Heptagon Amplitude in the Multi-Regge Regime

As we have shown in previous work, the high energy limit of scattering amplitudes in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory corresponds to the infrared limit of the 1-dimensional quantum integrable system that solves minimal area problems in AdS5. This insight can be developed into a systematic algorithm to compute the strong coupling limit of amplitudes in the multi-Regge regime through the solution of auxiliary Bethe Ansatz equations. We apply this procedure to compute the scattering amplitude for n=7 external gluons in different multi-Regge regions at infinite 't Hooft coupling. Our formulas are remarkably consistent with the expected form of 7-gluon Regge cut contributions in perturbative gauge theory. A full description of the general algorithm and a derivation of results will be given in a forthcoming paper.Comment: 14 page

Effect of chiral symmetry on chaotic scattering from Majorana zero modes

In many of the experimental systems that may host Majorana zero modes, a so-called chiral symmetry exists that protects overlapping zero modes from splitting up. This symmetry is operative in a superconducting nanowire that is narrower than the spin-orbit scattering length, and at the Dirac point of a superconductor/topological insulator heterostructure. Here we show that chiral symmetry strongly modifies the dynamical and spectral properties of a chaotic scatterer, even if it binds only a single zero mode. These properties are quantified by the Wigner-Smith time-delay matrix $Q=-i\hbar S^\dagger dS/dE$, the Hermitian energy derivative of the scattering matrix, related to the density of states by $\rho=(2\pi\hbar)^{-1}\,{\rm Tr}\,Q$. We compute the probability distribution of $Q$ and $\rho$, dependent on the number $\nu$ of Majorana zero modes, in the chiral ensembles of random-matrix theory. Chiral symmetry is essential for a significant $\nu$-dependence.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures + appendix (3 pages, 1 figure

Effect of a tunnel barrier on the scattering from a Majorana bound state in an Andreev billiard

We calculate the joint distribution $P(S,Q)$ of the scattering matrix $S$ and time-delay matrix $Q=-i\hbar S^\dagger dS/dE$ of a chaotic quantum dot coupled by point contacts to metal electrodes. While $S$ and $Q$ are statistically independent for ballistic coupling, they become correlated for tunnel coupling. We relate the ensemble averages of $Q$ and $S$ and thereby obtain the average density of states at the Fermi level. We apply this to a calculation of the effect of a tunnel barrier on the Majorana resonance in a topological superconductor. We find that the presence of a Majorana bound state is hidden in the density of states and in the thermal conductance if even a single scattering channel has unit tunnel probability. The electrical conductance remains sensitive to the appearance of a Majorana bound state, and we calculate the variation of the average conductance through a topological phase transition.Comment: Contribution for the special issue of Physica E in memory of Markus B\"{u}ttiker. 13 pages, 7 figure

Selective enhancement of topologically induced interface states in a dielectric resonator chain

The recent realization of topological phases in insulators and superconductors has advanced the quest for robust quantum technologies. The prospects to implement the underlying topological features controllably has given incentive to explore optical platforms for analogous realizations. Here we realize a topologically induced defect state in a chain of dielectric microwave resonators and show that the functionality of the system can be enhanced by supplementing topological protection with non-hermitian symmetries that do not have an electronic counterpart. We draw on a characteristic topological feature of the defect state, namely, that it breaks a sublattice symmetry. This isolates the state from losses that respect parity-time symmetry, which enhances its visibility relative to all other states both in the frequency and in the time domain. This mode selection mechanism naturally carries over to a wide range of topological and parity-time symmetric optical platforms, including couplers, rectifiers and lasers.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, + supplementary information (3 pages, 4 figures

Significance of Ghost Orbit Bifurcations in Semiclassical Spectra

Gutzwiller's trace formula for the semiclassical density of states in a chaotic system diverges near bifurcations of periodic orbits, where it must be replaced with uniform approximations. It is well known that, when applying these approximations, complex predecessors of orbits created in the bifurcation ("ghost orbits") can produce pronounced signatures in the semiclassical spectra in the vicinity of the bifurcation. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that these ghost orbits themselves can undergo bifurcations, resulting in complex, nongeneric bifurcation scenarios. We do so by studying an example taken from the Diamagnetic Kepler Problem, viz. the period quadrupling of the balloon orbit. By application of normal form theory we construct an analytic description of the complete bifurcation scenario, which is then used to calculate the pertinent uniform approximation. The ghost orbit bifurcation turns out to produce signatures in the semiclassical spectrum in much the same way as a bifurcation of real orbits would.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, LATEX (IOP style), submitted to J. Phys.

Classical orbit bifurcation and quantum interference in mesoscopic magnetoconductance

We study the magnetoconductance of electrons through a mesoscopic channel with antidots. Through quantum interference effects, the conductance maxima as functions of the magnetic field strength and the antidot radius (regulated by the applied gate voltage) exhibit characteristic dislocations that have been observed experimentally. Using the semiclassical periodic orbit theory, we relate these dislocations directly to bifurcations of the leading classes of periodic orbits.Comment: 4 pages, including 5 figures. Revised version with clarified discussion and minor editorial change

The Bethe Roots of Regge Cuts in Strongly Coupled N=4 SYM Theory

We describe a general algorithm for the computation of the remainder function for n-gluon scattering in multi-Regge kinematics for strongly coupled planar N=4 super Yang-Mills theory. This regime is accessible through the infrared physics of an auxiliary quantum integrable system describing strings in AdS5xS5. Explicit formulas are presented for n=6 and n=7 external gluons. Our results are consistent with expectations from perturbative gauge theory. This paper comprises the technical details for the results announced in arXiv:1405.3658 .Comment: 42 pages, 9 figure

Exponential sensitivity to dephasing of electrical conduction through a quantum dot

According to random-matrix theory, interference effects in the conductance of a ballistic chaotic quantum dot should vanish $\propto(\tau_{\phi}/\tau_{D})^{p}$ when the dephasing time $\tau_{\phi}$ becomes small compared to the mean dwell time $\tau_{D}$. Aleiner and Larkin have predicted that the power law crosses over to an exponential suppression $\propto\exp(-\tau_{E}/\tau_{\phi})$ when $\tau_{\phi}$ drops below the Ehrenfest time $\tau_{E}$. We report the first observation of this crossover in a computer simulation of universal conductance fluctuations. Their theory also predicts an exponential suppression $\propto\exp(-\tau_{E}/\tau_{D})$ in the absence of dephasing -- which is not observed. We show that the effective random-matrix theory proposed previously for quantum dots without dephasing explains both observations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Diagnostics of entanglement dynamics in noisy and disordered spin chains via the measurement-induced steady-state entanglement transition

We utilize the concept of a measurement-induced entanglement transition to analyze the interplay and competition of processes that generate and destroy entanglement in a one-dimensional quantum spin chain evolving under a locally noisy and disordered Hamiltonian. We employ continuous measurements of variable strength to induce a transition from volume to area-law scaling of the steady-state entanglement entropy. While static background disorder systematically reduces the critical measurement strength, this critical value depends nonmonotonically on the strength of nonstatic noise. According to the extracted finite-size scaling exponents, the universality class of the transition is independent of the noise and disorder strength. We interpret the results in terms of the effect of static and nonstatic disorder on the intricate dynamics of the entanglement generation rate due to the Hamiltonian in the absence of measurement, which is fully reflected in the behavior of the critical measurement strength. Our results establish a firm connection between this entanglement growth and the steady-state behavior of the measurement-controlled systems, which therefore can serve as a tool to quantify and investigate features of transient entanglement dynamics in complex many-body systems via a steady-state phase transition