Long-range topological insulators and weakened bulk-boundary correspondence

We formalize the appearance of new types of insulators in long-range (LR) fermionic systems. These phases are not included in the "ten-fold way classification" (TWC) for the short-range (SR) topological insulators. This conclusion is obtained studying at first specific one-dimensional LR examples, in particular their phase diagrams and contents in symmetries and entanglement. The purely long-range phases (LRP) are signaled by the violation of the area-law for the Von Neumann entropy and by corresponding peculiar distributions for the entanglement spectrum (ES). The origin of the deviations from the TWC is analyzed from a more general point of view and in any dimension. In particular, it is found related with a particular type of divergences occurring in the spectrum, due to the LR couplings. A satisfying characterization for the LRP can be achieved at least for one-dimensional systems, as well as the connected definition of a nontrivial topology, provided a careful evaluation of the LR contributions. Our results lead to reconsider the definition of correlation length in LR systems. The same analysis also allows to infer, at least for one-dimensional models, the weakening of the bulk-boundary correspondence, due to the important correlations between bulk and edges, and consequently to clarify the nature of the massive edge states appearing in the topological LR. The emergence of this peculiar edge structure is signaled by the bulk ES. The stability of the LRP against finite-size effects, relevant in current experiments, and against local disorder is discussed, showing that the latter ingredient can even strengthen the effect of the LR couplings. Finally, we analyze the entanglement content of the paradigmatic LR Ising spin chain, inferring again important deviations from the SR regime, and the limitations of bulk-boundary (tensor-network based) approaches to classify LR spin models

Two-mode dipolar bosonic junctions

We consider a two-mode atomic Josephson junction realized with dilute dipolar bosons confined by a double-well. We employ the two-site extended Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian and characterize the ground-state of this system by the Fisher information, coherence visibility, and entanglement entropy. These quantities are studied as functions of the interaction between bosons in different wells. The emergence of Schroedinger-cat like state with a loss of coherence is also commented.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Self-consistent Keldysh approach to quenches in weakly interacting Bose-Hubbard model

We present a non-equilibrium Green's functional approach to study the dynamics following a quench in weakly interacting Bose Hubbard model (BHM). The technique is based on the self-consistent solution of a set of equations which represents a particular case of the most general set of Hedin's equations for the interacting single-particle Green's function. We use the ladder approximation as a skeleton diagram for the two-particle scattering amplitude useful, through the self-energy in the Dyson equation, for finding the interacting single-particle Green's function. This scheme is then implemented numerically by a parallelized code. We exploit this approach to study the correlation propagation after a quench in the interaction parameter, for one (1D) and two (2D) dimensions. In particular, we show how our approach is able to recover the crossover from ballistic to diffusive regime by increasing the boson-boson interaction. Finally we also discuss the role of a thermal initial state on the dynamics both for 1D and 2D Bose Hubbard models, finding that surprisingly at high temperature a ballistic evolution is restored.Comment: 13 figure

Wavevector-dependent spin filtering and spin transport through magnetic barriers in graphene

We study the spin-resolved transport through magnetic nanostructures in monolayer and bilayer graphene. We take into account both the orbital effect of the inhomogeneous perpendicular magnetic field as well as the in-plane spin splitting due to the Zeeman interaction and to the exchange coupling possibly induced by the proximity of a ferromagnetic insulator. We find that a single barrier exhibits a wavevector-dependent spin filtering effect at energies close to the transmission threshold. This effect is significantly enhanced in a resonant double barrier configuration, where the spin polarization of the outgoing current can be increased up to 100% by increasing the distance between the barriers

Pair condensation of polarized fermions in the BCS-BEC crossover

We investigate a two-component Fermi gas with unequal spin populations along the BCS-BEC crossover. By using the extended BCS equations and the concept of off-diagonal-long-range-order we derive a formula for the condensate number of Cooper pairs as a function of energy gap, average chemical potential, imbalance chemical potential and temperature. Then we study the zero-temperature condensate fraction of Cooper pairs by varying interaction strength and polarization, finding a depletion of the condensate fraction by increasing the population imbalance. We also consider explicitly the presence of an external harmonic confinement and we study, within the local-density approximation, the phase separation between superfluid and normal phase regions of the polarized fermionic cloud. In particular, we calculate both condensate density profiles and total density profiles from the inner superfluid core to the normal region passing for the interface, where a finite jump in the density is a clear manifestation of this phase-separated regime. Finally, we compare our theoretical results with the available experimental data on the condensate fraction of polarized 6Li atoms [Science 311, 492 (2006)]. These experimental data are in reasonable agreement with our predictions in a suitable range of polarizations, but only in the BCS side of the crossover up to unitarity.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, improved version, added a section on the interpretation of the results, to be published in J. Phys.

Entanglement entropy and macroscopic quantum states with dipolar bosons in a triple-well potential

We study interacting dipolar atomic bosons in a triple-well potential within a ring geometry. This system is shown to be equivalent to a three-site Bose-Hubbard model. We analyze the ground state of dipolar bosons by varying the effective on-site interaction. This analysis is performed both numerically and analytically by using suitable coherent-state representations of the ground state. The latter exhibits a variety of forms ranging from the su(3) coherent state in the delocalization regime to a macroscopic cat-like state with fully localized populations, passing for a coexistence regime where the ground state displays a mixed character. We characterize the quantum correlations of the ground state from the bi-partition perspective. We calculate both numerically and analytically (within the previous coherent-state representation) the single-site entanglement entropy which, among various interesting properties, exhibits a maximum value in correspondence to the transition from the cat-like to the coexistence regime. In the latter case, we show that the ground-state mixed form corresponds, semiclassically, to an energy exhibiting two almost-degenerate minima.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Magnetic confinement of massless Dirac fermions in graphene

Due to Klein tunneling, electrostatic potentials are unable to confine Dirac electrons. We show that it is possible to confine massless Dirac fermions in a monolayer graphene sheet by inhomogeneous magnetic fields. This allows one to design mesoscopic structures in graphene by magnetic barriers, e.g. quantum dots or quantum point contacts.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in PR

From Klein to anti-Klein tunneling in graphene tuning the Rashba spin-orbit interaction or the bilayer coupling

We calculate the transmission coefficient for a particle crossing a potential barrier in monolayer graphene with Rashba spin-orbit coupling and in bilayer graphene. We show that in both the cases one can go from Klein tunneling regime, characterized by perfect normal transmission, to anti-Klein tunneling regime, with perfect normal reflection, by tuning the Rashba spin-orbit coupling for a monolayer or the interplane coupling for a bilayer graphene. We show that the intermediate regime is characterized by a non-monotonic behavior with oscillations and resonances in the normal transmission amplitude as a function of the coupling and of the potential parameters.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Quasi-particle dephasing time in disordered d-wave superconductors

We evaluate the low-temperature cutoff for quantum interference 1/tf induced in a d-wave superconductor by the diffusion enhanced quasiparticle interactions in the presence of disorder. We carry out our analysis in the framework of the non-linear sigma-model which allows a direct calculation of 1/tf, as the mass of the transverse modes of the theory. Only the triplet amplitude in the particle-hole channel and the Cooper amplitude with is pairing symmetry contribute to 1/tf. We discuss the possible relevance of our results to the present disagreement between thermal transport data in cuprates and the localization theory for d-wave quasiparticles