The unquenched spectral density of the Dirac operator at $mu eq0$ is complex and has oscillations with a period inversely proportional to the volume and an amplitude that grows exponentially with the volume. Here we show how the oscillations lead to the discontinuity of the chiral condensate.
Recently, we have proposed a novel approach (arxiv:1205.3996) to deal with the sign problem that hinders Monte Carlo simulations of many quantum field theories (QFTs). The approach consists in formulating the QFT on a Lefschetz thimble. In this paper we concentrate on the application to a scalar field theory with a sign problem. In particular, we review the formulation and the justification of the approach, and we also describe the Aurora Monte Carlo algorithm that we are currently testing.
The sign problem is notorious in Monte Carlo simulations of lattice QCD with the finite density, lattice field theory (LFT) with a $theta$ term and quantum spin models. In this report, to deal with the sign problem, we apply the maximum entropy method (MEM) to LFT with the $theta$ term and investigate to what extent the MEM is applicable to this issue. Based on this study, we also make a brief comment about lattice QCD with the finite density in terms of the MEM.
The path optimization has been proposed to weaken the sign problem which appears in some field theories such as finite density QCD. In this method, we optimize the integration path in complex plain to enhance the average phase factor. In this study, we discuss the application of this method to low dimensional QCD as a first step of finite density QCD.
The study of lattice gauge theories with Monte Carlo simulations is hindered by the infamous sign problem that appears under certain circumstances, in particular at non-zero chemical potential. So far, there is no universal method to overcome this problem. However, recent years brought a new class of non-perturbative Hamiltonian techniques named tensor networks, where the sign problem is absent. In previous work, we have demonstrated that this approach, in particular matrix product states in 1+1 dimensions, can be used to perform precise calculations in a lattice gauge theory, the massless and massive Schwinger model. We have computed the mass spectrum of this theory, its thermal properties and real-time dynamics. In this work, we review these results and we extend our calculations to the case of two flavours and non-zero chemical potential. We are able to reliably reproduce known analytical results for this model, thus demonstrating that tensor networks can tackle the sign problem of a lattice gauge theory at finite density.
We propose a practical way of circumventing the sign problem in lattice QCD simulations with a theta-vacuum term. This method is the reweighting method for the QCD Lagrangian after the U_A(1) transformation. In the Lagrangian, the P-odd mass term as a cause of the sign problem is minimized. In order to find out a good reference system in the reweighting method, we estimate the average reweighting factor by using the two-flavor NJL model and eventually find a good reference system.