A rank-2 toric code (R2TC) Hamiltonian in two dimensions can be constructed as a Higgsed descendant of rank-2 U(1) lattice gauge theory. As noted by the authors recently [Y.-T. Oh, J. Kim, E.-G. Moon, and J. H. Han, Phys. Rev. B 105, 045128 (2022)] the quasiparticles in that model show unusual braiding statistics that depends on the initial locations of the particles which participate in the braiding. We show that this kind of statistical phase captures the total dipole moment of quasiparticles encompassed in the braiding, in contrast to the conventional anyonic braiding seeing the total charge. An Aharonov-Bohm interpretation of such dipolar braiding statistics is made in terms of emergent, rank-1 vector potentials that are built out of the underlying rank-2 gauge fields. Pertinent field theories of the quasiparticle dynamics in the R2TC are developed, and the accompanying conservation laws derived. A dipolar BF theory of the rank-2 gauge fields is constructed and shown to correctly capture the dipolar braiding statistics, in contrast to the conventional BF theory capturing the monopolar braiding statistics of anyons in the rank-1 toric code.
We study a two-dimensional spin model obtained by ``Higgsing'' the rank-2 U(1) lattice gauge theory (LGT) with scalar or vector charges on the ${L}_{x}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{L}_{y}$ square lattice under the periodic boundary condition (PBC). There are
p degrees of freedom per orbital and three orbitals per unit cell in the spin model. The resulting spin model is a stabilizer code consisting of three mutually commuting projectors that are, in turn, obtained by Higgsing the mutually commuting Gauss's law operators and the magnetic field operators in the underlying LGT. The spin model thus obtained is exactly solvable, with the ground state degeneracy (GSD)
D given by ${\text{log}}_{p}D=2+(1+{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{{L}_{x}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\text{mod}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}p,0})(1+{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{{L}_{y}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\text{mod}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}p,0})$ when
p is a prime number. Two types of dipole excitations, pristine and emergent, are identified. Both the monopoles and the dipoles are free to move, with restrictions on monopoles to hop only by
p lattice spacing along with certain directions. The monopole-monopole braiding phase depends on the separation of the
x or
y coordinates of the initial monopole positions, making it distinct from the ordinary anyon braiding statistics. The monopole-dipole braiding obeys the usual anyonic statistics. Despite the oddity, the monopole-monopole braiding phase can be understood as the Aharonov-Bohm phase of some emergent vector potentials.
We analyze the recently proposed dipolar BF theory with couplings to charge and dipole currents. The quasiparticles of the theory are either charge-like or dipole-like, and the mutual braiding statistics between charge-like and dipole-like quasiparticles are dipolar, meaning that it depends on the position of the quasiparticle being encircled. The braiding statistics between two dipole-like quasiparticles is that of ordinary anyons. We further prove that the dipolar BF theory is equivalent to the rank-2 tensor BF theory developed earlier as an effective theory for the rank-2 toric code. Although the two theories are equivalent, the dipolar BF formulation embodies the dipole symmetry explicitly and gives a clean insight into the way the dipole symmetry manifests itself in various conservation laws and the dipolar braiding statistics.
We analyze the recently proposed dipolar background field (BF) theory with couplings to charge and dipole currents. The quasiparticles of the theory are either chargelike or dipolelike, and the mutual braiding statistics between chargelike and dipolelike quasiparticles are dipolar, meaning that it depends on the position of the quasiparticle being encircled. The braiding statistics between two dipolelike quasiparticles is that of ordinary anyons. We further prove that the dipolar BF theory is equivalent to the rank-2 tensor BF theory developed earlier as an effective theory for the rank-2 toric code. Although the two theories are equivalent, the dipolar BF formulation embodies the dipole symmetry explicitly and gives a clean insight into the way the dipole symmetry manifests itself in various conservation laws and the dipolar braiding statistics.
