Combining Tensor Networks with Monte Carlo Methods for Lattice Gauge Theories

Gauged gaussian Projected Entangled Pair States are particular tensor network constructions that describe lattice states of fermionic matter interacting with dynamical gauge fields. We show how one can efficiently compute, using Monte-Carlo techniques, expectation values of physical observables in that class of states. This opens up the possibility of using tensor network techniques to investigate lattice gauge theories in two and three spatial dimensions

Quantum Simulations of Lattice Gauge Theories using Ultracold Atoms in Optical Lattices

Can high energy physics be simulated by low-energy, non-relativistic, many-body systems, such as ultracold atoms? Such ultracold atomic systems lack the type of symmetries and dynamical properties of high energy physics models: in particular, they manifest neither local gauge invariance nor Lorentz invariance, which are crucial properties of the quantum field theories which are the building blocks of the standard model of elementary particles. However, it turns out, surprisingly, that there are ways to configure atomic system to manifest both local gauge invariance and Lorentz invariance. In particular, local gauge invariance can arise either as an effective, low energy, symmetry, or as an "exact" symmetry, following from the conservation laws in atomic interactions. Hence, one could hope that such quantum simulators may lead to new type of (table-top) experiments, that shall be used to study various QCD phenomena, as the confinement of dynamical quarks, phase transitions, and other effects, which are inaccessible using the currently known computational methods. In this report, we review the Hamiltonian formulation of lattice gauge theories, and then describe our recent progress in constructing quantum simulation of Abelian and non-Abelian lattice gauge theories in 1+1 and 2+1 dimensions using ultracold atoms in optical lattices.Comment: A review; 55 pages, 14 figure

Simulating 2+1d Lattice QED with dynamical matter using ultracold atoms

We suggest a method to simulate lattice compact Quantum Electrodynamics (cQED) using ultracold atoms in optical lattices, which includes dynamical Dirac fermions in 2+1 dimensions. This allows to test dynamical effects of confinement as well as 2d flux loops deformations and breaking, and to observe Wilson-loop area-law.Comment: Includes supplementary material. Added references, minor modification

Digital lattice gauge theories

We propose a general scheme for a digital construction of lattice gauge theories with dynamical fermions. In this method, the four-body interactions arising in models with $2+1$ dimensions and higher, are obtained stroboscopically, through a sequence of two-body interactions with ancillary degrees of freedom. This yields stronger interactions than the ones obtained through pertubative methods, as typically done in previous proposals, and removes an important bottleneck in the road towards experimental realizations. The scheme applies to generic gauge theories with Lie or finite symmetry groups, both Abelian and non-Abelian. As a concrete example, we present the construction of a digital quantum simulator for a $\mathbb{Z}_{3}$ lattice gauge theory with dynamical fermionic matter in $2+1$ dimensions, using ultracold atoms in optical lattices, involving three atomic species, representing the matter, gauge and auxiliary degrees of freedom, that are separated in three different layers. By moving the ancilla atoms with a proper sequence of steps, we show how we can obtain the desired evolution in a clean, controlled way

Classification of Matrix Product States with a Local (Gauge) Symmetry

Matrix Product States (MPS) are a particular type of one dimensional tensor network states, that have been applied to the study of numerous quantum many body problems. One of their key features is the possibility to describe and encode symmetries on the level of a single building block (tensor), and hence they provide a natural playground for the study of symmetric systems. In particular, recent works have proposed to use MPS (and higher dimensional tensor networks) for the study of systems with local symmetry that appear in the context of gauge theories. In this work we classify MPS which exhibit local invariance under arbitrary gauge groups. We study the respective tensors and their structure, revealing known constructions that follow known gauging procedures, as well as different, other types of possible gauge invariant states

Digital quantum simulation of lattice gauge theories in three spatial dimensions

In the present work, we propose a scheme for digital formulation of lattice gauge theories with dynamical fermions in 3+1 dimensions. All interactions are obtained as a stroboscopic sequence of two-body interactions with an auxiliary system. This enables quantum simulations of lattice gauge theories where the magnetic four-body interactions arising in two and more spatial dimensions are obtained without the use of perturbation theory, thus resulting in stronger interactions compared with analogue approaches. The simulation scheme is applicable to lattice gauge theories with either compact or finite gauge groups. The required bounds on the digitization errors in lattice gauge theories, due to the sequential nature of the stroboscopic time evolution, are provided. Furthermore, an implementation of a lattice gauge theory with a non-abelian gauge group, the dihedral group $D_{3}$, is proposed employing the aforementioned simulation scheme using ultracold atoms in optical lattices.Comment: 38 pages, 5 figure

Non-Abelian string breaking phenomena with Matrix Product States

Using matrix product states, we explore numerically the phenomenology of string breaking in a non-Abelian lattice gauge theory, namely 1+1 dimensional SU(2). The technique allows us to study the static potential between external heavy charges, as traditionally explored by Monte Carlo simulations, but also to simulate the real-time dynamics of both static and dynamical fermions, as the latter are fully included in the formalism. We propose a number of observables that are sensitive to the presence or breaking of the flux string, and use them to detect and characterize the phenomenon in each of these setups.Comment: 20+5 pages, 14 figures, version 2 contains more numerical results, version 3: published versio

Fermionic Projected Entangled Pair States and Local U(1) Gauge Theories

Tensor networks, and in particular Projected Entangled Pair States (PEPS), are a powerful tool for the study of quantum many body physics, thanks to both their built-in ability of classifying and studying symmetries, and the efficient numerical calculations they allow. In this work, we introduce a way to extend the set of symmetric PEPS in order to include local gauge invariance and investigate lattice gauge theories with fermionic matter. To this purpose, we provide as a case study and first example, the construction of a fermionic PEPS, based on Gaussian schemes, invariant under both global and local U(1) gauge transformations. The obtained states correspond to a truncated U(1) lattice gauge theory in 2 + 1 dimensions, involving both the gauge field and fermionic matter. For the global symmetry (pure fermionic) case, these PEPS can be studied in terms of spinless fermions subject to a p-wave superconducting pairing. For the local symmetry (fermions and gauge fields) case, we find confined and deconfined phases in the pure gauge limit, and we discuss the screening properties of the phases arising in the presence of dynamical matter

Determining topological order from a local ground state correlation function

Topological insulators are physically distinguishable from normal insulators only near edges and defects, while in the bulk there is no clear signature to their topological order. In this work we show that the Z index of topological insulators and the Z index of the integer quantum Hall effect manifest themselves locally. We do so by providing an algorithm for determining these indices from a local equal time ground-state correlation function at any convenient boundary conditions. Our procedure is unaffected by the presence of disorder and can be naturally generalized to include weak interactions. The locality of these topological indices implies bulk-edge correspondence theorem.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Major changes: the paper was divided into sections, the locality of the order in 3D topological insulators is also discusse