The scaling of entanglement entropy is computationally studied in several $1le d le 2$ dimensional free fermion systems that are connected by one or more point contacts (PC). For both the $k$-leg Bethe lattice $(d =1)$ and $d=2$ rectangular lattices
with a subsystem of $L^d$ sites, the entanglement entropy associated with a {sl single} PC is found to be generically $S sim L$. We argue that the $O(L)$ entropy is an expression of the subdominant $O(L)$ entropy of the bulk entropy-area law. For $d=2$ (square) lattices connected by $m$ PCs, the area law is found to be $S sim aL^{d-1} + b m log{L}$ and is thus consistent with the anomalous area law for free fermions ($S sim L log{L}$) as $m rightarrow L$. For the Bethe lattice, the relevance of this result to Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) schemes for interacting fermions is discussed.
In the United States electoral system, a candidate is elected indirectly by winning a majority of electoral votes cast by individual states, the election usually being decided by the votes cast by a small number of swing states where the two candidat
es historically have roughly equal probabilities of winning. The effective value of a swing state in deciding the election is determined not only by the number of its electoral votes but by the frequency of its appearance in the set of winning partitions of the electoral college. Since the electoral vote values of swing states are not identical, the presence or absence of a state in a winning partition is generally correlated with the frequency of appearance of other states and, hence, their effective values. We quantify the effective value of states by an {sl electoral susceptibility}, $chi_j$, the variation of the winning probability with the cost of changing the probability of winning state $j$. We study $chi_j$ for realistic data accumulated for the 2012 U.S. presidential election and for a simple model with a Zipfs law type distribution of electoral votes. In the latter model we show that the susceptibility for small states is largest in one-sided electoral contests and smallest in close contests. We draw an analogy to models of entropically driven interactions in poly-disperse colloidal solutions.
The entanglement entropy of $ u=1/2$ and $ u=9/2$ quantum Hall states in the presence of short range disorder has been calculated by direct diagonalization. Spin polarized electrons are confined to a single Landau level and interact with long range C
oulomb interaction. For $ u=1/2$ the entanglement entropy is a smooth monotonic function of disorder strength. For $ u=9/2$ the entanglement entropy is non monotonic suggestive of a solid-liquid phase transition. As a model of the transition at $ u=1/2$ free fermions with disorder in 2 dimensions were studied. Numerical evidence suggests the entanglement entropy scales as $L$ rather than the $L ln{L}$ as in the disorder free case.
The Full Counting Statistics (FCS) is studied for a one-dimensional system of non-interacting fermions with and without disorder. For two unbiased $L$ site lattices connected at time $t=0$, the charge variance increases as the natural logarithm of $t
$, following the universal expression $<delta N^2> approx frac{1}{pi^2}log{t}$. Since the static charge variance for a length $l$ region is given by $<delta N^2> approx frac{1}{pi^2}log{l}$, this result reflects the underlying relativistic or conformal invariance and dynamical exponent $z=1$ of the disorder-free lattice. With disorder and strongly localized fermions, we have compared our results to a model with a dynamical exponent $z e 1$, and also a model for entanglement entropy based upon dynamical scaling at the Infinite Disorder Fixed Point (IDFP). The latter scaling, which predicts $<delta N^2> propto loglog{t}$, appears to better describe the charge variance of disordered 1-d fermions. When a bias voltage is introduced, the behavior changes dramatically and the charge and variance become proportional to $(log{t})^{1/psi}$ and $log{t}$, respectively. The exponent $psi$ may be related to the critical exponent characterizing spatial/energy fluctuations at the IDFP.
The entanglement entropy of two gapless non-interacting fermion subsystems is computed approximately in a way that avoids the introduction of replicas and a geometric interpretation of the reduced density matrix. We exploit the similarity between the
Schmidt basis wavefunction and superfluid BCS wavefunction and compute the entropy using the BCS approximation. Within this analogy, the Cooper pairs are particle-hole pairs straddling the boundary and the effective interaction between them is induced by the projection of the Hilbert space onto the incomplete Schmidt basis. The resulting singular interaction may be thought of as lifting the degeneracy of the single particle distribution function. For two coupled fermion systems of linear size $L$, we solve the BCS gap equation approximately to find the entropy $S approx (w^2/t^2)log{L}$ where $w$ is the hopping amplitude at the boundary of the subsystem and $2t$ is the bandwidth. We further interpret this result based upon the relationship between entanglement spectrum, entropy and number fluctuations.
We explore the possibility of detecting many-body entanglement using time-of-flight (TOF) momentum correlations in ultracold atomic fermi gases. In analogy to the vacuum correlations responsible for Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy, a partitione
d atomic gas will exhibit particle-hole correlations responsible for entanglement entropy. The signature of these momentum correlations might be detected by a sensitive TOF type experiment.
The entanglement entropy of the $ u = 1/3$ and $ u = 5/2$ quantum Hall states in the presence of short range random disorder has been calculated by direct diagonalization. A microscopic model of electron-electron interaction is used, electrons are co
nfined to a single Landau level and interact with long range Coulomb interaction. For very weak disorder, the values of the topological entanglement entropy are roughly consistent with expected theoretical results. By considering a broader range of disorder strengths, the fluctuation in the entanglement entropy was studied in an effort to detect quantum phase transitions. In particular, there is a clear signature of a transition as a function of the disorder strength for the $ u = 5/2$ state. Prospects for using the density matrix renormalization group to compute the entanglement entropy for larger system sizes are discussed.
The entanglement entropy of the incompressible states of a realistic quantum Hall system in the second Landau level are studied by direct diagonalization. The subdominant term to the area law, the topological entanglement entropy, which is believed t
o carry information about topologic order in the ground state, was extracted for filling factors nu = 12/5 and nu = 7/3. While it is difficult to make strong conclusions about nu = 12/5, the nu = 7/3 state appears to be very consistent with the topological entanglement entropy for the k=4 Read-Rezayi state. The effect of finite thickness corrections to the Coulomb potential used in the direct diagonalization are also systematically studied.
The entanglement entropy of the incompressible states of a realistic quantum Hall system are studied by direct diagonalization. The subdominant term to the area law, the topological entanglement entropy, which is believed to carry information about t
opologic order in the ground state, was extracted for filling factors 1/3, 1/5 and 5/2. The results for 1/3 and 1/5 are consistent with the topological entanglement entropy for the Laughlin wave function. The 5/2 state exhibits a topological entanglement entropy consistent with the Moore-Read wave function.
