The overlap Dirac operator at nonzero quark chemical potential involves the computation of the sign function of a non-Hermitian matrix. In this talk we present iterative Krylov subspace approximations, with deflation of critical eigenvalues, which we developed to compute the operator on large lattices. We compare the accuracy and efficiency of two alternative approximations based on the Arnoldi and on the two-sided Lanczos method. The short recurrences used in the latter method make it faster and more effective for realistic lattice simulations.
We have recently given a construction of the overlap Dirac operator at nonzero quark chemical potential. Here, we introduce a quark chemical potential in the domain-wall fermion formalism and show that our earlier result is reproduced if the extent of the fifth dimension is taken to infinity and its lattice spacing is taken to zero. We also extend this result to include a bare quark mass, consider its continuum limit, and prove a number of properties of the overlap operator at nonzero quark chemical potential. In particular, we show that the relation between the anomaly and the index of the ov…
We show how to introduce a quark chemical potential in the overlap Dirac operator. The resulting operator satisfies a Ginsparg-Wilson relation and has exact zero modes. It is no longer gamma_5-hermitian, but its nonreal eigenvalues still occur in pairs. We compute the spectral density of the operator on the lattice and show that, for small eigenvalues, the data agree with analytical predictions of nonhermitian chiral random matrix theory for both trivial and nontrivial topology.
In this talk we present the results published recently in Ref. [1], where we showed how to introduce a quark chemical potential in the overlap Dirac operator. The resulting operator satisfies a Ginsparg-Wilson relation and has exact zero modes. It is no longer gamma_5-Hermitian, but its nonreal eigenvalues still occur in pairs. We compute the spectral density of the operator on the lattice and show that, for small eigenvalues, the data agree with analytical predictions of non-Hermitian chiral random matrix theory for both trivial and nontrivial topology. We also explain an observed change in t…
The overlap Dirac operator at nonzero quark chemical potential involves the computation of the sign function of a non-Hermitian matrix. In this talk we present an iterative method, first proposed by us in Ref. [1], which allows for an efficient computation of the operator, even on large lattices. The starting point is a Krylov subspace approximation, based on the Arnoldi algorithm, for the evaluation of a generic matrix function. The efficiency of this method is spoiled when the matrix has eigenvalues close to a function discontinuity. To cure this, a small number of critical eigenvectors are …
We present a systematic comparison of various iterative methods to obtain the fermion propagator with both overlap and twisted mass fermions at fixed pion mass in the quenched approximation. Taking the best available algorithm in each case we find that calculations with the overlap operator are by a factor of 20-40 more expensive than with the twisted mass operator at the parameter values considered here. For the overlap operator we also compare the efficiency of various methods for calculating the topological index.
The overlap Dirac operator in lattice QCD requires the computation of the sign function of a matrix. While this matrix is usually Hermitian, it becomes non-Hermitian in the presence of a quark chemical potential. We show how the action of the sign function of a non-Hermitian matrix on an arbitrary vector can be computed efficiently on large lattices by an iterative method. A Krylov subspace approximation based on the Arnoldi algorithm is described for the evaluation of a generic matrix function. The efficiency of the method is spoiled when the matrix has eigenvalues close to a function discont…
The overlap operator in lattice QCD requires the computation of the sign function of a matrix, which is non-Hermitian in the presence of a quark chemical potential. In previous work we introduced an Arnoldi-based Krylov subspace approximation, which uses long recurrences. Even after the deflation of critical eigenvalues, the low efficiency of the method restricts its application to small lattices. Here we propose new short-recurrence methods which strongly enhance the efficiency of the computational method. Using rational approximations to the sign function we introduce two variants, based on …
We present a comparison of a number of iterative solvers of linear systems of equations for obtaining the fermion propagator in lattice QCD. In particular, we consider chirally invariant overlap and chirally improved Wilson (maximally) twisted mass fermions. The comparison of both formulations of lattice QCD is performed at four fixed values of the pion mass between 230MeV and 720MeV. For overlap fermions we address adaptive precision and low mode preconditioning while for twisted mass fermions we discuss even/odd preconditioning. Taking the best available algorithms in each case we find that …
In the continuum, the single flavor massless Schwinger model has an exact global axial $U(1)$ symmetry in the sector of perturbative gauge fields. This symmetry is explicitly broken by gauge fields with nonzero topological charge inducing a nonzero expectation value for the bilinear $\barψψ$. We show that a lattice formulation of this model, using the overlap formalism to treat the massless fermions, explicitly exhibits this phenomenon. A Monte Carlo simulation of the complete system yields the correct value of the fermion condensate and shows unambiguously that it originates from the sector o…
The thermodynamics of massless ideal gas of overlap quarks has been investigated both analytically and numerically for both zero and nonzero baryon chemical potential. Any μ^2-divergence is shown analytically to be absent for a class of actions with nonzero chemical potential. All such actions are shown to violate chiral invariance. While the parameter M can be shown to be irrelevant in the continuum limit, as expected, it is shown numerically that the continuum limit can be reached with relatively coarser lattices for certain ranges of M. Numerical limitations of the existing method of introd…
We present a novel method to compute the overlap Dirac operator at zero and nonzero quark chemical potential. To approximate the sign function of large, sparse matrices, standard methods project the operator on a much smaller Krylov subspace, on which the matrix function is computed exactly. However, for large lattices this subspace can still be too large for an efficient calculation of the sign function. The idea of the new method is to nest Krylov subspace approximations by making a further projection on an even smaller subspace, which is then small enough to compute the sign function effici…
In this letter we give the equation of state of QCD at finite temperatures and densities. The recently proposed overlap improving multi-parameter reweighting technique is used to determine observables at nonvanishing chemical potentials. Our results are obtained by studying n_f=2+1 dynamical staggered quarks with semi-realistic masses on N_t=4 lattices.
