Topological excitations in many-body systems are one of the paradigmatic cornerstones of modern condensed matter physics. In particular, parafermions are elusive fractional excitations potentially emerging in fractional quantum Hall-superconductor junctions, and represent one of the major milestones in fractional quantum matter. Here, by using a combination of tensor network and kernel polynomial techniques, we demonstrate the emergence of zero modes and finite energy excitations in many-body parafermion chains. We show the appearance of zero energy modes in the many-body spectral function at the edge of a topological parafermion chain, their relation with the topological degeneracy of the system, and we compare their physics with the Majorana bound states of topological superconductors. We demonstrate the robustness of parafermion topological modes with respect to a variety of perturbations, and we show how weakly coupled parafermion chains give rise to in-gap excitations. Our results exemplify the versatility of tensor network methods for studying dynamical excitations of interacting parafermion chains, and highlight the robustness of topological modes in parafermion models.
One-dimensional topological phases can host localized zero-energy modes that enable high-fidelity storage and manipulation of quantum information. Majorana fermion chains support a classic example of such a phase, having zero modes that guarantee two-fold degeneracy in all eigenstates up to exponentially small finite-size corrections. Chains of `parafermions'---generalized Majorana fermions---also support localized zero modes, but, curiously, only under much more restricted circumstances. We shed light on the enigmatic zero mode stability in parafermion chains by analytically and numerically s…
We study the topological classification of parafermionic chains in the presence of a modified time reversal symmetry that satisfies ${\cal T}^2=1 $. Such chains can be realized in one dimensional structures embedded in fractionalized two dimensional states of matter, e.g. at the edges of a fractional quantum spin Hall system, where counter propagating modes may be gapped either by back-scattering or by coupling to a superconductor. In the absence of any additional symmetries, a chain of $\mathbb{Z}_m$ parafermions can belong to one of several distinct phases. We find that when the modified tim…
We study the phase diagram of an extended parafermion chain, which, in addition to terms coupling parafermions on neighbouring sites, also possesses terms involving four sites. Via a Fradkin--Kadanoff transformation the parafermion chain is shown to be equivalent to the non-chiral $\mathbb{Z}_3$ axial next-nearest neighbour Potts model. We discuss a possible experimental realisation using hetero-nanostructures. The phase diagram contains several gapped phases, including a topological phase where the system possesses three (nearly) degenerate ground states, and a gapless Luttinger-liquid phase.
Parafermionic zero modes are non-Abelian excitations which have been predicted to emerge at the boundary of topological phases of matter. Contrary to earlier proposals, here we show that such zero modes may also exist in multilegged star junctions of quantum Hall states. We demonstrate that the quantum states spanning the degenerate parafermionic Hilbert space may be detected and manipulated through protocols employing quantum antidots and fractional edge modes. Such star-shaped setups may be the building blocks of two-dimensional parafermionic networks.
Read and Rezayi $Z_k$ parafermion wavefunctions describe $ν=2+\frac{k}{kM+2}$ fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. These states support non-Abelian excitations from which protected quantum gates can be designed. However, there is no experimental evidence for these non-Abelian anyons to date. In this paper, we study the $ν=2/k$ FQH-superconductor heterostructure and find the superconducting analogue of the $Z_k$ parafermion FQH state. Our main tool is the mapping of the FQH into coupled one-dimensional (1D) chains each with a pair of counter-propagating modes. We show that by inducing intra-ch…
Topological orders and associated topological protected excitations satisfying non-Abelian statistics have been widely explored in various platforms. The $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions are regarded as the most natural generation of the Majorana fermions to realize these topological orders. Here we investigate the topological phase and emergent $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin phases in an extended parafermion chain. This model exhibits rich variety of phases, including not only topological ferromagnetic phase, which supports non-Abelian anyon excitation, but also spin-fluid, dimer and chiral phases from the e…
