PIRSA:17120005

Beyond Topological Order: Fractons and their Field Theory

Slagle, K. (2017). Beyond Topological Order: Fractons and their Field Theory. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/17120005

Slagle, Kevin. Beyond Topological Order: Fractons and their Field Theory. Perimeter Institute, Dec. 01, 2017, https://pirsa.org/17120005 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:17120005,
            doi = {10.48660/17120005},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/17120005},
            author = {Slagle, Kevin},
            keywords = {Condensed Matter},
            language = {en},
            title = {Beyond Topological Order: Fractons and their Field Theory},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2017},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:17120005 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Kevin Slagle Rice University

DOI 10.48660/17120005
Collection
Talk Type Scientific Series
Subject

Abstract

"Recently, exactly solvable 3D lattice models have been discovered for a new kind of phase, dubbed fracton topological order, in which the topological excitations are immobile or are bound to lines or surfaces. Unlike liquid topologically ordered phases (e.g. Z_2 gauge theory), which are only sensitive to topology (e.g. the ground state degeneracy only depends on the topology of spatial manifold), fracton orders are also sensitive to the geometry of the lattice. This geometry dependence allows for remarkably new physics which was forbidden in topologically invariant phases of matter.


In this talk, I will review the X-cube model [1] of fracton order. I will then explain how geometry dependence allows for braiding of point-like particles in this 3D phase. I'll summary how the X-cube model can be described by a quantum field theory, which is analogous to a topological quantum field theory (TQFT). [3] We will see that the gauge invariance of the field theory results in the mobility restrictions of the topological excitations by imposing a new kind of geometric charge conservation. I will conclude by briefly discussing current work on the remarkable geometry-dependent phenomenology of fracton order. For example, I will explain why even on a manifold with trivial topology, spatial curvature can induce a robust ground state degeneracy.

[1] Vijay, Haah, Fu 1603.04442

[2] Slagle, Kim 1704.03870"