Motivated by the recent experiments on the kagome metals $Atext{V}_3text{Sb}_5$ with $A=text{K}, text{Rb}, text{Cs}$, which see onset of charge density wave (CDW) order at $sim$ $100$ K and superconductivity at $sim$ $1$ K, we explore the onset of su
perconductivity, taking the perspective that it descends from a parent CDW state. In particular, we propose that the pairing comes from the Pomeranchuk fluctuations of the reconstructed Fermi surface in the CDW phase. This scenario naturally explains the large separation of energy scale from the parent CDW. Remarkably, the phase diagram hosts the double-dome superconductivity near two reconstructed Van Hove singularities. These singularities occur at the Lifshitz transition and the quantum critical point of the parent CDW. The first dome is occupied by the $d_{xy}$-wave nematic spin-singlet superconductivity. Meanwhile, the $(s+d_{x^2-y^2})$-wave nematic spin-singlet superconductivity develops in the second dome. Our work sheds light on an unconventional pairing mechanism with strong evidences in the kagome metals $Atext{V}_3text{Sb}_5$.
We demonstrate that the one-dimensional helical Majorana edges of two-dimensional time-reversal symmetric topological superconductors (class DIII) can become gapless and insulating by a combination of random edge velocity and interaction. Such a gapl
ess insulating edge breaks time-reversal symmetry inhomogeneously, and the local symmetry broken regions can be regarded as static mass potentials or dynamical Ising spins. In both limits, we find that such glassy Majorana edges are generically exponentially localized and trap Majorana zero modes. Interestingly, for a statistically time-reversal symmetric edge, the low-energy theory can be mapped to a Dyson model at zero energy, manifesting a diverging density of states and exhibiting marginal localization (i.e., a diverging localization length). Although the ballistic edge state transport is absent, the localized Majorana zero modes reflect the nontrivial topology in the bulk. Experimental signatures are also discussed.
We study the dynamical behaviour of ultracold fermionic atoms loaded into an optical lattice under the presence of an effective magnetic flux, induced by spin-orbit coupled laser driving. At half filling, the resulting system can emulate a variety of
iconic spin-1/2 models such as an Ising model, an XY model, a generic XXZ model with arbitrary anisotropy, or a collective one-axis twisting model. The validity of these different spin models is examined across the parameter space of flux and driving strength. In addition, there is a parameter regime where the system exhibits chiral, persistent features in the long-time dynamics. We explore these properties and discuss the role played by the systems symmetries. We also discuss experimentally-viable implementations.
We show how a finite number of conservation laws can globally `shatter Hilbert space into exponentially many dynamically disconnected subsectors, leading to an unexpected dynamics with features reminiscent of both many body localization and quantum s
cars. A crisp example of this phenomenon is provided by a `fractonic model of quantum dynamics constrained to conserve both charge and dipole moment. We show how the Hilbert space of the fractonic model dynamically fractures into disconnected emergent subsectors within a particular charge and dipole symmetry sector. This shattering can occur in arbitrary spatial dimensions. A large number of the emergent subsectors, exponentially many in system volume, have dimension one and exhibit strictly localized quantum dynamics---even in the absence of spatial disorder and in the presence of temporal noise. Other emergent subsectors display non-trivial dynamics and may be constructed by embedding finite sized non-trivial blocks into the localized subspace. While `fractonic models provide a particularly clean realization, the shattering phenomenon is more general, as we discuss. We also discuss how the key phenomena may be readily observed in near term ultracold atom experiments. In experimental realizations, the conservation laws are approximate rather than exact, so the localization only survives up to a prethermal timescale that we estimate. We comment on the implications of these results for recent predictions of Bloch/Stark many-body localization.
The boundary of a topological insulator (TI) hosts an anomaly restricting its possible phases: e.g. 3D strong and weak TIs maintain surface conductivity at any disorder if symmetry is preserved on-average, at least when electron interactions on the s
urface are weak. However the interplay of strong interactions and disorder with the boundary anomaly has not yet been theoretically addressed. Here we study this combination for the edge of a 2D TI and the surface of a 3D weak TI, showing how it can lead to an Anomalous Many Body Localized (AMBL) phase that preserves the anomaly. We discuss how the anomalous Kramers parity switching with pi flux arises in the bosonized theory of the localized helical state. The anomaly can be probed in localized boundaries by electrostatically sensing nonlinear hopping transport with e/2 shot noise. Our AMBL construction in 3D weak TIs fails for 3D strong TIs, suggesting that their anomaly restrictions are distinguished by strong interactions.
