好蛋大爷的纠缠谱猜想——路径积分虫洞效应揭示纠缠谱与能谱的迷离关系

一个好的猜想,值得一个漂亮的证明,和一些恰到好处的推广。从路径积分虫洞效应出发,我们的工作提供了理解好蛋大爷的纠缠谱猜想的一个好的思路,也孵出了额外的“好蛋”。... 某天,鄙人在听复旦理论物理报告之时,正好讲到纠缠谱和拓扑物态的关系。受限于目前的数值技术,人们只能研究一维量子系统的纠缠谱。这启发了笔者的一个想法:通过量子蒙卡结合数值解析延拓技术,求解纠缠谱。后面的故事,就这么展开了。 Continue reading

Predict the novel entangled states on programmable quantum simulators


Quantum dimer models are known to host topological quantum spin liquid phases, and it has recently become possible to simulate such models with Rydberg atoms trapped in arrays of optical tweezers. By means of large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations ... we find distinct odd and even Z2 spin liquids, along with several phases with no topological order: a staggered crystal, a nematic phase, and a trivial symmetric phase with no obvious broken symmetry. We also present dynamic spectra of the phases, and note implications for experiments on Rydberg atoms. Continue reading

阿龙探案蒙特卡洛符号问题

量子多体计算领域有几个传统的谜团或者说神话故事,比如量子蒙特卡洛计算一旦遇到符号问题,其重要性抽样就当场失效;比如张量网络计算总能克服万难成功找到指数大的希尔伯特空间中那个甜蜜的小角落;比如第一性原理计算得到的能带可以煞有介事地解释关联电子材料的能谱;……。既然是谜团,就是可以没有标准答案,从业人员信与不信全看当时的心情,或者想也不想,别人怎么说我也怎么说。几十年过去了,谜团或者说神话故事,就这么口口相传下来。但是总有愿意琢磨事儿的人 ...... Continue reading

在纠缠中窥见自然的奥秘

身无彩凤双飞翼,心有灵犀一点通

李商隐《无题》

唐代诗人李商隐的这首诗,道尽了人世间痴情男女虽天各一方、但彼此心意相通、似有一条丝线相连的缠绵。

其实,电子的世界亦如此。配对的电子,一旦形成一个纠缠态,无论相距多远,它们都能感受到彼此的“心意” (自旋)。它们一个向上,一个向下,仿佛约好了似的。只要有一方改变状态,那么另一方就会立刻感受到,并且调整成与对方相反的状态。Continue reading

情愿不自由,便是自由了

时令不停流转,经过残酷阴沉荒原般的四月,到了五月,人们总会回过神来想起青年。想起身处初夏阳光中的感觉,看着满山茂盛的树木在微风中摇曳,看着蔚蓝的大海和视线尽头那一片氤氲中满是希望和新鲜的世界,多好,一切都是绿的、蓝的、清澈的、新鲜的、天真的、诚实的和健康的。Continue reading

Unitary CFT description of DQCP is denied from quantum entanglememt entropy

The research team developed a new and more efficient quantum algorithm of the Monte Carlo techniques adopted by scientists to measure the Renyi entanglement entropy of objects. With this new tool, they measured the Rényi entanglement entropy at the DQCP and found the scaling behaviour of the entropy, i.e. how the entropy changes with the system sizes, is in sharp contrast with the description of conventional LGW types of phase transitions. Continue reading

from Quantum Materials to the Origin of Black Holes


In the time of quantum technology and big data, scientists start to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computational approaches into the fundament research about our mother Nature and Universe. This series of two lectures will help us to unfold such interesting discovery processes. Dr Zi Yang MENG, Associate Professor at HKU Department of Physics, will explain the important role played by AI and computation in the modern quantum material research in the first lecture. Find more

A bona fide topological Mott insulator discovered in twisted bilayer graphene model


Imagestacking two sheets of graphene – the 2D form of graphite, or the pencil at your hand – in which the carbon atoms form a hexagonal lattice and twist the top sheet out of alignment with the sheet below, yielding a periodic arrangement of atoms named moiré pattern. Do you know that at a twisted angle of about 1o – people now call it the ‘magic’ angle – the system could exhibit very exotic behaviours such as becoming an insulator, a metal or even a superconductor? Can you imagine the same carbon atom in your pencil (graphite) becoming a superconductor when twisted to the magic angle? It indeed did as people discovered it in 2018, but why? Continue reading

库伦作用无尽期,动量蒙卡寄相思

白石道人姜夔,南宋词人,一生布衣游食四方,存词只有80余首,不算高产(虽然他21岁写下的《扬州慢·淮左名都》入选中学语文课本,诸君可以想想自己21岁时在做什么)。但在他43岁那年的正月里,情感不知为何受到了大的扰动,爆发似的一口气写下一组五首《鹧鸪天》(准确地说是从正月初一到正月十六,从第一首《鹧鸪天 • 丁巳元日》到第五首 《鹧鸪天 • 十六夜出》),曲折地追怀自己生命中一段年轻的爱情,五首皆为精品。 Continue reading

Higgs mode via dimensional crossover in quantum magnets

The Higgs mode or the Anderson-Higgs mechanism (named after another Nobel Laureate Philip W ANDERSON), has widespread influence in our current understanding of the physical law for mass ranging from particle physics - the elusive “God particle” Higgs boson discovered in 2012 to the more familiar and important phenomena of superconductors and magnets in condensed matter physics and quantum material research. Continue reading