An Exactly Solvable Model for a $4+1D$ Beyond-Cohomology Symmetry Protected Topological Phase


Abstract in English

We construct an exactly solvable commuting projector model for a $4+1$ dimensional ${mathbb Z}_2$ symmetry-protected topological phase (SPT) which is outside the cohomology classification of SPTs. The model is described by a decorated domain wall construction, with three-fermion Walker-Wang phases on the domain walls. We describe the anomalous nature of the phase in several ways. One interesting feature is that, in contrast to in-cohomology phases, the effective ${mathbb Z}_2$ symmetry on a $3+1$ dimensional boundary cannot be described by a quantum circuit and instead is a nontrivial quantum cellular automaton (QCA). A related property is that a codimension-two defect (for example, the termination of a ${mathbb Z}_2$ domain wall at a trivial boundary) will carry nontrivial chiral central charge $4$ mod $8$. We also construct a gapped symmetric topologically-ordered boundary state for our model, which constitutes an anomalous symmetry enriched topological phase outside of the classification of arXiv:1602.00187, and define a corresponding anomaly indicator.

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