Phase diagram of an extended quantum dimer model on the hexagonal lattice

We introduce a quantum dimer model on the hexagonal lattice that, in addition to the standard three-dimer kinetic and potential terms, includes a competing potential part counting dimer-free hexagons. The zero-temperature phase diagram is studied by means of quantum Monte Carlo simulations, supplemented by variational arguments. It reveals some new crystalline phases and a cascade of transitions with rapidly changing flux (tilt in the height language). We analyze perturbatively the vicinity of the Rokhsar-Kivelson point, showing that this model has the microscopic ingredients needed for the "devil's staircase" scenario [E. Fradkin et al., Phys. Rev. B 69, 224415 (2004)], and is therefore expected to produce fractal variations of the ground-state flux.Comment: Published version. 5 pages + 8 (Supplemental Material), 31 references, 10 color figure

Entanglement scaling in critical two-dimensional fermionic and bosonic systems

We relate the reduced density matrices of quadratic bosonic and fermionic models to their Green's function matrices in a unified way and calculate the scaling of bipartite entanglement of finite systems in an infinite universe exactly. For critical fermionic 2D systems at T=0, two regimes of scaling are identified: generically, we find a logarithmic correction to the area law with a prefactor dependence on the chemical potential that confirms earlier predictions based on the Widom conjecture. If, however, the Fermi surface of the critical system is zero-dimensional, we find an area law with a sublogarithmic correction. For a critical bosonic 2D array of coupled oscillators at T=0, our results show that entanglement follows the area law without corrections.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Transfer ideals and torsion in the Morava EE-theory of abelian groups

Let $A$ be a finite abelian $p$ group of rank at least $2$. We show that $E^0(BA)/I_{tr}$, the quotient of the Morava $E$-cohomology of $A$ by the ideal generated by the image of the transfers along all proper subgroups, contains $p$-torsion. The proof makes use of transchromatic character theory

Chromatic fracture cubes

In this note, we construct a general form of the chromatic fracture cube, using a convenient characterization of the total homotopy fiber, and deduce a decomposition of the E(n)-local stable homotopy category

Magnetism, coherent many-particle dynamics, and relaxation with ultracold bosons in optical superlattices

We study how well magnetic models can be implemented with ultracold bosonic atoms of two different hyperfine states in an optical superlattice. The system is captured by a two-species Bose-Hubbard model, but realizes in a certain parameter regime actually the physics of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg magnet, describing the second order hopping processes. Tuning of the superlattice allows for controlling the effect of fast first order processes versus the slower second order ones. Using the density-matrix renormalization-group method, we provide the evolution of typical experimentally available observables. The validity of the description via the Heisenberg model, depending on the parameters of the Hubbard model, is studied numerically and analytically. The analysis is also motivated by recent experiments [S. Foelling et al., Nature 448, 1029 (2007); S. Trotzky et al., Sience 319, 295 (2008)] where coherent two-particle dynamics with ultracold bosonic atoms in isolated double wells were realized. We provide theoretical background for the next step, the observation of coherent many-particle dynamics after coupling the double wells. Contrary to the case of isolated double wells, relaxation of local observables can be observed. The tunability between the Bose-Hubbard model and the Heisenberg model in this setup could be used to study experimentally the differences in equilibration processes for nonintegrable and Bethe ansatz integrable models. We show that the relaxation in the Heisenberg model is connected to a phase averaging effect, which is in contrast to the typical scattering driven thermalization in nonintegrable models. We discuss the preparation of magnetic groundstates by adiabatic tuning of the superlattice parameters.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figures; minor changes, published versio

On conjectures of Hovey-Strickland and Chai

We prove the height two case of a conjecture of Hovey and Strickland that provides a $K(n)$-local analogue of the Hopkins--Smith thick subcategory theorem. Our approach first reduces the general conjecture to a problem in arithmetic geometry posed by Chai. We then use the Gross--Hopkins period map to verify Chai's Hope at height two and all primes. Along the way, we show that the graded commutative ring of completed cooperations for Morava $E$-theory is coherent, and that every finitely generated Morava module can be realized by a $K(n)$-local spectrum as long as $2p-2>n^2+n$. Finally, we deduce consequences of our results for descent of Balmer spectra