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Journal of Mathematical Physics

Boundary algebras of the Kitaev quantum double model

Chian Yeong Chuah, Brett Hungar, Kyle Kawagoe, David Penneys, Mario Tomba, Daniel Wallick, Shuqi Wei

Published Oct 1, 2024• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The recent article by Jones et al. [arXiv:2307.12552 (2023)] gave local topological order (LTO) axioms for a quantum spin system, showed they held in Kitaev’s Toric Code and in Levin-Wen string net models, and gave a bulk boundary correspondence to describe bulk excitations in terms of the boundary net of algebras. In this article, we prove the LTO axioms for Kitaev’s Quantum Double model for a finite group G. We identify the boundary nets of algebras with fusion categorical nets associated to (Hilb(G),C[G]) or (Rep(G),CG) depending on whether the boundary cut is rough or smooth, respectively. This allows us to make connections to the work of Ogata [Ann. Henri Poincaré 25, 2353–2387 (2024)] on the type of the cone von Neumann algebras in the algebraic quantum field theory approach to topological superselection sectors. We show that the boundary algebras can also be calculated from a trivial G-symmetry protected topological phase (G-SPT), and that the gauging map preserves the boundary algebras. Finally, we compute the boundary algebras for the (3 + 1)D Quantum Double model associated to an Abelian group.

