Symmetry protected topological (SPT) states have boundary 't Hooft anomalies that obstruct an effective boundary theory realized in its own dimension with UV completion and with an on-site $G$-symmetry. In this work, yet we show that a certain anomalous non-on-site $G$ symmetry along the boundary becomes on-site when viewed as an extended $H$ symmetry, via a suitable group extension $1\to K\to H\to G\to1$. Namely, a non-perturbative global (gauge/gravitational) anomaly in $G$ becomes anomaly-free in $H$. This guides us to construct exactly soluble lattice path integral and Hamiltonian of symmetric gapped boundaries, \emph{always existent} for \emph{any} SPT state in any spacetime dimension $d \geq 2$ of \emph{any} finite symmetry group, including on-site unitary and anti-unitary time-reversal symmetries. The resulting symmetric gapped boundary can be described either by an $H$-symmetry extended boundary of bulk $d \geq 2$, or more naturally by a topological {emergent} $K$-gauge theory with a global symmetry $G$ on a 3+1D bulk or above. The excitations on such a symmetric topologically ordered boundary can carry fractional quantum numbers of the symmetry $G$, described by representations of $H$. (Apply our approach to a 1+1D boundary of 2+1D bulk, we find that a deconfined gauge boundary indeed has \emph{spontaneous symmetry breaking} with long-range order. The deconfined symmetry-breaking phase crosses over smoothly to a confined phase without a phase transition.) In contrast to known gapped boundaries/interfaces obtained via \emph{symmetry breaking} (either global symmetry breaking or Anderson-Higgs mechanism for gauge theory), our approach is based on \emph{symmetry extension}. More generally, applying our approach to SPT states, topologically ordered gauge theories and symmetry enriched topologically ordered (SET) states, leads to generic boundaries/interfaces constructed with a mixture of \emph{symmetry breaking}, \emph{symmetry extension}, and \emph{dynamical gauging}.

We demonstrate how path integrals often used in problems of theoretical physics can be adapted to provide a machinery for performing Bayesian inference in function spaces. Such inference comes about naturally in the study of inverse problems of recovering continuous (infinite dimensional) coefficient functions from ordinary or partial differential equations, a problem which is typically ill-posed. Regularization of these problems using L2 function spaces (Tikhonov regularization) is equivalent to Bayesian probabilistic inference, using a Gaussian prior. The Bayesian interpretation of inverse problem regularization is useful since it allows one to quantify and characterize error and degree of precision in the solution of inverse problems, as well as examine assumptions made in solving the problem—namely whether the subjective choice of regularization is compatible with prior knowledge. Using path-integral formalism, Bayesian inference can be explored through various perturbative techniques, such as the semiclassical approximation, which we use in this manuscript. Perturbative path-integral approaches, while offering alternatives to computational approaches like Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC), also provide natural starting points for MCMC methods that can be used to refine approximations. In this manuscript, we illustrate a path-integral formulation for inverse problems and demonstrate it on an inverse problem in membrane biophysics as well as inverse problems in potential theories involving the Poisson equation.

Inhomogeneous percolation, for its closer relationship with real-life, can be more useful and reasonable than homogeneous percolation to illustrate the critical phenomena and dynamical behaviour of complex networks. However, due to its intricacy, the theoretical framework of inhomogeneous percolation is far from being complete and many challenging problems are still open. Due to this reasn, in this paper, we investigate inhomogeneous site percolation on Bethe Lattices with two occupation probabilities, and we also extend the result to percolation with m occupation probabilities. The critical behaviour of this inhomogeneous percolation is shown clearly by formulating the percolation probability with given occupation probability, the critical occupation probability, and the average cluster size. Moreover, using the above theory, we discuss in detail the diffusion behaviour of an infectious disease (SARS) and present specific disease-control strategies in consideration of groups with different infection probabilities.

