced back to a quantum critical point of the one-dimensional unfrustrated chain of coupled triangles. Interestingly, the reorganization of the nonperturbative linked-cluster expansion in terms of clusters with enhanced symmetry yields a ground-state energy per site of the isotropic two-dimensional model that is in quantitative agreement with other numerical approaches in favor of a spontaneous trimerization of the system. Our findings are of general importance for any nonperturbative linked-cluster expansion on geometrically frustrated systems.
A fundamental principle in condensed matter physics is the effective description in terms of quasiparticles. The high-energy part of the system is accounted for by renormalized properties of the quasiparticles, providing both, an accurate description and interpretation of the relevant low-energy physics. We consider two classes of methods suited to provide effective quasiparticle descriptions in the thermodynamic limit: (non-perturbative) linked-cluster expansions ((N)LCEs) and continuous unitary transformations (CUTs). We focus specifically on the combination of both methods, providing a different perspective and solutions to existing challenges. LCEs provide high-order series expansions in a perturbation parameter, by combining effective Hamiltonians determined on finite clusters. We introduce a white-graph expansion for the method of perturbative continuous unitary transformations when implemented as an LCE. The essential idea behind an expansion in white graphs is to perform an optimized bookkeeping during the calculation by exploiting the model-independent effective Hamiltonian in second quantization and the associated inherent cluster additivity. This approach is shown to be especially well suited for microscopic models with many coupling constants, since the total number of relevant graphs is drastically reduced. The white-graph expansion is exemplified for a two-dimensional quantum spin model, illustrating its efficiency. In NLCEs, the perturbative treatment of finite clusters is replaced by a numerical exact (block) diagonalization. While LCEs are restricted due to their perturbative nature, the non-perturbative variant is not. In graph-based continuous unitary transformations (gCUTs), the block diagonalization is achieved by a non-perturbative CUT performed on finite clusters. The central objective of this thesis is a modification of the gCUT scheme, allowing to treat two kinds of major issues, denoted by pseudo and genuine decay, occuring for NLCEs due to the non-perturbative treatment of clusters. Indeed, one finds surprising effects caused by the non-perturbative renormalization. In particular, we identify a fundamental challenge for any non-perturbative approach based on finite clusters resulting from the reduced symmetry on graphs, most importantly the breaking of translational symmetry when targeting the properties of excited states. This can be traced back to the appearance of intruder states in the low-energy spectrum, which represent a major obstacle in quasi-degenerate perturbation theory. Here, a generalized notion of cluster additivity is introduced, which is used to formulate an optimized scheme of gCUTs, allowing to solve and to physically understand this major issue. Most remarkably, our improved scheme demands to go beyond the paradigm of using the exact eigenvectors on graphs. We demonstrate that the modified scheme is correct in the non-perturbative regime. Even at quantum criticality, the scheme gives valid results. To determine the critical behavior, one must rely on extrapolation schemes. We introduce a generic approach to extract critical properties from sequences of numerical data which is directly relevant for NLCEs. The scheme is applied to the quantum phase transition between the dimerized and the isotropic spin 1/2 Heisenberg chain. Finally, we investigate a scenario where the gapped quasiparticle excitation is not stable for all momenta, i.e., the one-particle mode merges with the continuum for certain momenta and one observes quasiparticle decay. In this case, intruder states merging with the low-energy spectrum on finite clusters represent genuine physics of the system. Again, a proper renormalization on finite clusters satisfies the generalized cluster additivity. Our adjusted renormalization approach performed on finite clusters does not necessarily lead to a full decoupling of the quasiparticle subspaces and the remaining interactions are part of the effective description. The resulting effective Hamiltonian can be analyzed to describe quasiparticle decay in the thermodynamic limit. The modified scheme is applied to four-leg spin 1/2 Heisenberg ladders, providing insights into the spectral properties. Overall, this thesis presents several important developments for the derivation of effective quasiparticle pictures in quantum spin models via perturbative and non-perturbative LCEs, opening various opportunities for future investigations.
We discuss the application of numerical linked cluster expansions (NLCEs) to study one dimensional lattice systems in thermal equilibrium and after quantum quenches from thermal equilibrium states. For the former, we calculate observables in the grand canonical ensemble, and for the latter we calculate observables in the diagonal ensemble. When converged, NLCEs provide results in the thermodynamic limit. We use two different NLCEs: a maximally connected expansion introduced in previous works and a site-based expansion. We compare the effectiveness of both NLCEs. The site-based NLCE is found to work best for systems in thermal equilibrium. However, in thermal equilibrium and after quantum quenches, the site-based NLCE can diverge when the maximally connected one converges. We relate this divergence to the exponentially large number of clusters in the site-based NLCE and the behavior of the weights of observables in those clusters. We discuss the effectiveness of resummations to cure the divergence. Our NLCE calculations are compared to exact diagonalization ones in lattices with periodic boundary conditions. NLCEs are found to outperform exact diagonalization in periodic systems for all quantities studied.
We discuss recently introduced numerical linked-cluster (NLC) algorithms that allow one to obtain temperature-dependent properties of quantum lattice models, in the thermodynamic limit, from exact diagonalization of finite clusters. We present studies of thermodynamic observables for spin models on square, triangular, and kagomé lattices. Results for several choices of clusters and extrapolations methods, that accelerate the convergence of NLCs, are presented. We also include a comparison of NLC results with those obtained from exact analytical expressions (where available), high-temperature expansions (HTE), exact diagonalization (ED) of finite periodic systems, and quantum Monte Carlo simulations. For many models and properties NLC results are substantially more accurate than HTE and ED.
We show that numerical linked cluster expansions (NLCEs) based on sufficiently large building blocks allow one to obtain accurate low-temperature results for the thermodynamic properties of spin lattice models with continuous disorder distributions. Specifically, we show that such results can be obtained computing the disorder averages in the NLCE clusters before calculating their weights. We provide a proof of concept using three different NLCEs based on L, square, and rectangle building blocks. We consider both classical (Ising) and quantum (Heisenberg) spin-1/2 models and show that convergence can be achieved down to temperatures that are up to two orders of magnitude lower than the relevant energy scale in the model. Additionally, we provide evidence that in one dimension one can obtain accurate results for observables such as the energy down to their ground-state values.
We present a novel algorithm that allows one to obtain temperature dependent properties of quantum lattice models in the thermodynamic limit from exact diagonalization of small clusters. Our numerical linked-cluster approach provides a systematic framework to assess finite-size effects and is valid for any quantum lattice model. Unlike high temperature expansions, which have a finite radius of convergence in inverse temperature, these calculations are accurate at all temperatures provided the range of correlations is finite. We illustrate the power of our approach studying spin models on kagomé, triangular, and square lattices.