Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Journal of Mathematical Physics

Classification of symmetry protected states of quantum spin chains for continuous symmetry groups

Bruno de O. Carvalho, Wojciech De Roeck, Tijl Jappens

Published Jul 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Symmetry protected states (SPTs) of quantum spin systems were studied by several authors. For one-dimensional systems (spin chains), there is an essentially complete and rigorous understanding: SPTs corresponding to finite on-site symmetry groups G are classified by the second cohomology group H2(G, U(1)), as established in Kapustin, Sopenko, and Yang. J. Math. Phys. 62(8), 081901 (2021). We extend this result to the case of compact and metrizable topological symmetry groups G. We also strengthen the existing results in the sense that our classification results hold within the class of spin chains with locally bounded on-site dimensions.

DOI
10.1063/5.0238402

Related papers

Classification of symmetry protected states of quantum spin chains for continuous symmetry groups

Bruno de O. Carvalho, Wojciech De Roeck, Tijl Jappens

Symmetry protected states (SPT's) of quantum spin systems were studied by several authors. For one-dimensional systems (spin chains), there is an essentially complete and rigorous understanding: SPT's corresponding to finite on-site symmetry groups $G$ are classified by the second cohomology group $H^2(G,U(1))$, as established by Kapustin et al. [J. Math. Phys. (2021)]. We extend this result to the case of compact topological symmetry groups $G$. We also strengthen the existing results in the sense that our classification results holds within the class of spin chains with locally bounded on-site dimensions.

arXiv:2409.01112•Sep 2, 2024•0 citations

Classification of symmetry-protected topological many-body localized phases in one dimension

Amos Chan, Thorsten B Wahl

We provide a classification of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of many-body localized (MBL) spin and fermionic systems in one dimension. For spin systems, using tensor networks we show that all eigenstates of these phases have the same topological index as defined for SPT ground states. For unitary on-site symmetries, the MBL phases are thus labeled by the elements of the second cohomology group of the symmetry group. A similar classification is obtained for anti-unitary on-site symmetries, time-reversal symmetry being a special case with a [Formula: see text] classification (see [Wahl 2018 Phys. Rev. B 98 054204]). For the classification of fermionic MBL phases, we propose a fermionic tensor network diagrammatic formulation. We find that fermionic MBL systems with an (anti-)unitary symmetry are classified by the elements of the (generalized) second cohomology group if parity is included into the symmetry group. However, our approach misses a [Formula: see text] topological index expected from the classification of fermionic SPT ground states. Finally, we show that all found phases are stable to arbitrary symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Conversely, different topological phases must be separated by a transition marked by delocalized eigenstates. Finally, we demonstrate that the classification of spin systems is complete in the sense that there cannot be any additional topological indices pertaining to the properties of individual eigenstates, but there can be additional topological indices that further classify Hamiltonians.

arXiv:1808.05656•Journal of Physics Condensed Matter•Mar 11, 2020•12 citations

A complete classification of 2d symmetry protected states with symmetric entanglers

Alex Bols, Wojciech De Roeck, Michiel De Wilde +1 more

We consider symmetry protected topological states of 2d quantum spin systems, with a finite symmetry group $G$. It has been conjectured that such states are classified by the cohomology group $H^3(G,U(1))$, but the completeness of this classfication is an open problem. We restrict ourselves to symmetry protected topological states that can be prepared from a product state by a symmetric entangler. For this class of states, we prove that the classification by $H^3(G,U(1))$ is complete.

math-phCross-listedarXiv:2603.09959•Mar 11, 2026•0 citations

Classification of symmetry-protected topological many-body localized phases in one dimension.

