“More symmetry is different: anomalous insights into quantum phases of matter”
Symmetry is a fundamental principle for organizing physical phenomena. In quantum many-body physics, recent advances have highlight the importance of exploring the local structures of global symmetries, which lead to two key insights: on one hand, these structures can impose powerful “kinematic” constraints on quantum phases, commonly known as anomalies. On the other hand, localized symmetry operators, also known “disorder operators”, can be utilized as new probes for quantum many-body states. In this talk, I will first demonstrate how quantum anomalies provide powerful tools for constraining and understanding novel phases of matter, through recent examples ranging from insulating ground states in crystalline materials, to topological orders in open quantum systems. Next, I will discuss how scaling behavior of disorder operators serves as a diagnosis for both gapped phases and quantum critical points, revealing information beyond conventional probes based on local observable.
Host: Karsten Heeger