We study the surface of a three-dimensional spin chiral $mathrm{Z}_2$ topological insulator (class CII), demonstrating the possibility of its localization. This arises through an interplay of interaction and statistically-symmetric disorder, that con
fines the gapless fermionic degrees of freedom to a network of one-dimensional helical domain-walls that can be localized. We identify two distinct regimes of this gapless insulating phase, a `clogged regime wherein the network localization is induced by its junctions between otherwise metallic helical domain-walls, and a `fully localized regime of localized domain-walls. The experimental signatures of these regimes are also discussed.
Starting from a state of low quantum entanglement, local unitary time evolution increases the entanglement of a quantum many-body system. In contrast, local projective measurements disentangle degrees of freedom and decrease entanglement. We study th
e interplay of these competing tendencies by considering time evolution combining both unitary and projective dynamics. We begin by constructing a toy model of Bell pair dynamics which demonstrates that measurements can keep a system in a state of low (i.e. area law) entanglement, in contrast with the volume law entanglement produced by generic pure unitary time evolution. While the simplest Bell pair model has area law entanglement for any measurement rate, as seen in certain non-interacting systems, we show that more generic models of entanglement can feature an area-to-volume law transition at a critical value of the measurement rate, in agreement with recent numerical investigations. As a concrete example of these ideas, we analytically investigate Clifford evolution in qubit systems which can exhibit an entanglement transition. We are able to identify stabilizer size distributions characterizing the area law, volume law and critical fixed points. We also discuss Floquet random circuits, where the answers depend on the order of limits - one order of limits yields area law entanglement for any non-zero measurement rate, whereas a different order of limits allows for an area law - volume law transition. Finally, we provide a rigorous argument that a system subjected to projective measurements can only exhibit a volume law entanglement entropy if it also features a subleading correction term, which provides a universal signature of projective dynamics in the high-entanglement phase. Note: The results presented here supersede those of all previou
We study a system of fermions in one spatial dimension with linearly confining interactions and short-range disorder. We focus on the zero temperature properties of this system, which we characterize using bosonization and the Gaussian variational me
thod. We compute the static compressibility and ac conductivity, and thereby demonstrate that the system is incompressible, but exhibits gapless optical conductivity. This corresponds to a Mott-glass state, distinct from an Anderson and a fully gapped Mott insulator, arising due to the interplay of disorder and charge confinement. We argue that this Mott-glass phenomenology should persist to non-zero temperatures.
A quantum system of particles can exist in a localized phase, exhibiting ergodicity breaking and maintaining forever a local memory of its initial conditions. We generalize this concept to a system of extended objects, such as strings and membranes,
arguing that such a system can also exhibit localization in the presence of sufficiently strong disorder (randomness) in the Hamiltonian. We show that localization of large extended objects can be mapped to a lower-dimensional many-body localization problem. For example, motion of a string involves propagation of point-like signals down its length to keep the different segments in causal contact. For sufficiently strong disorder, all such internal modes will exhibit many-body localization, resulting in the localization of the entire string. The eigenstates of the system can then be constructed perturbatively through a convergent string locator expansion. We propose a type of out-of-time-order string correlator as a diagnostic of such a string localized phase. Localization of other higher-dimensional objects, such as membranes, can also be studied through a hierarchical construction by mapping onto localization of lower-dimensional objects. Our arguments are asymptotic ($i.e.$ valid up to rare regions) but they extend the notion of localization (and localization protected order) to a host of settings where such ideas previously did not apply. These include high-dimensional ferromagnets with domain wall excitations, three-dimensional topological phases with loop-like excitations, and three-dimensional type-II superconductors with flux line excitations. In type-II superconductors, localization of flux lines could stabilize superconductivity at energy densities where a normal state would arise in thermal equilibrium.
We demonstrate that a combination of disorder and interactions in a two-dimensional bulk topological insulator can generically drive its helical edge insulating. We establish this within the framework of helical Luttinger liquid theory and exact Emer
y-Luther mapping. The gapless glassy edge state spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry in a `spin glass fashion, and may be viewed as a localized state of solitons which carry half integer charge. Such a qualitatively distinct edge state provides a simple explanation for heretofore puzzling experimental observations. This phase exhibits a striking non-monotonicity, with the edge growing less localized in both the weak and strong disorder limits.