We solve the entanglement classification under stochastic local operations and classical communication (SLOCC) for general n-qubit states. For two arbitrary pure n-qubit states connected via local operations, we establish an equation between the two coefficient matrices associated with the states. The rank of the coefficient matrix is preserved under SLOCC and gives rise to a simple way of partitioning all the pure states of n qubits into different families of entanglement classes, as exemplified here. When applied to the symmetric states, this approach reveals that all the Dicke states |l,n> with l=1,..., [n/2] are inequivalent under SLOCC.

The quantitative adiabatic condition (QAC), or quantitative condition, is a convenient (a priori) tool for estimating the adiabaticity of quantum evolutions. However, the range of the applicability of QAC is not well understood. It has been shown that QAC can become insufficient for guaranteeing the validity of the adiabatic approximation, but under what conditions the QAC would become necessary has become controversial. Furthermore, it is believed that the inability for the QAC to reveal quantum adiabaticity is due to induced resonant transitions. However, it is not clear how to quantify these transitions in general. Here we present a progress to this problem by finding an exact relation that can reveal how transition amplitudes are related to QAC directly. As a posteriori condition for quantum adiabaticity, our result is universally applicable to any (nondegenerate) quantum system and gives a clear picture on how QAC could become insufficient or unnecessary for the adiabatic approximation, which is a problem that has gained considerable interest in the literature in recent years

Fractional quantum Hall (FQH) system at Landau level filling fraction $\nu=5/2$ has long been suggested to be non-Abelian, either Pfaffian (Pf) or antiPfaffian (APf) states by numerical studies, both with quantized Hall conductance $\sigma_{xy}=5e^2/2h$. Thermal Hall conductances of the Pf and APf states are quantized at $\kappa_{xy}=7/2$ and $\kappa_{xy}=3/2$ respectively in a proper unit. However, a recent experiment shows the thermal Hall conductance of $\nu=5/2$ FQH state is $\kappa_{xy}=5/2$. It has been speculated that the system contains random Pf and APf domains driven by disorders, and the neutral chiral Majorana modes on the domain walls may undergo a percolation transition to a $\kappa_{xy}=5/2$ phase. In this work, we do perturbative and non-perturbative analyses on the domain walls between Pf and APf. We show the domain wall theory possesses an emergent SO(4) symmetry at energy scales below a threshold $\Lambda_1$, which is lowered to an emergent U(1)$\times$U(1) symmetry at energy scales between $\Lambda_1$ and a higher value $\Lambda_2$, and is finally lowered to the composite fermion parity symmetry $\mathbb{Z}_2^F$ above $\Lambda_2$. Based on the emergent symmetries, we propose a specific phase diagram of the disordered $\nu=5/2$ FQH system, and show that a $\kappa_{xy}=5/2$ phase arises at disorder energy scales $\Lambda>\Lambda_1$. Furthermore, we show the gapped double-semion sector of $N_D$ closed domain walls contributes non-local topological degeneracy $2^{N_D-1}$, causing a low temperature peak in the heat capacity. We also implement a non-perturbative method to bootstrap generic topological 1+1D domain walls (2-surface defects) applicable to any 2+1D non-Abelian topological order.

We develop mathematical models describing the evolution of stochastic age-structured populations. After reviewing existing approaches, we formulate a complete kinetic framework for age-structured interacting populations undergoing birth, death and fission processes in spatially dependent environments. We define the full probability density for the population-size age chart and find results under specific conditions. Connections with more classical models are also explicitly derived. In particular, we show that factorial moments for non-interacting processes are described by a natural generalization of the McKendrick-von Foerster equation, which describes mean-field deterministic behavior. Our approach utilizes mixed-type, multidimensional probability distributions similar to those employed in the study of gas kinetics and with terms that satisfy BBGKY-like equation hierarchies.

There are two important statements regarding the Trautman-Bondi mass at null infinity: one is the positivity, and the other is the Bondi mass loss formula, which are both global in nature. The positivity of the quasi-local mass can potentially lead to a local description at null infinity. This is confirmed for the Vaidya spacetime in this note. We study the Wang-Yau quasi-local mass on surfaces of fixed size at the null infinity of the Vaidya spacetime. The optimal embedding equation is solved explicitly and the quasi-local mass is evaluated in terms of the mass aspect function of the Vaidya spacetime.

