Projected entangled-pair states (PEPS) provide a framework for the construction of models where a single tensor gives rise to both Hamiltonian and ground state wave function on the same footing. A key problem is to characterize the behavior which emerges in the system in terms of the properties of the tensor, and thus of the Hamiltonian. In this paper, we consider PEPS models with
Z2 on-site symmetry and study the occurrence of long-range order and spontaneous symmetry breaking. We show how long-range order is connected to a degeneracy in the spectrum of the PEPS transfer operator, and how the latter gives rise to spontaneous symmetry breaking under perturbations. We provide a succinct characterization of the symmetry-broken states in terms of the PEPS tensor, and find that using the symmetry-broken states we can derive a local entanglement Hamiltonian, thereby restoring locality of the entanglement Hamiltonian for all gapped phases.
Spontaneous symmetry breaking phenomena in the transverse field mixed
p-spin glass model in finite dimensions are studied with Nishimori's gauge theory. Useful identities in the gauge theory enable us to study
Z2-symmetry breaking. It is proven that ferromagnetic long-range order and spontaneous magnetization at an arbitrary temperature are bounded by those on the Nishimori line in the corresponding classical model. These bounds imply that neither ferromagnetic long-range order nor spontaneous magnetization exists in spin glass phase. It is proven also that the ferromagnetic susceptibility has an upper bound in paramagnetic and spin glass phases.