Quantum robustness of fracton phases

Mühlhauser M, Walther M, Reiss DA, Schmidt KP (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Physical Review B American Physical Society

Book Volume: 101

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.101.054426

Abstract

The quantum robustness of fracton phases is investigated by studying the influence of quantum fluctuations on the X-Cube model and Haah's code, which realize a type-I and type-II fracton phase, respectively. To this end, a finite uniform magnetic field is applied to induce quantum fluctuations in the fracton phase, resulting in zero-temperature phase transitions between fracton phases and polarized phases. Using high-order series expansions and a variational approach, all phase transitions are classified as strongly first order, which turns out to be a consequence of the (partial) immobility of fracton excitations. Indeed, single fractons as well as few-fracton composites can hardly lower their excitation energy by delocalization due to the intriguing properties of fracton phases, as demonstrated in this work explicitly in terms of fracton quasiparticles.

Authors with CRIS profile

Matthias Mühlhauser Professur für Theoretische Physik Matthias Walther Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik Kai Phillip Schmidt Professur für Theoretische Physik

Involved external institutions

Freie Universität Berlin

Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Mühlhauser, M., Walther, M., Reiss, D.A., & Schmidt, K.P. (2020). Quantum robustness of fracton phases. Physical Review B, 101(5). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.101.054426

MLA:

Mühlhauser, Matthias, et al. "Quantum robustness of fracton phases." Physical Review B 101.5 (2020).

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