CMSA Quantum Matter/Quantum Field Theory Seminar: Exploration on Deconfined Fractionalized Particles at Quantum Criticality — Fractional Chern Insulators and Shastry-Sutherland Quantum Magnets

CMSA EVENTS

Speaker:

Jong Yeon Lee - Harvard University

via Zoom Video Conferencing: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/977347126

One of the most exotic phenomena in condensed matter systems is the emergence of fractionalized particles. However, until now, only a few experimental systems are known to realize fractionalized excitations. This calls for more systematic ways to find and understand systems with fractionalization. One natural starting point is to look for an exotic quantum criticality, where the fundamental degrees of freedom become insufficient to describe the system accurately. Furthermore, understandings in exotic quantum critical phenomena would provide a unified perspective on nearby gapped phases, i.e. a guiding principle to engineer the system in a desirable direction that may host anyons. In this talk, I would present my works on two different types of quantum criticality: (1) Deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP) between plaquette valence-bond solids and Neel ordered state in Shastry-Sutherland lattice models [PRX 9, 041037 (2019)], where two distinct symmetry breaking order parameters become unified by the fractionalized degree of freedom. (2) Transitions between fractional Chern/Quantum Hall insulators tuned by the strength of lattice potential [PRX 8, 031015 (2018)]. Here, the low-lying excitations are already fractionalized; therefore, the deconfined fractional excitations follows more naturally, which is described by Chern-Simons quantum electrodynamics. The numerical results using iDMRG as well as theoretical analysis of their emergent critical properties would be presented. In the end, I would discuss their spectroscopic signatures, providing a full analysis of experimental verification.