Anomaly diagnosis via symmetry restriction in two-dimensional lattice systems

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kawagoe, Kyle, Shirley, Wilbur
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Kawagoe, Kyle
Shirley, Wilbur
author_facet Kawagoe, Kyle
Shirley, Wilbur
contents We describe a method for computing the anomaly of any finite unitary symmetry group $G$ acting by finite-depth quantum circuits on a two-dimensional lattice system. The anomaly is characterized by an index valued in the cohomology group $H^4(G,U(1))$, which generalizes the Else-Nayak index for locality preserving symmetries of quantum spin chains. We show that a nontrivial index precludes the existence of a trivially gapped symmetric Hamiltonian; it is also an obstruction to ``onsiteability" of the symmetry action. We illustrate our method via a simple example with $G=\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2$. Finally, we provide a diagrammatic interpretation of the anomaly formula which hints at a higher categorical structure.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_07430
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Anomaly diagnosis via symmetry restriction in two-dimensional lattice systems
Kawagoe, Kyle
Shirley, Wilbur
Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Theory
Mathematical Physics
We describe a method for computing the anomaly of any finite unitary symmetry group $G$ acting by finite-depth quantum circuits on a two-dimensional lattice system. The anomaly is characterized by an index valued in the cohomology group $H^4(G,U(1))$, which generalizes the Else-Nayak index for locality preserving symmetries of quantum spin chains. We show that a nontrivial index precludes the existence of a trivially gapped symmetric Hamiltonian; it is also an obstruction to ``onsiteability" of the symmetry action. We illustrate our method via a simple example with $G=\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2\times\mathbb{Z}_2$. Finally, we provide a diagrammatic interpretation of the anomaly formula which hints at a higher categorical structure.
title Anomaly diagnosis via symmetry restriction in two-dimensional lattice systems
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Theory
Mathematical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.07430