Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Sensitivity of a collisional single-atom spin probe

  Jens Nettersheim, Quentin Bouton, Daniel Adam, Artur Widera

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 009 (2023) · published 16 February 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the sensitivity of a collisional single-atom probe for ultracold gases. Inelastic spin-exchange collisions map information about the gas temperature $T$ or external magnetic field $B$ onto the quantum spin-population of single-atom probes, and previous work showed enhanced sensitivity for short-time nonequilibrium spin dynamics [Phys. Rev. X 10, 011018 (2020)]. Here, we numerically investigate the steady-state sensitivity of such single-atom probes to various observables. We find that the probe shows distinct sensitivity maxima in the ($B,T$) parameter diagram, although the underlying spin-exchange rates scale monotonically with temperature and magnetic field. In parameter space, the probe generally has the largest sensitivity when sensing the energy ratio between thermal energy and Zeeman energy in an externally applied magnetic field, while the sensitivity to the absolute energy, i.e., the sum of kinetic and Zeeman energy, is low. We identify the parameters yielding sensitivity maxima for a given absolute energy, which we can relate to a direct comparison of the thermal Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution with the Zeeman-energy splitting. We compare our equilibrium results to nonequilibrium experimental results from a single-atom quantum probe, showing that the sensitivity maxima in parameter space qualitatively prevail also in the nonequilibrium dynamics, while a quantitative difference remains. Our work thereby offers a microscopic explanation for the properties and performance of this single-atom quantum probe, connecting thermodynamic properties to microscopic interaction mechanisms. Our results pave the way for optimization of quantum-probe applications in ($B,T$) parameter space beyond the previously shown boost by nonequilibrium dynamics.

  3 citations

• ABJ anomaly as a U(1) symmetry and Noether’s theorem

  Valentin Benedetti, Horacio Casini, Javier M. Magan

  SciPost Phys. 18, 041 (2025) · published 3 February 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly determines the violation of chiral symmetry when massless fermions are coupled to an abelian gauge field. In its seminal paper, Adler noticed that a modified chiral $U(1)$ symmetry could still be defined, at the expense of being generated by a non-gauge-invariant conserved current. We show this internal $U(1)$ symmetry has the special feature that it transforms the Haag duality violating sectors (or non local operator classes). This provides a simple unifying perspective on the origin of anomaly quantization, anomaly matching, applicability of Goldstone theorem, and the absence of a Noether current. We comment on recent literature where this symmetry is considered to be either absent or non-invertible. We end by recalling the DHR reconstruction theorem, which states $0$-form symmetries cannot be non-invertible for $d>2$, and argue for a higher form-symmetry reconstruction theorem.

  3 citations

• The representation theory of seam algebras

  Alexis Langlois-Rémillard, Yvan Saint-Aubin

  SciPost Phys. 8, 019 (2020) · published 5 February 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The boundary seam algebras $\mathsf{b}_{n,k}(\beta=q+q^{-1})$ were introduced by Morin-Duchesne, Ridout and Rasmussen to formulate algebraically a large class of boundary conditions for two-dimensional statistical loop models. The representation theory of these algebras $\mathsf{b}_{n,k}(\beta=q+q^{-1})$ is given: their irreducible, standard (cellular) and principal modules are constructed and their structure explicited in terms of their composition factors and of non-split short exact sequences. The dimensions of the irreducible modules and of the radicals of standard ones are also given. The methods proposed here might be applicable to a large family of algebras, for example to those introduced recently by Flores and Peltola, and Cramp\'e and Poulain d'Andecy.

  3 citations

• The asymptotic structure of cosmological integrals

  Paolo Benincasa, Francisco Vazão

  SciPost Phys. 19, 029 (2025) · published 11 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We provide a general analysis of the asymptotic behaviour of perturbative contributions to observables in arbitrary power-law FRW cosmologies, indistinctly the Bunch-Davies wavefunction of the universe and cosmological correlators. We consider a large class of scalar toy models, including conformally-coupled and massless scalars in arbitrary dimensions, that admits a first principle definition in terms of (generalised/weighted) cosmological polytopes. The perturbative contributions to an observable can be expressed as an integral of the canonical function associated to such polytopes and to site- and edge-weighted graphs. We show how the asymptotic behaviour of these integrals is governed by a special class of nestohedra living in the graph-weight space, both at tree and loop level. As the singularities of a cosmological process described by a graph can be associated to its subgraphs, we provide a realisation of the nestohedra as a sequential truncation of a top-dimensional simplex based on the underlying graph. This allows us to determine all the possible directions – both in the infra-red and in the ultra-violet –, where the integral can diverge as well as their degree of divergence. Both of them are associated to the facets of the nestohedra, which are identified by overlapping tubings of the graph: the specific tubing determines the divergent directions while the number of overlapping tubings its degree of divergence. This combinatorial formulation makes straightforward the application of sector decomposition for extracting the – both leading and subleading – divergences from the integral, as the sectors in which the integration domain can be tiled are identified by the collection of compatible facets of the nestohedra, with the latter that can be determined via the graph tubings. Finally, the leading divergence has a beautiful interpretation as a restriction of the canonical function of the relevant polytope onto a special hyperplane.