Consider an age-dependent, single-species branching process defined by a progeny number distribution, and a lifetime distribution associated with each independent particle. In this paper, we focus on the associated inverse problem where one wishes to formally solve for the progeny number distribution or the lifetime distribution that defines the Bellman-Harris branching process. We derive results for the existence and uniqueness (the identifiability) of these two distributions given one of two types of information: the extinction time probability of the entire process (extinction time distribution), or the distribution of the total number of particles at one fixed time. We demonstrate that perfect knowledge of the distribution of extinction times allows us to formally determine either the progeny number distribution or the lifetime distribution. Furthermore, we show that these constructions are unique. We then consider “data” consisting of a perfectly known total number distribution given at one specific time. For a process with known progeny number distribution and exponentially distributed lifetimes, we show that the rate parameter is identifiable. For general lifetime distributions, we also show that the progeny distribution is globally unique. Our results are presented through four theorems, each describing the constructions in the four distinct cases.

We apply quantum gravitational results to spatially unbounded Friedmann universes and try to answer some questions related to dark energy, dark matter, inflation and the missing antimatter.

In [1] it was observed that asymptotic boundary conditions play an important role in the study of holographic entanglement beyond AdS/CFT. In particular, the Ryu-Takayanagi proposal must be modified for warped AdS 3 (WAdS 3) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. In this paper, we consider AdS 3 and WAdS 3 with Dirichlet-Neumann bound-ary conditions. The conjectured holographic duals are warped conformal field theories (WCFTs), featuring a Virasoro-Kac-Moody algebra. We provide a holographic calculation of the entanglement entropy and Rényi entropy using AdS 3 /WCFT and WAdS 3 /WCFT du-alities. Our bulk results are consistent with the WCFT results derived by Castro-Hofman-Iqbal using the Rindler method. Comparing with [1], we explicitly show that the holographic entanglement entropy is indeed affected by boundary conditions. Both results differ from the Ryu-Takayanagi proposal, indicating new relations between spacetime geometry and quantum entanglement for holographic dualities beyond AdS/CFT.

When enough matter is condensed in a small region, gravitational effects will be strong enough to cause collapse and a black hole will be formed. We formulate and prove here such a statement in the language of general relativity. (This is Theorem 2 of this paper.)

No abstract uploaded!

BMS symmetry, which is the asymptotic symmetry at null infinity of flat spacetime, is an important input for flat holography. In this paper, we give a holographic calculation of entanglement entropy and Rényi entropy in three dimensional Einstein gravity and Topologically Massive Gravity. The geometric picture for the entanglement entropy is the length of a spacelike geodesic which is connected to the interval at null infinity by two null geodesics. The spacelike geodesic is the fixed points of replica symmetry, and the null geodesics are along the modular flow. Our strategy is to first reformulate the Rindler method for calculating entanglement entropy in a general setup, and apply it for BMS invariant field theories, and finally extend the calculation to the bulk.

To understand the new physics and richness of quantum many-body system phenomena is one of the stimuli driving the condensed matter community forward. Importantly, the new insights and solutions for condensed matter theory sometimes come from the developed and developing knowledge of high energy theory, mathematical and particle physics, which is also true the other way around: Condensed matter physics has been providing crucial hints and playgrounds for the fundamental laws of high energy physics. In this thesis, we explore the aspects of symmetry, topology and anomalies in quantum matter with entanglement from both condensed matter and high energy theory viewpoints. The focus of our research is on the gapped many-body quantum systems including symmetry-protected topological states (SPTs) and topologically ordered states (TOs). We first explore the ground state structures of SPTs and TOs: the former can be symmetry twisted and the latter has robust degeneracy. The Berry phases generated by transporting and overlapping ground state sectors potentially provide universal topological invariants that fully characterize the SPTs and TOs. This framework provides us the aspects of symmetry and topology. We establish a field theory representation of SPT invariants in any dimension to uncover group cohomology classification and beyond — the former for SPTs with gapless boundary gauge anomalies, the latter for SPTs with mixed gauge-gravity anomalies. We study topological orders in 3+1 dimensions such as Dijkgraaf-Witten models, which support multi-string braiding statistics; the resulting patterns may be analyzed by the mathematical theory of knots and links. We explore the aspects of surface anomalies of bulk gapped states from the bulk-edge correspondence: The gauge anomalies of SPTs shed light on the construction of bosonic anomalies including Goldstone-Wilczek type, and also guide us to design a non-perturbative lattice model regularizing the low-energy chiral fermion/gauge theory towards the Standard Model while overcoming the Nielsen-Ninomiya fermion-doubling problem without relying on Ginsparg-Wilson fermions. We conclude by utilizing aspects of both quantum mechanical topology and spacetime topology to derive new formulas analogous to Verlinde’s via geometric-topology surgery. This provides new insights for higher dimensional topological states of matter.

