A continuous-time solver for quantum impurity models

We present a new continuous time solver for quantum impurity models such as those relevant to dynamical mean field theory. It is based on a stochastic sampling of a perturbation expansion in the impurity-bath hybridization parameter. Comparisons to quantum Monte Carlo and exact diagonalization calculations confirm the accuracy of the new approach, which allows very efficient simulations even at low temperatures and for strong interactions. As examples of the power of the method we present results for the temperature dependence of the kinetic energy and the free energy, enabling an accurate location of the temperature-driven metal-insulator transition.Comment: Published versio

Quantum Phase Transitions in Coupled Dimer Compounds

We study the critical properties in cubic systems of antiferromagnetically coupled spin dimers near magnetic-field induced quantum phase transitions. The quantum critical points in the zero-temperature phase diagrams are determined from quantum Monte Carlo simulations. Furthermore, scaling properties of the uniform magnetization and the staggered transverse magnetization across the quantum phase transition in magnetic fields are calculated. The critical exponents are derived from Ginzburg-Landau theory. We find excellent agreement between the quantum Monte Carlo simulations and the analytical results.Comment: 7 pages, 9 eps-figure

Discerning Incompressible and Compressible Phases of Cold Atoms in Optical Lattices

Experiments with cold atoms trapped in optical lattices offer the potential to realize a variety of novel phases but suffer from severe spatial inhomogeneity that can obscure signatures of new phases of matter and phase boundaries. We use a high temperature series expansion to show that compressibility in the core of a trapped Fermi-Hubbard system is related to measurements of changes in double occupancy. This core compressibility filters out edge effects, offering a direct probe of compressibility independent of inhomogeneity. A comparison with experiments is made

Thermalization of strongly interacting bosons after spontaneous emissions in optical lattices

We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of bosonic atoms in a 1D optical lattice, after the ground-state is excited by a single spontaneous emission event, i.e. after an absorption and re-emission of a lattice photon. This is an important fundamental source of decoherence for current experiments, and understanding the resulting dynamics and changes in the many-body state is important for controlling heating in quantum simulators. Previously it was found that in the superfluid regime, simple observables relax to values that can be described by a thermal distribution on experimental time-scales, and that this breaks down for strong interactions (in the Mott insulator regime). Here we expand on this result, investigating the relaxation of the momentum distribution as a function of time, and discussing the relationship to eigenstate thermalization. For the strongly interacting limit, we provide an analytical analysis for the behavior of the system, based on an effective low-energy Hamiltonian in which the dynamics can be understood based on correlated doublon-holon pairs.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Efficient DMFT-simulation of the Holstein-Hubbard Model

We present a method for solving impurity models with electron-phonon coupling, which treats the phonons efficiently and without approximations. The algorithm is applied to the Holstein-Hubbard model in the dynamical mean field approximation, where it allows access to strong interactions, very low temperatures and arbitrary fillings. We show that a renormalized Migdal-Eliashberg theory provides a reasonlable description of the phonon contribution to the electronic self energy in strongly doped systems, but fails if the quasiparticle energy becomes of order of the phonon frequency.Comment: Published versio

Quench dynamics and non equilibrium phase diagram of the Bose-Hubbard model

We investigate the time evolution of correlations in the Bose-Hubbard model following a quench from the superfluid to the Mott insulating phase. For large values of the final interaction strength the system approaches a distinctly non-equilibrium steady state that bears strong memory of the initial conditions. In contrast, when the final interaction strength is comparable to the hopping, the correlations are rather well approximated by those at thermal equilibrium. The existence of two distinct non-equilibrium regimes is surprising given the non-integrability of the Bose-Hubbard model. We relate this phenomena to the role of quasi-particle interactions in the Mott insulating state

Supersolid phase induced by correlated hopping in spin-1/2 frustrated quantum magnets

We show that correlated hopping of triplets, which is often the dominant source of kinetic energy in dimer-based frustrated quantum magnets, produces a remarkably strong tendency to form supersolid phases in a magnetic field. These phases are characterized by simultaneous modulation and ordering of the longitudinal and transverse magnetization respectively. Using Quantum Monte Carlo and a semiclassical approach for an effective hard-core boson model with nearest-neighbor repulsion on a square lattice, we prove in particular that a supersolid phase can exist even if the repulsion is not strong enough to stabilize an insulating phase at half-filling. Experimental implications for frustrated quantum antiferromagnets in a magnetic field at zero and finite temperature are discussed.Comment: 4 pages; 4 figures; published versio

A supersymmetric multicritical point in a model of lattice fermions

We study a model of spinless fermions with infinite nearest-neighbor repulsion on the square ladder which has microscopic supersymmetry. It has been conjectured that in the continuum the model is described by the superconformal minimal model with central charge c=3/2. Thus far it has not been possible to confirm this conjecture due to strong finite-size corrections in numerical data. We trace the origin of these corrections to the presence of unusual marginal operators that break Lorentz invariance, but preserve part of the supersymmetry. By relying mostly on entanglement entropy calculations with the density-matrix renormalization group, we are able to reduce finite-size effects significantly. This allows us to unambiguously determine the continuum theory of the model. We also study perturbations of the model and establish that the supersymmetric model is a multicritical point. Our work underlines the power of entanglement entropy as a probe of the phases of quantum many-body systems.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure