Ultracold Quantum Gases and Lattice Systems: Quantum Simulation of Lattice Gauge Theories

Abelian and non-Abelian gauge theories are of central importance in many areas of physics. In condensed matter physics, Abelian U(1) lattice gauge theories arise in the description of certain quantum spin liquids. In quantum information theory, Kitaev's toric code is a Z(2) lattice gauge theory. In particle physics, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the non-Abelian SU(3) gauge theory of the strong interactions between quarks and gluons, is non-perturbatively regularized on a lattice. Quantum link models extend the concept of lattice gauge theories beyond the Wilson formulation, and are well suited for both digital and analog quantum simulation using ultracold atomic gases in optical lattices. Since quantum simulators do not suffer from the notorious sign problem, they open the door to studies of the real-time evolution of strongly coupled quantum systems, which are impossible with classical simulation methods. A plethora of interesting lattice gauge theories suggests itself for quantum simulation, which should allow us to address very challenging problems, ranging from confinement and deconfinement, or chiral symmetry breaking and its restoration at finite baryon density, to color superconductivity and the real-time evolution of heavy-ion collisions, first in simpler model gauge theories and ultimately in QCD.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, invited contribution to the "Annalen der Physik" topical issue "Quantum Simulation", guest editors: R. Blatt, I. Bloch, J. I. Cirac, and P. Zolle

The Center symmetry and its spontaneous breakdown at high temperatures

We examine the role of the center Z(N) of the gauge group SU(N) in gauge theories. In this pedagogical article, we discuss, among other topics, the center symmetry and confinement and deconfinement in gauge theories and associated finite-temperature phase transitions. We also look at universal properties of domain walls separating distinct confined and deconfined bulk phases, including a description of how QCD color-flux strings can end on color-neutral domain walls, and unusual finite-volume dependence in which quarks in deconfined bulk phase seem to be "confined".Comment: LaTex, 35 pages, 6 figures, uses sprocl.sty. To be published in the Festschrift in honor of B.L. Ioffe, "At the Frontier of Particle Physics/ Handbook of QCD", edited by M. Shifma

An Introduction to Chiral Symmetry on the Lattice

The $SU(N_f)_L \otimes SU(N_f)_R$ chiral symmetry of QCD is of central importance for the nonperturbative low-energy dynamics of light quarks and gluons. Lattice field theory provides a theoretical framework in which these dynamics can be studied from first principles. The implementation of chiral symmetry on the lattice is a nontrivial issue. In particular, local lattice fermion actions with the chiral symmetry of the continuum theory suffer from the fermion doubling problem. The Ginsparg-Wilson relation implies L\"uscher's lattice variant of chiral symmetry which agrees with the usual one in the continuum limit. Local lattice fermion actions that obey the Ginsparg-Wilson relation have an exact chiral symmetry, the correct axial anomaly, they obey a lattice version of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem, and still they do not suffer from the notorious doubling problem. The Ginsparg-Wilson relation is satisfied exactly by Neuberger's overlap fermions which are a limit of Kaplan's domain wall fermions, as well as by Hasenfratz and Niedermayer's classically perfect lattice fermion actions. When chiral symmetry is nonlinearly realized in effective field theories on the lattice, the doubling problem again does not arise. This review provides an introduction to chiral symmetry on the lattice with an emphasis on the basic theoretical framework.Comment: (41 pages, to be published in Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. Vol. 53, issue 1 (2004)

Perfect Actions with Chemical Potential

We show how to include a chemical potential \mu in perfect lattice actions. It turns out that the standard procedure of multiplying the quark fields \Psi, \bar\Psi at Euclidean time t by \exp(\pm \mu t), respectively, is perfect. As an example, the case of free fermions with chemical potential is worked out explicitly. Even after truncation, cut-off effects in the pressure and the baryon density are small. Using a (quasi-)perfect action, numerical QCD simulations for non-zero chemical potential become more powerful, because coarse lattices are sufficient for extracting continuum physics.Comment: 10 pages, LaTex, 3 figure

Very High Precision Determination of Low-Energy Parameters: The 2-d Heisenberg Quantum Antiferromagnet as a Test Case

The 2-d spin 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet with exchange coupling $J$ is investigated on a periodic square lattice of spacing $a$ at very small temperatures using the loop-cluster algorithm. Monte Carlo data for the staggered and uniform susceptibilities are compared with analytic results obtained in the systematic low-energy effective field theory for the staggered magnetization order parameter. The low-energy parameters of the effective theory, i.e.\ the staggered magnetization density ${\cal M}_s = 0.30743(1)/a^2$, the spin stiffness $\rho_s = 0.18081(11) J$, and the spin wave velocity $c = 1.6586(3) J a$ are determined with very high precision. Our study may serve as a test case for the comparison of lattice QCD Monte Carlo data with analytic predictions of the chiral effective theory for pions and nucleons, which is vital for the quantitative understanding of the strong interaction at low energies.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Meron-Cluster Solution of Fermion and Other Sign Problems

Numerical simulations of numerous quantum systems suffer from the notorious sign problem. Important examples include QCD and other field theories at non-zero chemical potential, at non-zero vacuum angle, or with an odd number of flavors, as well as the Hubbard model for high-temperature superconductivity and quantum antiferromagnets in an external magnetic field. In all these cases standard simulation algorithms require an exponentially large statistics in large space-time volumes and are thus impossible to use in practice. Meron-cluster algorithms realize a general strategy to solve severe sign problems but must be constructed for each individual case. They lead to a complete solution of the sign problem in several of the above cases.Comment: 15 pages,LATTICE9