Topological response in open quantum systems with weak symmetries
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866911288932696064 |
|---|---|
| author | Huang, Ze-Min Diehl, Sebastian Sun, Xiao-Qi |
| author_facet | Huang, Ze-Min Diehl, Sebastian Sun, Xiao-Qi |
| contents | In open quantum systems, the interaction of the system with its environment gives rise to two types of symmetry: a strong one, where the system's symmetry charge is conserved exactly, and a weak one, where the system can exchange symmetry charge with the environment but still preserve symmetry at the ensemble level. While generic open quantum systems feature weak symmetries only, the symmetry protected topological response for bosonic/spin systems has only been considered in the stricter setup with additional strong symmetries. Here, we address the generic case and demonstrate that weak symmetries alone can protect topological responses that distinguish different phases of matter. For bosonic systems, focusing on one-dimensional mixed states described by locally purifiable density operators, we propose a quantized response characterizing qualitatively distinct phases. It is detectable via the decay behavior of different string order parameters. We illustrate our general results through a noisy Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki model. In particular, we show that the coupling to the environment can induce a phase transition to a state protected by weak symmetries, without a pure-state or strong-symmetry analog. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_02941 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Topological response in open quantum systems with weak symmetries Huang, Ze-Min Diehl, Sebastian Sun, Xiao-Qi Quantum Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Quantum Gases Strongly Correlated Electrons In open quantum systems, the interaction of the system with its environment gives rise to two types of symmetry: a strong one, where the system's symmetry charge is conserved exactly, and a weak one, where the system can exchange symmetry charge with the environment but still preserve symmetry at the ensemble level. While generic open quantum systems feature weak symmetries only, the symmetry protected topological response for bosonic/spin systems has only been considered in the stricter setup with additional strong symmetries. Here, we address the generic case and demonstrate that weak symmetries alone can protect topological responses that distinguish different phases of matter. For bosonic systems, focusing on one-dimensional mixed states described by locally purifiable density operators, we propose a quantized response characterizing qualitatively distinct phases. It is detectable via the decay behavior of different string order parameters. We illustrate our general results through a noisy Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki model. In particular, we show that the coupling to the environment can induce a phase transition to a state protected by weak symmetries, without a pure-state or strong-symmetry analog. |
| title | Topological response in open quantum systems with weak symmetries |
| topic | Quantum Physics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Quantum Gases Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.02941 |