We use modular invariance to derive constraints on the spectrum of warped conformal field theories (WCFTs) --- nonrelativistic quantum field theories described by a chiral Virasoro and U(1) Kac-Moody algebra. We focus on holographic WCFTs and interpret our results in the simplest holographic set up: three dimensional gravity with Compere-Song-Strominger boundary conditions. Holographic WCFTs feature a negative U(1) level that is responsible for negative norm descendant states. Despite the violation of unitarity we show that the modular bootstrap is still viable provided the (Virasoro-Kac-Moody) primaries carry positive norm. In particular, we show that holographic WCFTs must feature either primary states with negative norm or states with imaginary U(1) charge, the latter of which have a natural holographic interpretation. For large central charge and arbitrary level, we show that the first excited primary state in any WCFT satisfies the Hellerman bound. Moreover, when the level is positive we point out that known bounds for CFTs with internal U(1) symmetries readily apply to unitary WCFTs.

To formulate the universal constraints of quantum statistics data of generic long-range entangled quantum systems, we introduce the geometric-topology surgery theory on spacetime manifolds where quantum systems reside, cutting and gluing the associated quantum amplitudes, specifically in 2+1 and 3+1 spacetime dimensions. First, we introduce the fusion data for worldline and worldsheet operators capable of creating anyonic excitations of particles and strings, well-defined in gapped states of matter with intrinsic topological orders. Second, we introduce the braiding statistics data of particles and strings, such as the geometric Berry matrices for particle-string Aharonov-Bohm, 3-string, 4-string, or multi-string adiabatic loop braiding process, encoded by submanifold linkings, in the closed spacetime 3-manifolds and 4-manifolds. Third, we derive new `quantum surgery' formulas and constraints, analogous to Verlinde formula associating fusion and braiding statistics data via spacetime surgery, essential for defining the theory of topological orders, 3d and 4d TQFTs and potentially correlated to bootstrap boundary physics such as gapless modes, extended defects, 2d and 3d conformal field theories or quantum anomalies. This article is meant to be an extended and further detailed elaboration of our previous work [arXiv:1602.05951] and Chapter 6 of [arXiv:1602.05569]. Our theory applies to general quantum theories and quantum mechanical systems, also applicable to, but not necessarily requiring the quantum field theory description.

We hypothesize a new and more complete set of anomalies of certain quantum field theories (QFTs) and then give an eclectic proof. First, we propose a set of 't Hooft anomalies of 2d $\mathbb{CP}^{\mathrm{N}-1}$-sigma models at $\theta=\pi$, with N $=2,3,4$ and others, by enlisting all possible 3d cobordism invariants and selecting the matched terms. Second, we propose a set of 't Hooft higher anomalies of 4d time-reversal symmetric SU(N)-Yang-Mills (YM) gauge theory at $\theta=\pi$, via 5d cobordism invariants (higher symmetry-protected topological states) such that compactifying YM theory on a 2-torus matches the constrained 3d cobordism invariants from sigma models. Based on algebraic/geometric topology, QFT analysis, manifold generator dimensional reduction, condensed matter inputs and additional physics criteria, we derive a correspondence between 5d and 3d new invariants, thus broadly prove a more complete anomaly-matching between 4d YM and 2d $\mathbb{CP}^{\mathrm{N}-1}$ models via a twisted 2-torus reduction, done by taking the Poincar\'e dual of specific cohomology class with $\mathbb{Z}_2$ coefficients. We formulate a higher-symmetry analog of "Lieb-Schultz-Mattis theorem" to constrain the low-energy dynamics.

