Stable Quantum Monte Carlo Simulations for Entanglement Spectra of Interacting Fermions

We show that the two recently proposed methods to compute Renyi entanglement entropies in the realm of determinant quantum Monte Carlo methods for fermions are in principle equivalent, but differ in sampling strategies. The analogy allows to formulate a numerically stable calculation of the entanglement spectrum at strong coupling. We demonstrate the approach by studying static and dynamical properties of the entanglement hamiltonian across the interaction driven quantum phase transition between a topological insulator and quantum antiferromagnet in the Kane-Mele Hubbard model. The formulation is not limited to fermion systems and can readily be adapted to world-line based simulations of bosonic systems.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

The Fractional Quantum Hall Effect on a Lattice

Starting from the Hofstadter butterfly, we define lattice versions of Landau levels as well as a continuum limit which ensures that they scale to continuum Landau levels. By including a next-neighbor repulsive interaction and projecting onto the lowest lattice Landau level, we show that incompressible ground states exist at filling fractions, $\nu = 1/3, 2/5$ and $3/7$. Already for values of $l_0/a \sim 2$ where $l_0$ ($a$) is the magnetic length (lattice constant), the lattice version of the $\nu = 1/3$ state reproduces with nearly perfect accuracy the the continuum Laughlin state. The numerical data strongly suggests that at odd filling fractions of the lowest lattice Landau level, the lattice constant is an irrelevant length scale. We find a new relation between the hierarchy of incompressible states and the self-similar structure of the Hofstadter butterfly.Comment: 11 pages, Latex, 3 compressed and uuencoded postscript figures appended, FFA-94-0

Correlation effects in two-dimensional topological insulators

Topological insulators have become one of the most active research areas in condensed matter physics. This article reviews progress on the topic of electronic correlations effects in the two-dimensional case, with a focus on systems with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and numerical results. Topics addressed include an introduction to the noninteracting case, an overview of theoretical models, correlated topological band insulators, interaction-driven phase transitions, topological Mott insulators and fractional topological states, correlation effects on helical edge states, and topological invariants of interacting systems.Comment: 33 pages, 20 figures; invited Topical Review (published version

Efficient calculation of imaginary time displaced correlation functions in the projector auxiliary field quantum Monte-Carlo algorithm

The calculation of imaginary time displaced correlation functions with the auxiliary field projector quantum Monte-Carlo algorithm provides valuable insight (such as spin and charge gaps) in the model under consideration. One of the authors and M. Imada [F.F. Assaad and M. Imada, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 65 189 (1996).] have proposed a numerically stable method to compute those quantities. Although precise this method is expensive in CPU time. Here, we present an alternative approach which is an order of magnitude quicker, just as precise, and very simple to implement. The method is based on the observation that for a given auxiliary field the equal time Green function matrix, $G$, is a projector: $G^2 = G$.Comment: 4 papes, 1 figure in eps forma

Interplay between the edge-state magnetism and long-range Coulomb interaction in zigzag graphene nanoribbons: quantum Monte Carlo study

We perform projective quantum Monte Carlo simulations of zigzag graphene nanoribbons within a realistic model with long-range Coulomb interactions. Increasing the relative strength of nonlocal interactions with respect to the on-site repulsion does not generate a phase transition but has a number of nontrivial effects. At the single-particle level we observe a marked enhancement of the Fermi velocity at the Dirac points. At the two-particle level, spin- and charge-density-wave fluctuations compete. As a consequence, the edge magnetic moment is reduced but the edge dispersion relation increases in the sense that the single-particle gap at momentum $q=\pi/|{\pmb a}_1|$ grows. We attribute this to nonlocal charge fluctuations which assist the spin fluctuations to generate the aforementioned gap. In contrast, the net result of the interaction-induced renormalization of different energy scales is a constant spin-wave velocity of the edge modes. However, since the particle-hole continuum is shifted to higher energies---due to the renormalization of the Fermi velocity---Landau damping is reduced. As a result, a roughly linear spin-wave-like mode at the edge spreads out through a larger part of the Brillouin zone.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, comment about doped nanoribbon