DOI
10.1063/5.0212164

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The recent article by Jones et al. [arXiv:2307.12552 (2023)] gave local topological order (LTO) axioms for a quantum spin system, showed they held in Kitaev’s Toric Code and in Levin-Wen string net models, and gave a bulk boundary correspondence to describe bulk excitations in terms of the boundary net of algebras. In this article, we prove the LTO axioms for Kitaev’s Quantum Double model for a finite group G. We identify the boundary nets of algebras with fusion categorical nets associated to (Hilb(G),C[G]) or (Rep(G),CG) depending on whether the boundary cut is rough or smooth, respectively. This allows us to make connections to the work of Ogata [Ann. Henri Poincaré 25, 2353–2387 (2024)] on the type of the cone von Neumann algebras in the algebraic quantum field theory approach to topological superselection sectors. We show that the boundary algebras can also be calculated from a trivial G-symmetry protected topological phase (G-SPT), and that the gauging map preserves the boundary algebras. Finally, we compute the boundary algebras for the (3 + 1)D Quantum Double model associated to an Abelian group.
The recent article [arXiv:2307.12552] gave local topological order (LTO) axioms for a quantum spin system, showed they held in Kitaev's Toric Code and in Levin-Wen string net models, and gave a bulk boundary correspondence to describe bulk excitations in terms of the boundary net of algebras. In this article, we prove the LTO axioms for Kitaev's Quantum Double model for a finite group GGG. We identify the boundary nets of algebras with fusion categorical nets associated to (Hilb(G),C[G])(\mathsf{Hilb}(G),\mathbb{C}[G])(Hilb(G),C[G]) or (Rep(G),CG)(\mathsf{Rep}(G),\mathbb{C}^G)(Rep(G),CG) depending on whether the boundary cut is rough or smooth respectively. This allows us to make connections to work of Ogata on the type of the cone von Neumann algebras in the algebraic quantum field theory approach to topological superselection sectors. We show that the boundary algebras can also be calculated from a trivial GGG-symmetry protected topological phase (GGG-SPT), and that the gauging map preserves the boundary algebras. Finally, we compute the boundary algebras for the (3+1)D Quantum Double model associated to an abelian group.
In our previous article [arXiv:2307.12552], we introduced local topological order (LTO) axioms for quantum spin systems which allowed us to define a physical boundary (associated to a cut of the lattice) manifested by a net of boundary algebras in one dimension lower. This gives a formal setting for topological holography, where the braided tensor category of DHR bimodules of the physical boundary algebra captures the bulk topological order. In this article, we extend the LTO axioms to quantum spin systems equipped with a topological boundary (domain wall with the trivial phase), again producing a physical boundary algebra for the bulk-boundary system, whose category of (topological) boundary DHR bimodules recovers the topological boundary order. We perform this analysis in explicit detail for Levin-Wen and Walker-Wang bulk-boundary systems. Along the way, we introduce a 2D braided categorical net of algebras built from a unitary braided fusion category (UBFC). Such nets arise as boundary algebras of Walker-Wang models. We consider the canonical state on this braided categorical net corresponding to the standard topological boundary for the Walker-Wang model. Interestingly, in this state, the cone von Neumann algebras are type I with finite dimensional centers, in contrast with the type II and III cone von Neumann algebras from the Levin-Wen models studied in [arXiv:2307.12552]. The superselection sectors recover the underlying unitary category of our UBFC, and it was recently proven in [arXiv:2609.20725] that the superselection category also captures the fusion and braiding.
In our previous article [arXiv:2307.12552], we introduced local topological order (LTO) axioms for abstract quantum spin systems which allow one to access topological order via a boundary algebra construction. Using the LTO axioms, we produced a canonical pure state on the quasi-local algebra, which gives a net of von Neumann algebras associated to a poset of cones in Rn\mathbb{R}^nRn. In this article, motivated by [arXiv:2509.23734], we introduce an axiom for LTOs which ensures Haag duality for cone-like regions using Tomita-Takesaki theory. We prove this axiom is satisfied for all known topologically ordered commuting projector models. We thus get an independent proof of Haag duality for the Levin-Wen string net models originally proved in [arXiv:2509.23734]. We also give a reflection positivity axiom for LTOs, connecting to the recent article [arXiv:2510.20662]. We again prove this axiom is satisfied for all known topologically ordered commuting projector models about some Z/2\mathbb{Z}/2Z/2-reflection symmetry.
Abstract We introduce a set of axioms for locally topologically ordered quantum spin systems in terms of nets of local ground state projections, and we show they are satisfied by Kitaev’s Toric Code and Levin-Wen type models. For a locally topologically ordered spin system on Zk\mathbb {Z}^{k}Zk , we define a local net of boundary algebras on Zk−1\mathbb {Z}^{k-1}Zk−1 , which provides a mathematically precise algebraic description of the holographic dual of the bulk topological order. We construct a canonical quantum channel so that states on the boundary quasi-local algebra parameterize bulk-boundary states without reference to a boundary Hamiltonian. As a corollary, we obtain a new proof of a recent result of Ogata [Oga24] that the bulk cone von Neumann algebra in the Toric Code is of type II\mathrm {II}II , and we show that Levin-Wen models can have cone algebras of type III\mathrm {III}III . Finally, we argue that the braided tensor category of DHR bimodules for the net of boundary algebras characterizes the bulk topological order in (2+1)D, and can also be used to characterize the topological order of boundary states.
We study the Levin-Wen string-net model with a ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​ type fusion algebra. Solutions of the local constraints of this model correspond to ZN{Z}_{N}ZN​ gauge theory and double Chern-Simons theories with quantum groups. For the first time, we explicitly construct a spin-$(N\ensuremath{-}1)/2$ model with ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​ gauge symmetry on a triangular lattice as an exact dual model of the string-net model with a ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​ type fusion algebra on a honeycomb lattice. This exact duality exists only when the spins are coupled to a ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​ gauge field living on the links of the triangular lattice. The ungauged ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​ lattice spin models are a class of quantum systems that bear symmetry-protected topological phases that may be classified by the third cohomology group H3(ZN,U(1)){H}^{3}({\mathbb{Z}}_{N},U(1))H3(ZN​,U(1)) of ZN{\mathbb{Z}}_{N}ZN​. Our results apply also to any case where the fusion algebra is identified with a finite group algebra or a quantum group algebra.
We introduce a class of 2d2d2d quantum spin systems based on a unitary spherical fusion category with a chosen object. These models have frustration-free, reflection positive, but generally non-commuting local interactions, generalizing the Levin-Wen string-net models. Based on the theory developed in arXiv:2510.20662, we explicitly realize the Temperley-Lieb-Jones algebra, and more generally fusion spin chains as their boundary algebras.