We explore the fine structure of the holographic entanglement entropy proposal (the Ryu-Takayanagi formula) in AdS$_3$/CFT$_{2}$. With the guidance from the boundary and bulk modular flows we find a natural slicing of the entanglement wedge with the modular planes, which are co-dimension one bulk surfaces tangent to the modular flow everywhere. This gives an one-to-one correspondence between the points on the boundary interval $\mathcal{A}$ and the points on the Ryu-Takayanagi (RT) surface $\mathcal{E}_{\mathcal{A}}$. In the same sense an arbitrary subinterval $\mathcal{A}_2$ of $\mathcal{A}$ will correspond to a subinterval $\mathcal{E}_2$ of $\mathcal{E}_{\mathcal{A}}$. This fine correspondence indicates that the length of $\mathcal{E}_2$ captures the contribution $s_{\mathcal{A}}(\mathcal{A}_2)$ from $\mathcal{A}_2$ to the entanglement entropy $S_{\mathcal{A}}$, hence gives the contour function for entanglement entropy. Furthermore we propose that $s_{\mathcal{A}}(\mathcal{A}_2)$ in general can be written as a simple linear combination of entanglement entropies of single intervals inside $\mathcal{A}$. This proposal passes several non-trivial tests.

We quantize the Hamilton equations instead of the Hamilton condition. The resulting equation has the simple form $-\D u=0$ in a fiber bundle, where the Laplacian is the Laplacian of the Wheeler-DeWitt metric provided $n\not=4$. Using then separation of variables the solutions $u$ can be expressed as products of temporal and spatial eigenfunctions, where the spatial eigenfunctions are eigenfunctions of the Laplacian in the symmetric space $SL(n,\R[])/SO(n)$. Since one can define a Schwartz space and tempered distributions in $SL(n,\R[])/SO(n)$ as well as a Fourier transform, Fourier quantization can be applied such that the spatial eigenfunctions are transformed to Dirac measures and the spatial Laplacian to a multiplication operator.

Symmetry-Protected Topological (SPT) phases are gapped phases of quantum matter protected by global symmetries that cannot be adiabatically deformed to a trivial phase without breaking symmetry. In this work, we show that, for several SPT phases that are short range entangled (SRE), enlarging symmetries may effectively achieve the consequences of explicitly breaking symmetries. In other words, we demonstrate that non-trivial SPT phases can be unwound to trivial ones by symmetry extension- through a path where the Hilbert space is enlarged and the Hamiltonian is invariant under an extended symmetry group applying the idea of Wang, Wen and Witten in arXiv:1705.06728. We show examples of both bosonic and fermionic SPT phases in 1+1 dimensions, including Haldane's bosonic spin chain and layers of Kitaev's fermionic Majorana chains. By adding degrees of freedom into the boundary/bulk, we can lift the zero mode degeneracy, or unwind the whole system. Furthermore, based on properties of Schur cover, we sketch a general picture of unwinding applicable to any 1+1 D bosonic SPT phase protected by on-site finite symmetry. Altogether we show that SRE states can be unwound by symmetry breaking, inversion and symmetry extension.