Parafermions are emergent excitations that generalize Majorana fermions and can also realize topological order. In this paper we present a non-trivial and quasi-exactly-solvable model for a chain of parafermions in a topological phase. We compute and characterize the ground-state wave-functions, which are matrix-product states and have a particularly elegant interpretation in terms of Fock parafermions, reflecting the factorized nature of the ground states. Using these wavefunctions, we demonstrate analytically several signatures of topological order. Our study provides a starting point for th…
Parafermions are exotic quasiparticles with non-Abelian fractional statistics that could be exploited to realize universal topological quantum computing. Here, we study the scrambling of quantum information in one-dimensional parafermionic chains, with a focus on $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions in particular. We use the generalized out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs) as a measure of the information scrambling and introduce an efficient method based on matrix product operators to compute them. With this method, we compute the OTOCs for $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions chains up to $200$ sites for th…
In this work we numerically study critical phases in translation-invariant $\mathbb{Z}_N$ parafermion chains with both nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor hopping terms. The model can be mapped to a $\mathbb{Z}_N$ spin model with nearest-neighbor couplings via a generalized Jordan-Wigner transformation and translation invariance ensures that the spin model is always self-dual. We first study the low-energy spectrum of chains with only nearest-neighbor coupling, which are mapped onto standard self-dual $\mathbb{Z}_N$ clock models. For $3\leq N\leq 6$ we match the numerical results to the known c…
To study exotic excitations described by parafermions in the possible spin liquid states of SU($n$) spin systems, we introduce a parafermion parton approach. The SU($n$) spin operators can be represented by clock and shift matrices, which are shown to be the polynomials of parafermion operators in the parafermion representation. We find that SU($n$) spins can be decomposed into $n$ parafermion matrices of degree one. In this decomposition, the spin has a $\{\bigotimes{\rm SU}(n)\}^{n-1}$ gauge symmetry. As an application, we study the one-dimensional three-state clock model and generalized Kit…
We study a tight binding model of $\mathbb{Z}_3$-Fock parafermions with single-particle and pair-hopping terms. The phase diagram has four different phases: a gapped phase, a gapless phase with central charge $c=2$, and two gapless phases with central charge $c=1$. We characterise each phase by analysing the energy gap, entanglement entropy and different correlation functions. The numerical simulations are complemented by analytical arguments.
We study the effects of disorder in a one-dimensional model of $\mathbb{Z}_{3}$ Fock parafermions which can be viewed as a generalization of the prototypical Kitaev chain. Exact diagonalization is employed to determine level statistics, participation ratios, and the dynamics of domain walls. This allows us to identify ergodic as well as finite-size localized phases. In order to distinguish Anderson from many-body localization, we calculate the time evolution of the entanglement entropy in random initial states using tensor networks. We demonstrate that a purely quadratic parafermion model does…
A sign of topological order in a gapped one-dimensional quantum chain is the existence of edge zero modes. These occur in the Z_2-invariant Ising/Majorana chain, where they can be understood using free-fermion techniques. Here I discuss their presence in spin chains with Z_n symmetry, and prove that for appropriate coupling they are exact, even in this strongly interacting system. These modes are naturally expressed in terms of parafermions, generalizations of fermions to the Z_n case. I show that parafermionic edge zero modes do not occur in the usual ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic cases…
Parafermions are the simplest generalizations of Majorana fermions that realize topological order. We propose a less restrictive notion of topological order in 1D open chains, which generalizes the seminal work by Fendley [J. Stat. Mech., P11020 (2012)]. The first essential property is that the groundstates are mutually indistinguishable by local, symmetric probes, and the second is a generalized notion of zero edge modes which cyclically permute the groundstates. These two properties are shown to be topologically robust, and applicable to a wider family of topologically-ordered Hamiltonians t…
I discuss a one-dimensional model of interacting fermions which collective excitations are Z$_N$-parafermions. The phase diagram of this model contains ground states with Charge Density Wave and superconducting quasi long range order. Boundaries between these phases contain zero energy parafermion modes.
