Physics Main Calendar

View Full Calendar

The Anthony J Leggett Institute for Condensed Matter Physics Seminar: "Quantum circuit as a lens into quantum phases and phase transitions"

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Physics Department
Location
ESB 190
Date
Dec 9, 2024   12:00 pm  
Speaker
Xie Chen, California Institute of Technology
Contact
Stephen Bullwinkel
E-Mail
bullwink@illinois.edu
Phone
217-333-1652
Views
18
Originating Calendar
Physics - The Anthony J Leggett Institute for Condensed Matter Theory Seminar

Quantum systems host fascinating phases like superconductivity, quantum Hall, topological order, etc that have no classical counterpart. Understanding what quantum phases exist and how phase transitions happen between them is the ultimate goal of condensed matter. But this is notoriously hard, especially in systems with strong interactions. We find that the Quantum Circuit, a tool in quantum computation, provides surprisingly useful insight into the many-body entanglement structure of quantum wavefunctions and correspondingly the structure of the quantum phase diagram. In this talk, we start by reviewing how a decade ago defining gapped quantum phases using finite-depth quantum circuits led us to the systematic construction and classification of Symmetry Protected Topological Phases. Recently, we made another breakthrough by realizing that the transition between different gapped phases can be achieved with sequential quantum circuits. This opens the door to the systematic study of defects in quantum systems, their condensation, and the induced phase transitions in strongly interacting systems. 

 

link for robots only