Amos Chan, Thorsten B. Wahl

We provide a classification of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of many-body localized (MBL) spin and fermionic systems in one dimension. For spin systems, using tensor networks we show that all eigenstates of these phases have the same topological index as defined for SPT ground states. For unitary on-site symmetries, the MBL phases are thus labeled by the elements of the second cohomology group of the symmetry group. A similar classification is obtained for anti-unitary on-site symmetries, time-reversal symmetry being a special case with a [Formula: see text] classification (see [Wahl 2018 Phys. Rev. B 98 054204]). For the classification of fermionic MBL phases, we propose a fermionic tensor network diagrammatic formulation. We find that fermionic MBL systems with an (anti-)unitary symmetry are classified by the elements of the (generalized) second cohomology group if parity is included into the symmetry group. However, our approach misses a [Formula: see text] topological index expected from the classification of fermionic SPT ground states. Finally, we show that all found phases are stable to arbitrary symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Conversely, different topological phases must be separated by a transition marked by delocalized eigenstates. Finally, we demonstrate that the classification of spin systems is complete in the sense that there cannot be any additional topological indices pertaining to the properties of individual eigenstates, but there can be additional topological indices that further classify Hamiltonians.

•May 18, 2020•8 citations

The classification of symmetry protected topological phases of one-dimensional fermion systems

Chris Bourne, Yoshiko Ogata

Abstract We introduce an index for symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of infinite fermionic chains with an on-site symmetry given by a finite group G. This index takes values in $\mathbb {Z}_2 \times H^1(G,\mathbb {Z}_2) \times H^2(G, U(1)_{\mathfrak {p}})$ with a generalised Wall group law under stacking. We show that this index is an invariant of the classification of SPT phases. When the ground state is translation invariant and has reduced density matrices with uniformly bounded rank on finite intervals, we derive a fermionic matrix product representative of this state with on-site symmetry.

arXiv:2006.15232•Forum of Mathematics Sigma•Jan 1, 2021•25 citations

Minimalist approach to the classification of symmetry protected topological phases

Charles Zhaoxi Xiong

Abstract A number of proposals with differing predictions (e.g. Borel group cohomology, oriented cobordism, group supercohomology, spin cobordism, etc) have been made for the classification of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. Here we treat various proposals on an equal footing and present rigorous, general results that are independent of which proposal is correct. We do so by formulating a minimalist generalized cohomology hypothesis, which is satisfied by existing proposals and captures essential aspects of SPT classification. From this hypothesis alone, formulas relating classifications in different dimensions and/or protected by different symmetry groups are derived. Our formalism is expected to work for fermionic as well as bosonic phases, Floquet as well as stationary phases, and spatial as well as on-site symmetries. As an application, we predict that the complete classification of 3D bosonic SPT phases with space group symmetry G is , where the H 1 term classifies phases beyond the Borel group cohomology proposal.

