Weakening of correlations in one-dimensional spin systems with long-range interaction

Lei Feng, Or Katz, Casey Haack +5 more

Abstract One-dimensional systems exhibiting a continuous symmetry can host quantum phases of matter with true long-range order only in the presence of sufficiently long-range interactions. In most physical systems, however, the interactions are short-ranged, hindering the emergence of such phases in one dimension. Here we use a one-dimensional trapped-ion quantum simulator to prepare states with long-range spin order that extends over the system size of up to $23$ spins and is characteristic of the continuous symmetry-breaking phase of matter. Our preparation relies on simultaneous control over an array of tightly focused individual-addressing laser beams, generating long-range spin-spin interactions. We also observe a disordered phase with frustrated correlations. We further study the phases at different ranges of interaction and the out-of-equilibrium response to symmetry-breaking perturbations. This work opens an avenue to study new quantum phases and out-of-equilibrium dynamics in low-dimensional systems.

Joanna I. Scott, J. M. Deutch

Bo Li, Yanshen Wang

Jie Ren, Wen‐Long You, Xiaoqun Wang

The correlations, entanglement entropy, and fidelity susceptibility are calculated for a one-dimensional spin-1/2 XXZ chain with anisotropic power-law long-range interactions by employing the density matrix renormalization group method. In particular, this long-range interaction is assigned to ferromagnetic for transversal components, while it can be either ferro- or antiferromagnetic for the longitudinal spin component. Two ground-state phase diagrams are established versus the anisotropy of the interactions, which not only changes the phase boundaries of the counterparts with short-range interactions, but also leads to the emergence of exotic phases. We found that the long-range interactions of the $z$ component results in a Wigner crystal phase, whereas the transversal one may break a continuous symmetry, resulting in a continuous symmetry-breaking phase.

Luca Lepori, Luca Dell’Anna

We investigate the appearance of new types of insulators and superconductors in long-range (LR) fermionic quantum systems. These phases are not included in the famous 'ten-fold way classification' (TWC), valid in the short-range (SR) limit. This conclusion is obtained analysing at first specific one-dimensional models, in particular their phase diagrams and entanglement properties. The LR phases are signalled, for instance, by the violation of the area-law for the von Neumann entropy and by a corresponding peculiar entanglement spectrum (ES). Later on, the origin of the deviations from the TWC is investigated from a more general point of view and in any dimension, showing that it is related with the presence of divergences occurring in the spectrum, due to the LR couplings. A satisfying characterization for the LR phases can be achieved, at least for one-dimensional quantum systems, as well as the definition of a nontrivial topology for them, resulting in the presence of massive edge states, provided a careful evaluation of the LR contributions. Our results allows to infer, at least for one-dimensional models, the weakening of the bulk-boundary correspondence, due to the important correlations between bulk and edges, and consequently to clarify the nature of the massive edge states. The emergence of this peculiar edge structure is signalled again by the bulk ES. The stability of the LR phases against local disorder is also discussed, showing notably that this ingredient can even strengthen the effect of the LR couplings. Finally, we analyse the entanglement content of the paradigmatic LR Ising chain, inferring again important deviations from the SR regime, as well as the limitations of bulk-boundary (tensor-network based) approaches to classify LR spin models.

K. B. Efetov, A.I. Lapkin