We investigate the algorithms for dynamical overlap fermions aiming at improving the performance for large-scale simulations. We look for the best combination of Hybrid Monte Carlo options and iterative quark solvers with respect to the numerical costs. Our main target is a $N_f=2$ simulation with overlap fermion on a $16^3\times 32$ lattice at lattice spacing around 0.12 fm.
These lecture notes contain an elementary introduction to lattice QCD at nonzero chemical potential. Topics discussed include chemical potential in the continuum and on the lattice; the sign, overlap and Silver Blaze problems; the phase boundary at small chemical potential; imaginary chemical potential; and complex Langevin dynamics. An incomplete overview of other approaches is presented as well. These lectures are meant for postgraduate students and postdocs with an interest in extreme QCD. A basic knowledge of lattice QCD is assumed but not essential. Some exercises are included at the end.
We give analytical and numerical solutions for the zero modes of the Dirac operator in topological SU(2) gauge backgrounds at nonzero chemical potential. Continuation from imaginary to real chemical potential is used to systematically derive analytical zero modes for calorons at arbitrary holonomy and, in particular limits, for instantons and dyons (magnetic monopoles). For the latter a spherical ansatz is explored as well. All the zero mode exhibit stronger peaks at the core and negative regions in their densities. We discuss the structure of the corresponding overlap matrix elements. For dis…
We study lattice QCD with $N_f=2$ Wilson fermions at nonzero imaginary chemical potential and nonzero temperature. We relate the Roberge - Weiss phase transition to the properties of dyons which are constituents of the KvBLL calorons. We present numerical evidence that the characteristic features of the spectral gap of the overlap Dirac operator as function of an angle modifying the boundary condition are determined by the $Z_3$ sector of the respective imaginary chemical potential. We then demonstrate that dyon excitations in thermal configurations could be responsible (in line with perturbat…
A new lattice action is proposed for the overlap Dirac matrix with nonzero chemical potential. It is shown to preserve the full chiral invariance for all values of lattice spacing exactly. It is further demonstrated to arise in the domain wall formalism by coupling the chemical potential count only to the physically relevant wall modes.
We present arguments suggesting that large size overlapping instantons are the driving mechanism of the confinement-deconfinement phase transition at nonzero chemical potential mu. The arguments are based on the picture that instantons at very large chemical potential in the weak coupling regime are localized configurations with finite size rho~1/mu. At the same time, the same instantons at smaller chemical potential in the strong coupling regime are well represented by the so-called instanton-quarks with fractional topological charge 1/Nc. We estimate the critical chemical potential mu_c(T) w…
We investigate optimal choices for the (outer) iteration method to use when solving linear systems with Neuberger's overlap operator in QCD. Different formulations for this operator give rise to different iterative solvers, which are optimal for the respective formulation. We compare these methods in theory and practice to find the overall optimal one.For the first time, we apply the so-called SUMR method of Jagels and Reichel to the shifted unitary version of Neuberger's operator, and show that this method is in a sense the optimal choice for propagator computations. When solving the ``square…
The Overlap operator fulfills the Ginsparg-Wilson relation exactly and therefore represents an optimal discretization of the QCD Dirac operator with respect to chiral symmetry. When computing propagators or in HMC simulations, where one has to invert the overlap operator using some iterative solver, one has to approxomate the action of the sign function of the (symmetrized) Wilson fermion matrix Q on a vector b in each iteration. This is usually done iteratively using a "primary" Lanczos iteration. In this process, it is very important to have good stopping criteria which allow to reliably ass…
Using lattice QCD simulations with $N_f = 2$ dynamical fermions, we study the axial $U(1)$ symmetry, topological charge, and Dirac eigenvalue spectra in the high-temperature phase in which the chiral symmetry is restored. Our gauge ensembles are generated with Möbius domain-wall fermions, but the measurements such as susceptibilities are reweighted to those for the overlap fermions by using overlap/domain-wall reweighting technique. We find that the $U(1)_A$ and topological susceptibilities are strongly suppressed in the small quark mass region, which is related to the reduction of chiral-zero…
The thermodynamics of massless ideal gas of overlap quarks has been investigated numerically for both zero and nonzero baryon chemical potential $μ$. While the parameter M has been shown to be irrelevant in the continuum limit, it is shown numerically that the continuum limit can be reached with relatively coarser lattices for certain range of M. Numerical limitation of the existing method of introduction of chemical potential in the overlap formalism is discussed. We have also studied the energy density of free domain wall fermions in the absence of $μ$ and estimated the extent of lattice in …
We propose a lattice action for the overlap Dirac matrix with nonzero chemical potential which is shown to preserve the chiral invariance on the lattice exactly. We further demonstrate it to arise from the Domain wall by letting the chemical potential count only the physically relevant wall modes.
I review the presence of the sign problem in lattice QCD at nonzero baryon density and its relation with the overlap and Silver Blaze problems. I then discuss progress in some cases where the sign problem can be handled, either because the sign problem is absent or because it is milder than in full QCD. Some time is spent on effective three-dimensional models, which can be treated with a variety of methods. I conclude with a discussion of the applicability of complex Langevin dynamics at nonzero density.
We study the singular values of the Dirac operator in dense QCD-like theories at zero temperature. The Dirac singular values are real and nonnegative at any nonzero quark density. The scale of their spectrum is set by the diquark condensate, in contrast to the complex Dirac eigenvalues whose scale is set by the chiral condensate at low density and by the BCS gap at high density. We identify three different low-energy effective theories with diquark sources applicable at low, intermediate, and high density, together with their overlapping domains of validity. We derive a number of exact formula…
