Bulk Anyons as Edge Symmetries: Boundary Phase Diagrams of Topologically Ordered States: Boundary phase diagrams of topologically ordered states

Tsuf Lichtman, Ryan Thorngren, Netanel H Lindner, Ady Stern, Erez Berg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We study effectively one-dimensional systems that emerge at the edge of a two-dimensional topologically ordered state, or at the boundary between two topologically ordered states. We argue that anyons of the bulk are associated with emergent symmetries of the edge, which play a crucial role in the structure of its phase diagram. Using this symmetry principle, transitions between distinct gapped phases at the boundaries of Abelian states can be understood in terms of symmetry-breaking transitions or transitions between symmetry-protected topological phases. Yet more exotic phenomena occur when the bulk hosts non-Abelian anyons. To demonstrate these principles, we explore the phase diagrams of the edges of a single and a double layer of the toric code, as well as those of domain walls in a single- and double-layer Kitaev spin liquid (KSL). In the case of the KSL, we find that the presence of a non-Abelian anyon in the bulk enforces Kramers-Wannier self-duality as a symmetry of the effective boundary theory. These examples illustrate a number of surprising phenomena, such as spontaneous duality breaking, two-sector phase transitions, and unfreezing of marginal operators at a transition between different gapless phases.
Original languageEnglish
Article number075141
Number of pages27
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume104
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Aug 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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