Topological order is a new kind of order in quantum matter, which corresponds to pattern of long-range quantum entanglement. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topological_order
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Gauge symmetry is not a symmetry?
I have read before in one of Seiberg's articles something like, that gauge symmetry is not a symmetry but a redundancy in our description, by introducing fake degrees of freedom to facilitate ...
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What is the relationship between string net theory and string / M-theory?
I've just learned from this one of Prof. Wen's answers that there exists a theory called string net theory. Since I've never heard about this before it picks my curiosity, so I`d like to ask some ...
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Simple models that exhibit topological phase transitions
There are a number of physical systems with phases described by topologically protected invariants (fractional quantum Hall, topological insulators) but what are the simplest mathematical models that ...
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Topological Charge. What is it Physically?
I have seen the term topological charge defined in an abstract mathematical way as a essentially a labeling scheme for particles which follows certain rules. However I am left guessing when trying to ...
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What is a resonating valence bond (RVB) state?
There's something known as a "resonating valence bond" (RVB) state, which plays a role in at least some attempts to understand physics of high-$T_c$ superconductors. This, roughly, involves a state ...
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How Non-abelian anyons arise in solid-state systems?
Recently it has been studied non-abelian anyons in some solid-state systems. These states are being studied for the creation and manipulation of qubits in quantum computing.
But, how these ...
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Why is fractional statistics and non-Abelian common for fractional charges?
Why non integer spins obey Fermi statistics?
Why is fractional statistics and non-Abelian common for fractional charges?
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A physical understanding of fractionalization
all! Is there a physical understanding of fractionalization in condensed matter physics? The textbook approach is theoretical, not physical. I'm thinking of spin-charge separation for electrons, the ...
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Basic questions in Majorana fermions
Why any fermion can be written as a combination of two Majorana fermions? Is there any physical meaning in it? Why Majorana fermion can be used for topological quantum computation?
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Is there a method for differentiating fractional quantum Hall states aside from finding Chern numbers?
The ground state for a quantum Hall system on a torus with fractional filling factor can be classified by the Chern number, which is why the Hall conductance is quantized. Is there another method or ...
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Why are some solitons formed from bosonic fields fermionic?
Some topological solitons formed from bosonic fields have fermionic statistics. Why?
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Whis is the difference between charge fractionalization in 1D and 2D?
Both 1D Polyacetelene and 2D fractional quantum Hall state can support fractional excitations.
But as I can see, there are some differences: the ground state of Polyacetelene breaks translational ...
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Chiral edge state as topological properity of bulk state
As far as I know, quantum hall effect and quantum spin hall effect has chiral edge state. Chiral edge state is usually closely related with delocalization, since back scattering is forbidden. However, ...
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A simple model that exhibits emergent symmetry?
In a previous question Emergent symmetries I asked, Prof.Luboš Motl said that emergent symmetries are never exact. But I wonder whether the following example is an counterexample that has exact ...
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Some questions about anyons?
(1) As we know, we have theories of second quantization for both bosons and fermions. That is, let $W_N$ be the $N$ identical particle Hilbert space of bosons or fermions, then the "many particle" ...
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Topological phase
Can anybody tell me, if generically any system, which is solely described by a topological field theory, resides in a topological phase? I cant find any clear notion of topological phase. Only ...
