Events

Next Quantum Material Seminar:

Thursday, June 16th 2022 at 2pm

Shunsuke Furuya  (University of Tokyo)

“Quantized edge magnetizations and their symmetry protection in one-dimensional quantum spin systems”

To access this seminar:

Institut Néel CNRS, Building D, 3rd floor, Room Nevill Mott (D420)

or ZOOM link (to come)

Abstract:

The bulk electric polarization works as a nonlocal order parameter that characterizes the topological phase of matter. In this talk, we discuss magnetic analogs of the bulk electric polarization in one–dimensional quantum spin systems, that is, quantized magnetizations on the edges of one–dimensional quantum spin systems. The edge magnetization shares the topological origin with the fractional edge state of the topological odd–spin Haldane phases. Nevertheless, the edge magnetization can also appear in topologically trivial quantum phases. We develop straightforward field theoretical arguments that explain the characteristic properties of the edge magnetization. The field theory shows that a U(1) spin–rotation symmetry and a site–centered or bond–centered inversion symmetry protect the quantization of the edge magnetization. With this preparation, we proceed to discussions that quantum phases on nonzero magnetization plateaus can also have the quantized edge magnetization that deviates from the magnetization density in bulk. We demonstrate that the quantized edge magnetization distinguishes two quantum phases on a magnetization plateau separated by a quantum critical point. The edge magnetization exhibits an abrupt stepwise change from zero to 1/2 at the quantum critical point because the quantum phase transition occurs in the presence of the symmetries protecting the quantization of the edge magnetization.

The organizers:

Elsa Lhotel (elsa.lhotel@neel.cnrs.fr)
Florence Levy-Bertrand (florence.levy-bertrand@neel.cnrs.fr)