In the Fock representation, we propose a framework to construct the generalized matrix product states (MPS) for topological phases with $\mathbb{ Z}_{p}$ parafermions. Unlike the $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ Majorana fermions, the $% \mathbb{Z}_{p}$ parafermions form intrinsically interacting systems. Here we explicitly construct two topologically distinct classes of irreducible $% \mathbb{Z}_{3}$ parafermionic MPS wave functions, characterized by one or two parafermionic zero modes at each end of an open chain. Their corresponding parent Hamiltonians are found as the fixed point models of the single $\ma…
The Haldane phase represents one of the most important symmetry protected states in modern physics. This state can be realized using spin-1 and spin-${1\over 2}$ Heisenberg models and bosonic particles. Here we explore the emergent Haldane phase in an alternating bond $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermion chain, which is different from the previous proposals from fundamental statistics and symmetries. We show that this emergent phase can also be characterized by a modified long-range string order, as well as four-fold degeneracy in the ground state energies and entanglement spectra. This phase is protect…
We construct local generalizations of 3-state Potts models with exotic critical points. We analytically show that these are described by non-diagonal modular invariant partition functions of products of $Z_3$ parafermion or $u(1)_6$ conformal field theories (CFTs). These correspond either to non-trivial permutation invariants or block diagonal invariants, that one can understand in terms of anyon condensation. In terms of lattice parafermion operators, the constructed models correspond to parafermion chains with many-body terms. Our construction is based on how the partition function of a CFT …
We consider the calculation of ground-state expectation values for the non-Hermitian Z(N) spin chain described by free parafermions. For N=2 the model reduces to the quantum Ising chain in a transverse field with open boundary conditions. Use is made of the Hellmann-Feynman theorem to obtain exact results for particular single site and nearest-neighbour ground-state expectation values for general N which are valid for sites deep inside the chain. These results are tested numerically for N=3, along with how they change as a function of distance from the boundary.
Parafermion zero modes are generalizations of Majorana modes that underlie comparatively rich non-Abelian-anyon properties. We introduce exact mappings that connect parafermion chains, which can emerge in two-dimensional fractionalized media, to strictly one-dimensional fermionic systems. In particular, we show that parafermion zero modes in the former setting translate into 'symmetry-enriched Majorana modes' that intertwine with a bulk order parameter---yielding braiding and fusion properties that are impossible in standard Majorana platforms. Fusion characteristics of symmetry-enriched Major…
Parafermionic zero modes, $\mathbb{Z}_n$-symmetric generalizations of the well-known $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Majorana zero modes, can emerge as edge states in topologically nontrivial strongly correlated systems displaying fractionalized excitations. In this paper, we investigate how signatures of parafermionic zero modes can be detected by its effects on the properties of a quantum dot tunnel-coupled to a system hosting such states. Concretely, we consider a strongly-correlated 1D fermionic model supporting $\mathbb{Z}_4$ parafermionic zero modes coupled to an interacting quantum dot at one of its end…
Results are given for the ground state energy and excitation spectrum of a simple $N$-state $Z_N$ spin chain described by free parafermions. The model is non-Hermitian for $N \ge 3$ with a real ground state energy and a complex excitation spectrum. Although having a simpler Hamiltonian than the superintegrable chiral Potts model, the model is seen to share some properties with it, e.g., the specific heat exponent $α=1-2/N$ and the anisotropic correlation length exponents $ν_\parallel =1$ and $ν_\perp=2/N$.
Topological phases of matter remain a focus of interest due to their unique properties -- fractionalisation, ground state degeneracy, and exotic excitations. While some of these properties can occur in systems of free fermions, their emergence is generally associated with interactions between particles. Here we quantify the role of interactions in general classes of topological states of matter in all spatial dimensions, including parafermion chains and string-net models. Using the interaction distance [Nat. Commun. 8, 14926 (2017)], we measure the distinguishability of states of these models …
We introduce a family of commuting-projector Hamiltonians whose degrees of freedom involve $\mathbb{Z}_{3}$ parafermion zero modes residing in a parent fractional-quantum-Hall fluid. The two simplest models in this family emerge from dressing Ising-paramagnet and toric-code spin models with parafermions; we study their edge properties, anyonic excitations, and ground-state degeneracy. We show that the first model realizes a symmetry-enriched topological phase (SET) for which $\mathbb{Z}_2$ spin-flip symmetry from the Ising paramagnet permutes the anyons. Interestingly, the interface between th…
