We study an $\mathrm{O}(N)$ scalar model under shear flow and its Nambu-Goldstone modes associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking $\mathrm{O}(N)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{O}(N\ensuremath{-}1)$. We find that the Nambu-Goldstone mode splits into an infinite number of gapless modes, which we call the rainbow Nambu-Goldstone modes. They have different group velocities and the fractional dispersion relation $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\sim}{k}_{1}^{2/3}$, where ${k}_{1}$ is the wave number along the flow. Such behaviors do not have counterparts in an equilibrium state.
We study an O(N) scalar model under shear flow and its Nambu-Goldstone modes associated with spontaneous symmetry breaking O(N)\ensuremath→O(N\ensuremath−1). We find that the Nambu-Goldstone mode splits into an infinite number of gapless modes, which we call the rainbow Nambu-Goldstone modes. They have different group velocities and the fractional dispersion relation \ensuremathω\ensuremath∼k12/3, where k1 is the wave number along the flow. Such behaviors do not have counterparts in an equilibrium state.
Abstract We discuss spontaneous symmetry breaking of open classical and quantum systems. When a continuous symmetry is spontaneously broken in an open system, a gapless excitation mode appears corresponding to the Nambu–Goldstone mode. Unlike isolated systems, the gapless mode is not always a propagation mode, but it is a diffusion one. Using the Ward–Takahashi identity and the effective action formalism, we establish the Nambu–Goldstone theorem in open systems, and derive the low-energy coefficients that determine the dispersion relation of Nambu–Goldstone modes. Using these coefficients, we classify the Nambu–Goldstone modes into four types: type-A propagation, type-A diffusion, type-B propagation, and type-B diffusion modes.
When global continuous symmetries are spontaneously broken, there appear gapless collective excitations called Nambu-Goldstone modes (NGMs) that govern the low-energy property of the system. The application of this famous theorem ranges from high-energy, particle physics to condensed matter and atomic physics. When a symmetry breaking occurs in systems that lack the Lorentz invariance to start with, as is usually the case in condensed matter systems, the number of resulting NGMs can be fewer than that of broken symmetry generators, and the dispersion of NGMs is not necessarily linear. In this article, we review recently established formulas for NGMs associated with broken internal symmetries that work equally for relativistic and nonrelativistic systems. We also discuss complexities of NGMs originating from space-time symmetry breaking. In the process we cover many illuminating examples from various context. We also present a complementary point of view from the Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem.
We study the Nambu-Goldstone (NG) modes associated with spontaneous breaking of the continuous time-translation symmetry. To discuss a quantum time-crystal with the spontaneously-broken continuous time-translation symmetry, we introduce the van der Pol type nonlinear-friction to open quantum systems. By considering small fluctuations around a time-periodic mean-field solution, we show that a gapless collective mode necessarily appears; this is nothing but the NG mode associated with a time crystal. We show that its dispersion relation becomes ω=−iCp2. We also show that noncommutative breaking of the time-translation and U(1) symmetries results in mixing of the NG modes, and the (typically) propagating NG mode appears, whose dispersion relation becomes ω=(±C1−iC2)p2.
We study the energy-momentum relations of the Nambu-Goldstone modes in quantum antiferromagnetic Heisenberg models on a hypercubic lattice. This work is a sequel to the previous series about the models. We prove that the Nambu-Goldstone modes show a linear dispersion relation for the small momenta, i.e., the low energies of the Nambu-Goldstone excitations are proportional to the momentum of the spin wave above the infinite-volume ground states with symmetry breaking. Our method relies on the upper bounds for the susceptibilities which are derived from the reflection positivity of the quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnets. The method is also applicable to other systems when the corresponding upper bounds for the susceptibilities are justified.
