Abstract Topological condensed matter physics is a recent arrival among the disciplines of modern physics of a distinctive and substantive nature. Its roots reach far back, but much of its current importance derives from exciting developments in the last half-century. The field is advancing rapidly, growing explosively, and diversifying greatly. There is now a zoo of topological phenomena–the quantum spin Hall effect, topological insulators, Coulomb spin liquids, non-Abelian anyonic statistics and their potential application in topological quantum computing, to name but a few–as well as an increasingly sophisticated set of concepts and methods underpinning their understanding. The aim of this Les Houches Summer School was to present an overview of this field, along with a sense of its origins and its place on the map of advances in fundamental physics. The school comprised a set of basic lectures (Part I) aimed at a pedagogical introduction to the fundamental concepts, which was accompanied by more advanced lectures (Part II) covering individual topics at the forefront of today’s research in condensed matter physics.
Abstract Topological condensed matter physics is a recent arrival among the disciplines of modern physics of a distinctive and substantive nature. Its roots reach far back, but much of its current importance derives from exciting developments in the last half-century. The field is advancing rapidly, growing explosively, and diversifying greatly. There is now a zoo of topological phenomena–the quantum spin Hall effect, topological insulators, Coulomb spin liquids, non-Abelian anyonic statistics and their potential application in topological quantum computing, to name but a few–as well as an increasingly sophisticated set of concepts and methods underpinning their understanding. The aim of this Les Houches Summer School was to present an overview of this field, along with a sense of its origins and its place on the map of advances in fundamental physics. The school comprised a set of basic lectures (Part I) aimed at a pedagogical introduction to the fundamental concepts, which was accompanied by more advanced lectures (Part II) covering individual topics at the forefront of today’s research in condensed matter physics.
Modern Condensed Matter Physics brings together the most important advances in the field of recent decades. It provides instructors teaching graduate-level condensed matter courses with a comprehensive and in-depth textbook that will prepare graduate students for research or further study as well as reading more advanced and specialized books and research literature in the field. This textbook covers the basics of crystalline solids as well as analogous optical lattices and photonic crystals, while discussing cutting-edge topics such as disordered systems, mesoscopic systems, many-body systems, quantum magnetism, Bose–Einstein condensates, quantum entanglement, and superconducting quantum bits. Students are provided with the appropriate mathematical background to understand the topological concepts that have been permeating the field, together with numerous physical examples ranging from the fractional quantum Hall effect to topological insulators, the toric code, and majorana fermions. Exercises, commentary boxes, and appendices afford guidance and feedback for beginners and experts alike.
Abstract At the intersection of physics, mathematics, and computer science, an exciting new field of study has formed, known as “topological quantum.” This research field examines the deep connections between the theory of knots, special types of subatomic particles known as anyons, certain phases of matter, and quantum computation. This book elucidates this nexus, drawing in topics ranging from quantum gravity to topology to experimental condensed matter physics. Requiring only an elementary background in quantum mechanics, this book is appropriate for all readers, from advanced undergraduates to the professional practitioner. The material in presented in a down-to-earth and entertaining way that is far less abstract than most of what is in the literature. While introducing the crucial concepts and placing them in context, the subject is presented without resort to the highly mathematical category theory that underlies the field. This book will be of interest to mathematicians and computer scientists as well as physicists working on a wide range of topics. “Topological quantum” has increasingly been a focus point in the fields of condensed matter physics and quantum information over the last few decades, and the forefront of research now builds on the basic ideas presented in this book. Those interested in working in these field will find this book to be an invaluable introduction as well as a crucial reference.
Presenting the physics of the most challenging problems in condensed matter using the conceptual framework of quantum field theory, this book is of great interest to physicists in condensed matter and high energy and string theorists, as well as mathematicians. Revised and updated, this second edition features new chapters on the renormalization group, the Luttinger liquid, gauge theory, topological fluids, topological insulators and quantum entanglement. The book begins with the basic concepts and tools, developing them gradually to bring readers to the issues currently faced at the frontiers of research, such as topological phases of matter, quantum and classical critical phenomena, quantum Hall effects and superconductors. Other topics covered include one-dimensional strongly correlated systems, quantum ordered and disordered phases, topological structures in condensed matter and in field theory and fractional statistics.
Topological Phases of Matter are an exceptionally dynamic field of research: several of the most exciting recent experimental discoveries and conceptual advances in modern physics have originated in this field. These have generated new, topological, notions of order, interactions and excitations. This text provides an accessible, unified and comprehensive introduction to the phenomena surrounding topological matter, with detailed expositions of the underlying theoretical tools and conceptual framework, alongside accounts of the central experimental breakthroughs. Among the systems covered are topological insulators, magnets, semimetals, and superconductors. The emergence of new particles with remarkable properties such as fractional charge and statistics is discussed alongside possible applications such as fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. Suitable as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate students, or as a reference for more experienced researchers, the book assumes little prior background, providing self-contained introductions to topics as varied as phase transitions, superconductivity, and localisation.
Topology is woven into the subtle fabric of quantum theory. Topological concepts and ideas developed starting in the 1980s by the high energy physics and quantum gravity communities, first viewed by many as nothing but aesthetically appealing abstract possibilities, are central components of modern condensed matter physics and play a key role in the field of quantum information and quantum computation. The discovery of integer and fractional quantum Hall effects and, more recently, of topological insulators and superconductors has brought topological quantum matter in the laboratory, with the perspective of realizing functional platforms for topological quantum computation. Rooted in a solid mathematical formalism and spanning its relevance from fundamental questions in quantum gravity and quantum information to practical aspects regarding new materials and platforms for quantum computation, quantum topology is positioned at a fertile confluence of mathematics, physics, and computer and information science. This book focuses on the aspects of quantum topology that are most relevant from the perspective of condensed matter physics and its relation to quantum computation. We start our journey by sketching the relation between topology and quantum physics and summarizing a few basic mathematical concepts that will be used throughout this work. Beyond dry formal definitions, our main goal is to grasp the delicate root that makes the topological quantum world utterly strange and beautiful and follow it into the realm of condensed matter many-body systems.
This text serves as a pedagogical introduction to the theoretical concepts on application of topology in condensed matter systems. It covers an introduction to basic concepts of topology, emphasizes the relation of geometric concepts such as the Berry phase to topology, having in mind applications in condensed matter. In addition to describing two basic systems such as topological insulators and topological superconductors, it also reviews topological spin systems and photonic systems. It also describes the use of quantum information concepts in the context of topological phases and phase transitions, and the effect of non-equilibrium perturbations on topological systems. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to topological insulators, topological superconductors and topological semimetals. It includes all the mathematical background required for the subject. There are very few books with such a coverage in the market.