Exact diagonalization study of strongly correlated topological quantum states

A rich variety of phases can exist in quantum systems. For example, the fractional quantum Hall states have persistent topological characteristics that derive from strong interaction. This thesis uses the exact diagonalization method to investigate quantum lattice models with strong interaction. Our research topics revolve around quantum phase transitions between novel phases. The goal is to find the best schemes for realizing these novel phases in experiments. We studied the fractional Chern insulator and its transition to uni-directional stripes of particles. In addition, we studied topological Mott insulators with spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking induced by interaction. We also studied emergent kinetics in one-dimensional lattices with spin-orbital coupling. The exact diagonalization method and its implementation for studying these systems can easily be applied to study other strongly correlated systems.

Name thesis:degree_name

PHD

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Department dc:contributor.department

Physics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Chen, Mengsu

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Scarola, Vito W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Sharpe, Eric R.
• Täuber, Uwe C.
• Tao, Chenggang

• exact diagonalization
• fractional Chern insulators
• topological Mott insulators
• charge density wave
• optical lattice
• emergent kinetic

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:18417

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/87436