  3 citations

• A systematic interpolatory method for an impurity in a one-dimensional fermionic background

  Erik J. Lindgren, Rafael E. Barfknecht, Nikolaj T. Zinner

  SciPost Phys. 9, 005 (2020) · published 13 July 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We explore a new numerical method for studying one-dimensional quantum systems in a trapping potential. We focus on the setup of an impurity in a fermionic background, where a single distinguishable particle interacts through a contact potential with a number of identical fermions. We can accurately describe this system, for various particle numbers, different trapping potentials and arbitrary finite repulsion, by constructing a truncated basis containing states at both zero and infinite repulsion. The results are compared with matrix product states methods and with the analytical result for two particles in a harmonic well.

  3 citations

• Charges in the extended BMS algebra: Definitions and applications

  Massimo Porrati

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 4, 005 (2021) · published 13 August 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  This is a review of selected topics from recent work on symmetry charges in asymptotically flat spacetime done by the author in collaboration with U. Kol and R. Javadinezhad. First we reinterpret the reality constraint on the boundary graviton as the gauge fixing of a new local symmetry, called dual supertranslations. This symmetry extends the BMS group and bears many similarities to the dual (magnetic) gauge symmetry of electrodynamics. We use this new gauge symmetry to propose a new description of the TAUB-NUT space that does not contain closed time-like curves. Next we summarize progress towards the definition of Lorentz and super-Lorentz charges that commute with supertranslations and with the soft graviton mode.

  3 citations

• Topological order in matrix Ising models

  Sean A. Hartnoll, Edward A. Mazenc, Zhengyan D. Shi

  SciPost Phys. 7, 081 (2019) · published 19 December 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study a family of models for an $N_1 \times N_2$ matrix worth of Ising spins $S_{aB}$. In the large $N_i$ limit we show that the spins soften, so that the partition function is described by a bosonic matrix integral with a single `spherical' constraint. In this way we generalize the results of [1] to a wide class of Ising Hamiltonians with $O(N_1,\mathbb{Z})\times O(N_2,\mathbb{Z})$ symmetry. The models can undergo topological large $N$ phase transitions in which the thermal expectation value of the distribution of singular values of the matrix $S_{aB}$ becomes disconnected. This topological transition competes with low temperature glassy and magnetically ordered phases.

  3 citations

• Measurement of the $\textit{CP}$ structure of the Higgs-tau Yukawa coupling

  Vinaya Krishnan MB

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 008 (2022) · published 11 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The CMS experiment at the LHC has performed the first measurement of the CP structure of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs boson and tau leptons. The measurement is based on data collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV during 2016-18, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $137\text{ fb}^{-1}$. The analysis utilizes the angular correlation between the decay planes of tau leptons produced in Higgs boson decays, where dedicated analysis techniques are used to optimise the reconstruction of tau decay planes. The measured value of the CP mixing angle is $4\pm17^{\circ}$, at $68\%$ confidence level. The pure $\textit{CP-}$odd hypothesis is excluded by $3.2$ standard deviations. The analysis strategies and the results of the measurement are presented.

  3 citations

• Aspects of 4d supersymmetric dynamics and geometry

  Shlomo S. Razamat, Evyatar Sabag, Orr Sela, Gabi Zafrir

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 78 (2024) · published 12 February 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this set of five Lectures we present a basic toolbox to discuss the dynamics of four dimensional supersymmetric quantum field theories. In particular we overview the program of geometrically engineering the four dimensional supersymmetric models as compactifications of six dimensional SCFTs. We discuss how strong coupling phenomena in four dimensions, such as duality and emergence of symmetry, can be naturally imbedded in the geometric constructions. The Lectures mostly review results which previously appeared in the literature but also contain some unpublished derivations.

  3 citations

• Anomalous continuous translations

  Nathan Seiberg

  SciPost Phys. 19, 031 (2025) · published 11 August 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We discuss a large class of non-relativistic continuum field theories where the Euclidean spatial symmetry of the classical theory is violated in the quantum theory by an Adler-Bell-Jackiw-like anomaly. In particular, the continuous translation symmetry of the classical theory is broken in the quantum theory to a discrete symmetry. Furthermore, that discrete symmetry is extended by an internal symmetry, making it non-Abelian. This presentation streamlines and extends the discussion in [SciPost Phys. 18, 063 (2025)]. In an Appendix, we present an elementary introduction to 't Hooft and Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomalies using a well-known system.

  3 citations