March 25, 2014
In addition to possessing fractional statistics, anyon excitations of a 2D topologically ordered state can realize symmetry in distinct ways , leading to a variety of symmetry enriched topological (SET) phases. While the symmetry fractionalization must be consistent with the fusion and braiding rules of the anyons, not all ostensibly consistent symmetry fractionalizations can be realized in 2D systems. Instead, certain `anomalous' SETs can only occur on the surface of a 3D sy...
April 29, 2024
Topological holography is a conjectured correspondence between the symmetry charges and defects of a $D$-dimensional system with the anyons in a $(D+1)$-dimensional topological order: the symmetry topological field theory (SymTFT). Topological holography is conjectured to capture the topological aspects of symmetry in gapped and gapless systems, with different phases corresponding to different gapped boundaries (anyon condensations) of the SymTFT. This correspondence was prev...
August 21, 2013
We show that a large class of symmetry enriched (topological) phases of matter in 2+1 dimensions can be embedded in "larger" topological phases- phases describable by larger hidden Hopf symmetries. Such an embedding is analogous to anyon condensation, although no physical condensation actually occurs. This generalizes the Landau-Ginzburg paradigm of symmetry breaking from continuous groups to quantum groups- in fact algebras- and offers a potential classification of the symme...
May 6, 2012
We present a general framework for analyzing fractionalized, time reversal invariant electronic insulators in two dimensions. The framework applies to all insulators whose quasiparticles have abelian braiding statistics. First, we construct the most general Chern-Simons theories that can describe these states. We then derive a criterion for when these systems have protected gapless edge modes -- that is, edge modes that cannot be gapped out without breaking time reversal or c...
October 2, 2020
We investigate the interactions of discrete zero-form and one-form global symmetries in (1+1)d theories. Focus is put on the interactions that the symmetries can have on each other, which in this low dimension result in 2-group symmetries or symmetry fractionalization. A large part of the discussion will be to understand a major feature in (1+1)d: the multiple sectors into which a theory decomposes. We perform gauging of the one-form symmetry, and remark on the effects this h...
May 4, 2001
We discuss the possibility that the electron may be fractionalized in some quantum phases of matter in two or higher dimensions. We review the theory of such phases, and show that their effective theory is a $Z_2$ gauge theory. These phases may be characterized theoretically through the notion of topological order. We discuss the appeal of fractionalization ideas for building theories of the cuprates, and possible ways of testing these ideas.
January 31, 2013
Recently, it was realized that quantum states of matter can be classified as long-range entangled (LRE) states (i.e. with non-trivial topological order) and short-range entangled (SRE) states (\ie with trivial topological order). We can use group cohomology class ${\cal H}^d(SG,R/Z)$ to systematically describe the SRE states with a symmetry $SG$ [referred as symmetry-protected trivial (SPT) or symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states] in $d$-dimensional space-time. In this...
October 5, 2022
The quantum-mechanical description of assemblies of particles whose motion is confined to two (or one) spatial dimensions offers many possibilities that are distinct from bosons and fermions. We call such particles anyons. The simplest anyons are parameterized by an angular phase parameter $\theta$. $\theta = 0, \pi$ correspond to bosons and fermions respectively; at intermediate values we say that we have fractional statistics. In two dimensions, $\theta$ describes the phase...
February 18, 2016
A finite bosonic or fermionic symmetry can be described uniquely by a symmetric fusion category $\mathcal{E}$. In this work, we propose that 2+1D topological/SPT orders with a fixed finite symmetry $\mathcal{E}$ are classified, up to $E_8$ quantum Hall states, by the unitary modular tensor categories $\mathcal{C}$ over $\mathcal{E}$ and the modular extensions of each $\mathcal{C}$. In the case $\mathcal{C}=\mathcal{E}$, we prove that the set $\mathcal{M}_{ext}(\mathcal{E})$ o...
March 14, 2024
Topological quantum matter exhibits a range of exotic phenomena when enriched by subdimensional symmetries. This includes new features beyond those that appear in the conventional setting of global symmetry enrichment. A recently discovered example is a type of subsystem symmetry fractionalization that occurs through a different mechanism to global symmetry fractionalization. In this work we extend the study of subsystem symmetry fractionalization through new examples derived...