The subject of condensed matter physics is very rich — there are an infinite number of parameters producing a diversity of exciting phenomena. As a theorist, my goal is to distill general principles out of this complexity — to construct theories that can coherently explain many known examples altogether.This thesis is composed of several attempts to develop such theories in topics related to spontaneously symmetry breaking. A remarkable feature of many-body interacting systems is that although they are described by equations respecting various symmetries, they may spontaneously organize into a state that explicitly breaks symmetries. Examples are numerous: various types of crystalline and magnetic orders, Bose-Einstein condensates of cold atoms, superfluids of liquid helium, chiral symmetry in QCD, neutron stars, and cosmic inflation.These systems with spontaneously broken continuous symmetries have gapless excitations, so called Nambu-Goldstone bosons (NGBs). Although the properties of NGBs are well understood in Lorentz-invariant systems, surprisingly, some basic properties of NGBs such as their number and dispersion in nonrelativistic systems have not been discussed from a general perspective. In the first part of this thesis, we solve this issue by developing and analyzing an effective Lagrangian that coherently captures the low-energy, long-distance physics of many different symmetry-breaking states all at once.Next, we examine whether these NGBs originating from spontaneous symmetry breaking remain to be well-defined excitations inside a metal, where low-energy electrons near Fermi surface can collide with them. Our result is a one equation criterion that specifies whether the interactions between electrons and NGBs can be ignored, or whether it completely changes their character. In the latter case, unusual phases of matter such as non-Fermi liquids may arise; in that case, NGBs are overdamped and cannot form particle-like excitations in spite of the assumed symmetry breaking.In the last part of this thesis, we investigate the possibility of spontaneously breaking of Hamiltonian itself. The homogeneity of time is one of the most fundamental symmetries of nature, underlying the conservation of the energy. The question is whether this symmetry can be spontaneously broken, as suggested recently by Wilczek, in analogy with ordinary crystals. Contrary to his proposal that attracted a significant attention and stimulated many further studies, we prove a no-go theorem that rules out spontaneously breaking of time translation, in the ground state or in the canonical ensemble of a general Hamiltonian.
The subject of condensed matter physics is very rich — there are an infinite number of parameters producing a diversity of exciting phenomena. As a theorist, my goal is to distill general principles out of this complexity — to construct theories that can coherently explain many known examples altogether.This thesis is composed of several attempts to develop such theories in topics related to spontaneously symmetry breaking. A remarkable feature of many-body interacting systems is that although they are described by equations respecting various symmetries, they may spontaneously organize into a state that explicitly breaks symmetries. Examples are numerous: various types of crystalline and magnetic orders, Bose-Einstein condensates of cold atoms, superfluids of liquid helium, chiral symmetry in QCD, neutron stars, and cosmic inflation.These systems with spontaneously broken continuous symmetries have gapless excitations, so called Nambu-Goldstone bosons (NGBs). Although the properties of NGBs are well understood in Lorentz-invariant systems, surprisingly, some basic properties of NGBs such as their number and dispersion in nonrelativistic systems have not been discussed from a general perspective. In the first part of this thesis, we solve this issue by developing and analyzing an effective Lagrangian that coherently captures the low-energy, long-distance physics of many different symmetry-breaking states all at once.Next, we examine whether these NGBs originating from spontaneous symmetry breaking remain to be well-defined excitations inside a metal, where low-energy electrons near Fermi surface can collide with them. Our result is a one equation criterion that specifies whether the interactions between electrons and NGBs can be ignored, or whether it completely changes their character. In the latter case, unusual phases of matter such as non-Fermi liquids may arise; in that case, NGBs are overdamped and cannot form particle-like excitations in spite of the assumed symmetry breaking.In the last part of this thesis, we investigate the possibility of spontaneously breaking of Hamiltonian itself. The homogeneity of time is one of the most fundamental symmetries of nature, underlying the conservation of the energy. The question is whether this symmetry can be spontaneously broken, as suggested recently by Wilczek, in analogy with ordinary crystals. Contrary to his proposal that attracted a significant attention and stimulated many further studies, we prove a no-go theorem that rules out spontaneously breaking of time translation, in the ground state or in the canonical ensemble of a general Hamiltonian.