Rank-2 toric code (R2TC), a prototypical archetype of the discrete rank-2 symmetric gauge theory, has properties that differ from those of the standard toric code. Specifically, it features a blending of UV and IR in its ground state, restricted mobility of its quasiparticles, and variations in the braiding statistics of its quasiparticles based on their position. In this paper, we investigate various aspects of
ZN rank-2 gauge theory in
(2+1)-dimensional spacetime. Firstly, we demonstrate that
U(1) rank-2 gauge theory can arise from $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)$ rank-1 gauge theory after condensing the gauge charges in a specific way. This construction scheme of
U(1) rank-2 gauge theory carries over to the
ZN case simply by Higgsing
U(1) to
ZN, after which the resulting rank-2 gauge theory can be tuned to the R2TC. The holonomy operators of R2TC are readily identified using this scheme and are given clear physical interpretation as the pair creation/annihilation of various monopoles and dipoles. Explicit tensor network construction of the ground states of R2TC is given as two copies of the ground states of Kitaev's toric code that are ``sewn together'' according to the condensation scheme. In addition, through a similar anyon condensation protocol, we present a double semion version of rank-2 toric code whose flux excitations exhibit restricted mobility and semionic statistics. Finally, we identify the generalized discrete symmetries of the R2TC, which are much more complex than typical 1-form symmetries. They include conventional and unconventional 1-form symmetries, such as framed 1-form symmetries and what we call sublattice 1-form symmetries. Using these, we interpret the R2TC's unique properties (UV/IR mixing, position-dependent braiding, etc.) from the modern perspective of generalized spontaneous symmetry breaking and 't Hooft anomalies.
We propose two-dimensional spin models obtained by the U(1) rank-2 tensor gauge theory with scalar or vector charges on the L_x \times L_y square lattice with p degrees of freedom per orbital and three orbitals per unit cell. The resulting spin model is a stabilizer model consisting of three mutually commuting projectors which are, in turn, obtained by Higgsing the mutually commuting Gauss's law operators and the magnetic field operators in the underlying U(1) lattice gauge theory. The spin model thus obtained is exactly solvable, with the ground state degeneracy (GSD) given by log_p GSD = 2 + (1 +{\delta}_{L_x mod p},0)(1 +{\delta}_{L_y mod p},0) when p is a prime number. Two types of dipoles, pristine and emergent, are identified. Both the monopoles and the dipoles are free to move, with certain restrictions on monopoles to hop only by p lattice spacing. The monopole-monopole braiding phase depends on the separation of the x or y coordinates of the initial monopole positions, whereas the monopole-dipole braiding is anyonic and depends on the product of the monopole charge and the dipole moment. The braiding phases can be understood as the Aharonov-Bohm phases of some emergent vector potentials.
Braiding phenomena, from the charge-flux Aharonov-Bohm effect to anyonic statistics in fractional quantum Hall systems, are paradigmatic manifestations of topology in quantum physics. Ordinary mutual braiding between
p- and
q-dimensional excitations occurs in
d=p+q+2 spatial dimensions. In this work, we introduce a universal construction of mutual statistics in the adjacent dimension
d=p+q+1, applicable to excitations obeying
ZN fusion for arbitrary
N and all excitation dimensions
p and
q. The corresponding invariant is the Berry phase accumulated in a simple
4N-step microscopic unitary process built from local excitation operators on lattices. This process measures the linking of one excitation with the
N-fold fusion junction of the other, encompassing particle-particle statistics in one dimension, particle-loop statistics in two dimensions, and loop-loop or particle-membrane statistics in three dimensions. We establish the quantization and bilinearity of the invariant and show that its field-theory response is governed by the Bockstein homomorphism, motivating the name Bockstein braiding statistics. Interpreting the excitation operators as open symmetry operators turns the same invariant into a direct microscopic diagnostic of mixed anomalies between symmetries. We demonstrate this diagnostic in a (1+1)D spin chain, where the nontrivial Bockstein braiding phase proves the mixed anomaly between the spin-flip symmetry
∏X and the nearest-neighbor controlled-
Z symmetry
∏CZ. We construct explicit (2+1)D and (3+1)D lattice analogs, yielding new anomalous symmetry pairs, and apply the framework to strongly coupled (3+1)D continuum gauge theories. Nontrivial Bockstein braiding rules out a fully symmetric gapped phase, obstructs simultaneous condensation of the two excitations, and implies fractionalization of higher-form symmetries.