The spectrum of the quantum Ising chain can be found by expressing the spins in terms of free fermions. An analogous transformation exists for clock chains with $Z_n$ symmetry, but is of less use because the resulting parafermionic operators remain interacting. Nonetheless, Baxter showed that a certain non-hermitian (but PT-symmetric) clock Hamiltonian is "free", in the sense that the entire spectrum is found in terms of independent energy levels, with the striking feature that there are $n$ possibilities for occupying each level. Here I show this directly explicitly finding shift operators ob…
Parafermions modes are non-Abelian anyons which were introduced as $\mathbb{Z}_N$ generalizations of $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Majorana states. In particular, $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions can be used to produce Fibonacci anyons, laying a path towards universal topological quantum computation. Due to their fractional nature, much of theoretical work on $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions has relied on bosonization methods or parafermionic quasi-particles. In this work, we introduce a representation of $\mathbb{Z}_3$ parafermions in terms of purely fermionic models operators in the t-J regime. We establish the equi…
Recently, it has been proposed that exotic one-dimensional phases can be realized by gapping out the edge states of a fractional topological insulator. The low-energy edge degrees of freedom are described by a chain of coupled parafermions. We introduce a classification scheme for the phases that can occur in parafermionic chains. We find that the parafermions support both topological symmetry fractionalized phases as well as phases in which the parafermions condense. In the presence of additional symmetries, the phases form a non-Abelian group. As a concrete example of the classification, we …
We concisely review the recent evolution in the study of parafermions -- exotic emergent excitations that generalize Majorana fermions and similarly underpin a host of novel phenomena. First we illustrate the intimate connection between Z_3-symmetric "spin" chains and one-dimensional parafermion lattice models, highlighting how the latter host a topological phase featuring protected edge zero modes. We then tour several blueprints for the laboratory realization of parafermion zero modes -- focusing on quantum Hall/superconductor hybrids, quantum Hall bilayers, and two-dimensional topological i…
Search for parafermions and Fibonacci anyons, which are excitations obeying non-Abelian statistics, is driven both by the quest for deeper understanding of nature and prospects for universal topological quantum computation. However, physical systems that can host these exotic excitations are rare and hard to realize in experiments. Here we study the domain walls and the edge states formed in spin transitions in the fractional quantum Hall effect. Effective theory approach and exact diagonalization in a disk and torus geometries proves the existence of the counter-propagating edge modes with op…
The Pfaffian quantum Hall states, which can be viewed as involving pairing either of spin-polarized electrons or of composite fermions, are generalized by finding the exact ground states of certain Hamiltonians with k+1-body interactions, for all integers k > 0. The remarkably simple wavefunctions of these states involve clusters of k particles, and are related to correlators of parafermion currents in two-dimensional conformal field theory. The k=2 case is the Pfaffian. For k > 1, the quasiparticle excitations of these systems are expected to possess nonabelian statistics, like those of the P…
We classify the gapped phases of Z_N parafermions in one dimension and construct a representative of each phase. Even in the absence of additional symmetries besides parafermionic parity, parafermions may be realized in a variety of phases, one for each divisor n of N. The phases can be characterized by spontaneous symmetry breaking, topology, or a mixture of the two. Purely topological phases arise if n is a unitary divisor, i.e. if n and N/n are co-prime. Our analysis is based on the explicit realization of all symmetry broken gapped phases in the dual Z_N-invariant quantum spin chains.
We discuss a one-dimensional fermionic model with a generalized $\mathbb{Z}_{N}$ even multiplet pairing extending Kitaev $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ chain. The system shares many features with models believed to host localized edge parafermions, the most prominent being a similar bosonized Hamiltonian and a $\mathbb{Z}_{N}$ symmetry enforcing an $N$-fold degenerate ground state robust to certain disorder. Interestingly, we show that the system supports a pair of parafermions but they are non-local instead of being boundary operators. As a result, the degeneracy of the ground state is only partly topologi…
The Read-Rezayi (RR) parafermion states form a series of exotic non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states at filling $ν= k/(k+2)$. Computationally, the wave functions of these states are prohibitively expensive to generate for large systems. We introduce a series of parton states, denoted "$\bar{2}^{k}1^{k+1}$," and show that they lie in the same universality classes as the particle-hole-conjugate RR ("anti-RR") states. Our analytical results imply that a $(U(1)_{k+1} \times U(2k)_{-1})/(SU(k)_{-2} \times U(1)_{-1})$ coset conformal field theory describes the edge excitations of the $\b…
We study $U(1) \times U(1) \rtimes Z_2$ Chern-Simons theory with integral coupling constants (k,l) and its relation to certain non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. For the $U(1) \times U(1) \rtimes Z_2$ Chern-Simons theory, we show how to compute the dimension of its Hilbert space on genus g surfaces and how this yields the quantum dimensions of topologically distinct excitations. We find that Z_2 vortices in the $U(1) \times U(1)\rtimes Z_2$ Chern-Simons theory carry non-Abelian statistics and we show how to compute the dimension of the Hilbert space in the presence of n pairs of…