arXiv:1701.00004•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Sep 12, 2018•62 citations
Symmetry protected states (SPTs) of quantum spin systems were studied by several authors. For one-dimensional systems (spin chains), there is an essentially complete and rigorous understanding: SPTs corresponding to finite on-site symmetry groups G are classified by the second cohomology group H2(G, U(1)), as established in Kapustin, Sopenko, and Yang. J. Math. Phys. 62(8), 081901 (2021). We extend this result to the case of compact and metrizable topological symmetry groups G. We also strengthen the existing results in the sense that our classification results hold within the class of spin chains with locally bounded on-site dimensions.
Symmetry protected states (SPT's) of quantum spin systems were studied by several authors. For one-dimensional systems (spin chains), there is an essentially complete and rigorous understanding: SPT's corresponding to finite on-site symmetry groups GGG are classified by the second cohomology group H2(G,U(1))H^2(G,U(1))H2(G,U(1)), as established by Kapustin et al. [J. Math. Phys. (2021)]. We extend this result to the case of compact topological symmetry groups GGG. We also strengthen the existing results in the sense that our classification results holds within the class of spin chains with locally bounded on-site dimensions.
We provide a classification of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of many-body localized (MBL) spin and fermionic systems in one dimension. For spin systems, using tensor networks we show that all eigenstates of these phases have the same topological index as defined for SPT ground states. For unitary on-site symmetries, the MBL phases are thus labeled by the elements of the second cohomology group of the symmetry group. A similar classification is obtained for anti-unitary on-site symmetries, time-reversal symmetry being a special case with a [Formula: see text] classification (see [Wahl 2018 Phys. Rev. B 98 054204]). For the classification of fermionic MBL phases, we propose a fermionic tensor network diagrammatic formulation. We find that fermionic MBL systems with an (anti-)unitary symmetry are classified by the elements of the (generalized) second cohomology group if parity is included into the symmetry group. However, our approach misses a [Formula: see text] topological index expected from the classification of fermionic SPT ground states. Finally, we show that all found phases are stable to arbitrary symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Conversely, different topological phases must be separated by a transition marked by delocalized eigenstates. Finally, we demonstrate that the classification of spin systems is complete in the sense that there cannot be any additional topological indices pertaining to the properties of individual eigenstates, but there can be additional topological indices that further classify Hamiltonians.
We consider symmetry protected topological states of 2d quantum spin systems, with a finite symmetry group GGG. It has been conjectured that such states are classified by the cohomology group H3(G,U(1))H^3(G,U(1))H3(G,U(1)), but the completeness of this classfication is an open problem. We restrict ourselves to symmetry protected topological states that can be prepared from a product state by a symmetric entangler. For this class of states, we prove that the classification by H3(G,U(1))H^3(G,U(1))H3(G,U(1)) is complete.
We provide a classification of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of many-body localized (MBL) spin and fermionic systems in one dimension. For spin systems, using tensor networks we show that all eigenstates of these phases have the same topological index as defined for SPT ground states. For unitary on-site symmetries, the MBL phases are thus labeled by the elements of the second cohomology group of the symmetry group. A similar classification is obtained for anti-unitary on-site symmetries, time-reversal symmetry being a special case with a [Formula: see text] classification (see [Wahl 2018 Phys. Rev. B 98 054204]). For the classification of fermionic MBL phases, we propose a fermionic tensor network diagrammatic formulation. We find that fermionic MBL systems with an (anti-)unitary symmetry are classified by the elements of the (generalized) second cohomology group if parity is included into the symmetry group. However, our approach misses a [Formula: see text] topological index expected from the classification of fermionic SPT ground states. Finally, we show that all found phases are stable to arbitrary symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Conversely, different topological phases must be separated by a transition marked by delocalized eigenstates. Finally, we demonstrate that the classification of spin systems is complete in the sense that there cannot be any additional topological indices pertaining to the properties of individual eigenstates, but there can be additional topological indices that further classify Hamiltonians.
Abstract We introduce an index for symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of infinite fermionic chains with an on-site symmetry given by a finite group G. This index takes values in Z2×H1(G,Z2)×H2(G,U(1)p)\mathbb {Z}_2 \times H^1(G,\mathbb {Z}_2) \times H^2(G, U(1)_{\mathfrak {p}})Z2​×H1(G,Z2​)×H2(G,U(1)p​) with a generalised Wall group law under stacking. We show that this index is an invariant of the classification of SPT phases. When the ground state is translation invariant and has reduced density matrices with uniformly bounded rank on finite intervals, we derive a fermionic matrix product representative of this state with on-site symmetry.
Abstract A number of proposals with differing predictions (e.g. Borel group cohomology, oriented cobordism, group supercohomology, spin cobordism, etc) have been made for the classification of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. Here we treat various proposals on an equal footing and present rigorous, general results that are independent of which proposal is correct. We do so by formulating a minimalist generalized cohomology hypothesis, which is satisfied by existing proposals and captures essential aspects of SPT classification. From this hypothesis alone, formulas relating classifications in different dimensions and/or protected by different symmetry groups are derived. Our formalism is expected to work for fermionic as well as bosonic phases, Floquet as well as stationary phases, and spatial as well as on-site symmetries. As an application, we predict that the complete classification of 3D bosonic SPT phases with space group symmetry G is , where the H 1 term classifies phases beyond the Borel group cohomology proposal.