6 research outputs found
Defect mediated melting and the breaking of quantum double symmetries
In this paper, we apply the method of breaking quantum double symmetries to
some cases of defect mediated melting. The formalism allows for a systematic
classification of possible defect condensates and the subsequent confinement
and/or liberation of other degrees of freedom. We also show that the breaking
of a double symmetry may well involve a (partial) restoration of an original
symmetry. A detailed analysis of a number of simple but representative examples
is given, where we focus on systems with global internal and external (space)
symmetries. We start by rephrasing some of the well known cases involving an
Abelian defect condensate, such as the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and
one-dimensional melting, in our language. Then we proceed to the non-Abelian
case of a hexagonal crystal, where the hexatic phase is realized if
translational defects condense in a particular rotationally invariant state.
Other conceivable phases are also described in our framework.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, updated reference
Non-locality of non-Abelian anyons
Topological systems, such as fractional quantum Hall liquids, promise to
successfully combat environmental decoherence while performing quantum
computation. These highly correlated systems can support non-Abelian anyonic
quasiparticles that can encode exotic entangled states. To reveal the non-local
character of these encoded states we demonstrate the violation of suitable Bell
inequalities. We provide an explicit recipe for the preparation, manipulation
and measurement of the desired correlations for a large class of topological
models. This proposal gives an operational measure of non-locality for anyonic
states and it opens up the possibility to violate the Bell inequalities in
quantum Hall liquids or spin lattices.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Non-Abelian anyonic interferometry with a multi-photon spin lattice simulator
Recently a pair of experiments demonstrated a simulation of Abelian anyons in
a spin network of single photons. The experiments were based on an Abelian
discrete gauge theory spin lattice model of Kitaev. Here we describe how to use
linear optics and single photons to simulate non-Abelian anyons. The scheme
makes use of joint qutrit-qubit encoding of the spins and the resources
required are three pairs of parametric down converted photons and 14 beam
splitters.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Several references added in v