From Doubled Chern-Simons-Maxwell Lattice Gauge Theory to Extensions of the Toric Code

We regularize compact and non-compact Abelian Chern-Simons-Maxwell theories on a spatial lattice using the Hamiltonian formulation. We consider a doubled theory with gauge fields living on a lattice and its dual lattice. The Hilbert space of the theory is a product of local Hilbert spaces, each associated with a link and the corresponding dual link. The two electric field operators associated with the link-pair do not commute. In the non-compact case with gauge group $\mathbb{R}$, each local Hilbert space is analogous to the one of a charged "particle" moving in the link-pair group space $\mathbb{R}^2$ in a constant "magnetic" background field. In the compact case, the link-pair group space is a torus $U(1)^2$ threaded by $k$ units of quantized "magnetic" flux, with $k$ being the level of the Chern-Simons theory. The holonomies of the torus $U(1)^2$ give rise to two self-adjoint extension parameters, which form two non-dynamical background lattice gauge fields that explicitly break the manifest gauge symmetry from $U(1)$ to $\mathbb{Z}(k)$. The local Hilbert space of a link-pair then decomposes into representations of a magnetic translation group. In the pure Chern-Simons limit of a large "photon" mass, this results in a $\mathbb{Z}(k)$-symmetric variant of Kitaev's toric code, self-adjointly extended by the two non-dynamical background lattice gauge fields. Electric charges on the original lattice and on the dual lattice obey mutually anyonic statistics with the statistics angle $\frac{2 \pi}{k}$. Non-Abelian $U(k)$ Berry gauge fields that arise from the self-adjoint extension parameters may be interesting in the context of quantum information processing.Comment: 38 pages, 4 figure

Graphical Tensor Product Reduction Scheme for the Lie Algebras so(5) = sp(2), su(3), and g(2)

We develop in detail a graphical tensor product reduction scheme, first described by Antoine and Speiser, for the simple rank 2 Lie algebras so(5) = sp(2), su(3), and g(2). This leads to an efficient practical method to reduce tensor products of irreducible representations into sums of such representations. For this purpose, the 2-dimensional weight diagram of a given representation is placed in a "landscape" of irreducible representations. We provide both the landscapes and the weight diagrams for a large number of representations for the three simple rank 2 Lie algebras. We also apply the algebraic "girdle" method, which is much less efficient for calculations by hand for moderately large representations. Computer code for reducing tensor products, based on the graphical method, has been developed as well and is available from the authors upon request.Comment: 43 pages, 18 figure

Vacuum polarization in graphene with a topological defect

The influence of a topological defect in graphene on the ground state of electronic quasiparticle excitations is studied in the framework of the long-wavelength continuum model originating in the tight-binding approximation for the nearest neighbour interaction in the graphitic lattice. A topological defect that rolls up a graphitic sheet into a nanocone is represented by a pointlike pseudomagnetic vortex with a flux which is related to the deficit angle of the cone. The method of self-adjoint extensions is employed to define the set of physically acceptable boundary conditions at the apex of the nanocone. The electronic system on a graphitic nanocone is found to acquire the ground state condensate and current of special type, and we determine the dependence of these quantities on the deficit angle of the nanocone, continuous parameter of the boundary condition at the apex, and the distance from the apex.Comment: 16 pages, submitted to J. Low Temp. Phy

On the possible induced charge on a graphitic nanocone at finite temperature

Electronic excitations in a graphitic monolayer (graphene) in the long-wavelength approximation are characterized by the linear dispersion law, representing a unique example of the really two-dimensional "ultrarelativistic" fermionic system which in the presence of topological defects possesses rather unusual properties. A disclination that rolls up a graphitic sheet into a nanocone is described by a pointlike pseudomagnetic vortex at the apex of the cone, and the flux of the vortex is related to the deficit angle of the conical surface. A general theory of planar relativistic fermionic systems in the singular vortex background is employed, and we derive the analytical expression for the charge which is induced at finite temperature on some graphitic nanocones.Comment: 8 pages, minor changes, journal version (based on a talk given on QFEXT07, Leipzig, 2007

Diffraction and quasiclassical limit of the Aharonov--Bohm effect

Since the Aharonov-Bohm effect is the purely quantum effect that has no analogues in classical physics, its persistence in the quasiclassical limit seems to be hardly possible. Nevertheless, we show that the scattering Aharonov-Bohm effect does persist in the quasiclassical limit owing to the diffraction, i.e. the Fraunhofer diffraction in the case when space outside the enclosed magnetic flux is Euclidean, and the Fresnel diffraction in the case when the outer space is conical. Hence, the enclosed magnetic flux can serve as a gate for the propagation of short-wavelength, almost classical, particles. In the case of conical space, this quasiclassical effect which is in principle detectable depends on the particle spin.Comment: 12 pages, minor changes, references update

Induced quantum numbers of a magnetic monopole at finite temperature

A Dirac electron field is quantized in the background of a Dirac magnetic monopole, and the phenomenon of induced quantum numbers in this system is analyzed. We show that, in addition to electric charge, also squares of orbital angular momentum, spin, and total angular momentum are induced. The functional dependence of these quantities on the temperature and the CP-violating vacuum angle is determined. Thermal quadratic fluctuations of charge and squared total angular momentum, as well as the correlation between them and their correlations with squared orbital angular momentum and squared spin, are examined. We find the conditions when charge and squared total angular momentum at zero temperature are sharp quantum observables rather than mere quantum averages.Comment: 24 pages, minor grammatical changes, journal versio