Non-Abelian defects that bind Majorana or parafermion zero modes are prominent in several topological quantum computation schemes. Underpinning their established understanding is the quantum Ising spin chain, which can be recast as a fermionic model or viewed as a standalone effective theory for the surface-code edge -- both of which harbor non-Abelian defects. We generalize these notions by deriving an effective Ising-like spin chain describing the edge of quantum-double topological order. Relating Majorana and parafermion modes to anyonic strings, we introduce quantum-double generalizations …
For systems of lattice anyons like Majorana and parafermions, the unconventional quantum statistics determines a set of global symmetries (e.g., fermion parity for Majoranas) admitting no relevant perturbations. Any operator that breaks these symmetries explicitly would violate locality if added to the the Hamiltonian. As a consequence, the associated quasi-degeneracy of topologically non-trivial phases is protected, at least partially, by locality via the symmetries singled out by quantum statistics. We show that it is possible to bypass this type of protection by way of specifically engineer…
We propose to use residual parafermions of the overscreened Kondo effect for topological quantum computation. A superconducting proximity gap of $Δ<T_K$ can be utilized to isolate the parafermion from the continuum of excitations and stabilize the non-trivial fixed point. We use weak-coupling renormalization group, dynamical large-N technique and bosonization to show that the residual entropy of multichannel Kondo impurities survives in a superconductor. We find that while (in agreement with recent numerical studies) the non-trivial fixed point is unstable against intra-channel pairing, it is …
The possibility of realizing non-Abelian excitations (non-Abelions) in two-dimensional (2D) Abelian states of matter has generated a lot of interest recently. A well-known example of such non-Abelions are parafermion zeros modes (PFZMs) which can be realized at the endpoints of the so called genons in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states or fractional Chern insulators (FCIs). In this letter, we discuss some known signatures of PFZMs and also introduce some novel ones. In particular, we show that the topological entanglement entropy (TEE) shifts by a quantized value after crossing PFZMs. Utiliz…
We study the effects of a random magnetic field on a one-dimensional (1D) spin-1 chain with {\it correlated} nearest-neighbor $XY$ interaction. We show that this spin model can be exactly mapped onto the 1D disordered tight-binding model of ${\mathbb Z}_3$ Fock parafermions (FPFs), exotic anyonic quasiparticles that generalize usual spinless fermions. Thus, we have a peculiar case of a disordered Hamiltonian that, despite being bilinear in the creation and annihilation operators, exhibits a many-body localization (MBL) transition owing to the nontrivial statistics of FPFs. This is in sharp con…
According to the general classification of topological insulators, there exist one-dimensional chirally (sublattice) symmetric systems that can support any number of topological phases. We introduce a zigzag fermion chain with spin-orbit coupling in magnetic field and identify three distinct topological phases. Zero-mode excitations, localized at the phase boundaries, are fractionalized: two of the phase boundaries support $\pm e/2$ charge states while one of the boundaries support $\pm e$ and neutral excitations. In addition, a finite chain exhibits $\pm e/2$ edge states for two of the three …
I explicitly construct a strong zero mode in the XYZ chain or, equivalently, Majorana wires coupled via a four-fermion interaction. The strong zero mode is an operator that pairs states in different symmetry sectors, resulting in identical spectra up to exponentially small finite-size corrections. Such pairing occurs in the Ising/Majorana fermion chain and possibly in parafermionic systems and strongly disordered many-body localized phases. The proof here shows that the strong zero mode occurs in a clean interacting system, and that it possesses some remarkable structure -- despite being a rat…
Excitation of finite chains of magnetic atoms adsorbed on a surface by tunnelling electrons from an STM (Scanning Tunnelling Microscope) tip is studied using a Heisenberg Hamiltonian description of the magnetic couplings along the chain and a strong coupling approach of inelastic tunnelling. The excitation probability of the magnetic levels is very high and the excitation spectra in chains of different lengths are very similar. The excitations in finite chains can be considered as spin waves quantized in the finite object. The energy and momentum spectra of the spin waves excited in the ideali…
Considering experimental results obtained on three prototype compounds, TMMC, CsCoCl3 (or CsCoBr3) and Cu Benzoate, we discuss the importance of non-linear excitations in the physics of quantum (and classical) antiferromagnetic spin chains.
Magnetic excitations in the quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets PbNi2V2O8 and SrNi2V2O8 are measured all the way up to the zone boundary energy using inelastic neutron scattering from powder samples. An estimate for next-nearest-neighbor in-chain interactions is obtained. The role played by these interactions in spin-vacancy induced magnetic ordering in PbNi2V2O8 is discussed.