We introduce the concept of boundary degeneracy of topologically ordered states on a compact orientable spatial manifold with boundaries, and emphasize that the boundary degeneracy provides richer information than the bulk degeneracy. Beyond the bulk-edge correspondence, we find the ground state degeneracy of the fully gapped edge modes depends on boundary gapping conditions. By associating different types of boundary gapping conditions as different ways of particle or quasiparticle condensations on the boundary, we develop an analytic theory of gapped boundaries. By Chern-Simons theory, this allows us to derive the ground state degeneracy formula in terms of boundary gapping conditions, which encodes more than the fusion algebra of fractionalized quasiparticles. We apply our theory to Kitaev's toric code and Levin-Wen string-net models. We predict that the Z2 toric code and Z2 double-semion model (more generally, the Zk gauge theory and the U(1)k×U(1)−k non-chiral fractional quantum Hall state at even integer k) can be numerically and experimentally distinguished, by measuring their boundary degeneracy on an annulus or a cylinder.

Various aspects of warped conformal field theories (WCFTs) are studied including entanglement entropy on excited states, the Renyi entropy after a local quench, and out-of-time-order four-point functions. Assuming a large central charge and dominance of the vacuum block in the conformal block expansion, (i) we calculate the single-interval entanglement entropy on an excited state, matching previous finite temperature results by changing the ensemble; and (ii) we show that WCFTs are maximally chaotic, a result that is compatible with the existence of black holes in the holographic duals. Finally, we relax the aforementioned assumptions and study the time evolution of the Renyi entropy after a local quench. We find that the change in the Renyi entropy is topological, vanishing at early and late times, and nonvanishing in between only for charged states in spectrally-flowed WCFTs.

We explore various 4d Yang-Mills gauge theories (YM) living as boundary conditions of 5d gapped short/long-range entangled (SRE/LRE) topological states. Specifically, we explore 4d time-reversal symmetric pure YM of an SU(2) gauge group with a second-Chern-class topological term at θ=π (SU(2)θ=π YM). Its higher 't Hooft anomalies of generalized global symmetries indicate that the 4d SU(2)θ=π YM, in order to realize all global symmetries locally, necessarily couples to a 5d higher symmetry-protected topological state (SPTs, as an invertible TQFT, or as a 5d 1-form-center-symmetry-protected interacting "topological superconductor" in condensed matter). We revisit the 4d SU(2)θ=π YM-5d SRE-higher-SPTs coupled systems in [arXiv:1812.11968] and find their "Fantastic Four Siblings" with four sets of new higher anomalies associated with the Kramers singlet/doublet and bosonic/fermionic properties of Wilson lines. Following Weyl's gauge principle, by dynamically gauging the 1-form center symmetry, we transform a 5d bulk SRE SPTs into an LRE symmetry-enriched topologically ordered state (SETs); thus we obtain the 4d SO(3)θ=π YM-5d LRE-higher-SETs coupled system with dynamical higher-form gauge fields. Apply the tool introduced in [arXiv:1612.09298], we derive new exotic anyonic statistics of extended objects such as 2-worldsheet of strings and 3-worldvolume of branes, which physically characterize the 5d SETs. We discover new triple and quadruple link invariants potentially associated with the underlying 5d higher-gauge TQFTs, hinting a new intrinsic relation between non-supersymmetric 4d pure YM and topological links in 5d. We provide lattice simplicial complex regularizations and "condensed matter" realizations.

A class of strongly interacting many-body fermionic systems in 2+1D non-relativistic conformal field theory is examined via the gauge-gravity duality correspondence. The 5D charged black hole with asymptotic Schrodinger isometry in the bulk gravity side introduces parameters of background density and finite particle number into the boundary field theory. We propose the holographic dictionary, and realize a quantum phase transition of this fermionic liquid with fixed particle number by tuning the background density β at zero temperature. On the larger β side, we find the signal of a sharp quasiparticle pole on the spectral function A(k,w), indicating a well-defined Fermi surface. On the smaller β side, we find only a hump with no sharp peak for A(k,w), indicating the disappearance of Fermi surface. The dynamical exponent z of quasiparticle dispersion goes from being Fermi-liquid-like z≃1 scaling at larger β to a non-Fermi-liquid scaling z≃3/2 at smaller β. By comparing the structure of Green's function with Landau Fermi liquid theory and Senthil's scaling ansatz, we further investigate the behavior of this quantum phase transition.