Magnetic excitations in a weakly coupled spin dimers and chains compound Cu2Fe2Ge4O13 are measured by inelastic neutron scattering. Both structure factors and dispersion of low energy excitations up to 10 meV energy transfer are well described by a semiclassical spin wave theory involving interacting Fe$^{3+}$ ($S = 5/2$) chains. Additional dispersionless excitations are observed at higher energies, at $\hbar ω= 24$ meV, and associated with singlet-triplet transitions within Cu$^{2+}$-dimers. Both types of excitations can be understood by treating weak interactions between the Cu$^{2+}$ and Fe…
We investigate a large class of antiferromagnetic spin-1 chains with nearest neighbour interaction and exactly known matrix product ground state. The spectrum of low-lying excitations is calculated numerically by DMRG and exact diagonalisation. Spin liquid behaviour with an excitation gap is observed meeting the Haldane scenario. Further, we compare properties of the anisotropic model with the well-known isotropic AKLT model and use the analytical single mode approximation to obtain a quantitative understanding of the excitation gap. The low-lying excited states can be interpreted in terms of …
Elementary excitations of the 4k$_F$ charge density wave state of a quarter-filled strongly correlated electronic one-dimensional chain are investigated in the presence of dispersionless quantum optical phonons using Density Matrix Renormalization Group techniques. Such excitations are shown to be topological unbound solitons carrying charge $e/2$. Relevance to the 4k$_F$ charge density wave instability in $\rm (DI-DCNQI)_2Ag$ or recently discovered in (TMTTF)$_2$X (X=PF$_6$, AsF$_6$) is discussed.
The $s=1/2$ chain-boundary excitations occurring in the Haldane phaseof $s=1$ antiferromagnetic spin chains are investigated. The bilinear-biquadratic hamiltonian is used to study these excitations as a function of the strength of the biquadratic term, $β$, between $-1\leβ\le1$. At the AKLT point, $β=-1/3$, we show explicitly that these excitations are localized at the boundaries of the chain on a length scale equal to the correlation length $ξ=1/\ln 3$, and that the on-site magnetization for the first site is $<S^z_1>=2/3$. Applying the density matrixrenormalization group we show that the cha…
Magnetic field effects on the one-dimensional frustrated ferromagnetic chain are studied by means of effective field theory approaches in combination with numerical calculations utilizing Lanczos diagonalization and the density matrix renormalization group method. The nature of the ground state is shown to change from a spin-density-wave region to a nematic-like one upon approaching the saturation magnetization. The excitation spectrum is analyzed and the behavior of the single spin-flip excitation gap is studied in detail, including the emergent finite-size corrections.
A low-field spin flop transition in the quasi one-dimensional antiferromagnet \ba is exploited to study the polarization dependence of low-energy magnetic excitations. The measured longitudinal spectrum is best described as single broad continuum, with no sharp ``longitudinal mode'', in apparent contradiction with the commonly used chain-MF/RPA theories. The observed behavior is also quite different than that previously seen in the related \kcuf material, presumably due to a large difference in the relative strength of inter-chain interactions. The results highlight the limitations of the chai…
We present a detailed numerical analysis of the low energy excitation spectrum of a frustrated and dimerized spin $S=1/2$ Heisenberg chain. In particular, we show that in the commensurate spin--Peierls phase the ratio of the singlet and triplet excitation gap is a universal function which depends on the frustration parameter only. We identify the conditions for which a second elementary triplet branch in the excitation spectrum splits from the continuum. We compare our results with predictions from the continuum limit field theory . We discuss the relevance of our data in connection with recen…
We study the one- and two-holon excitations of the SU(3) Kuramoto-Yokoyama model on the level of explicit wave functions, and generalize the calculations to the case of SU(n). We obtain the exact energies and the single holon momenta, which we find fractionally spaced according to fractional statistics with statistical parameter g=1/n.
In a previous paper [Phys. Rev. B 85,195144 (2012)], variational Monte Carlo method (based on Gutzwiller projected states) was generalized to $S=1$ systems. This method provided very good trial ground states for the gapped phases of $S=1$ bilinear-biquadratic (BLBQ) Heisenberg chain. In the present paper, we extend the approach to study the low-lying elementary excitations in $S=1$ chains. We calculate the one-magnon and two-magnon excitation spectra of the BLBQ Heisenberg chain and the results agree very well with recent data in literature. In our approach, the difference of the excitation sp…