arXiv subjects

Zheng Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to Zheng Zhu.

288 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Strengths and weaknesses of weak-strong cluster problems: A detailed overview of state-of-the-art classical heuristics vs quantum approaches

To date, a conclusive detection of quantum speedup remains elusive. Recently, a team by Google Inc.~[V.~S.~Denchev {\em et al}., Phys.~Rev.~X {\bf 6}, 031015 (2016)] proposed a weak-strong cluster model tailored to have tall and narrow energy barriers separating local minima, with the aim to highlight the value of finite-range tunneling. More precisely, results from quantum Monte Carlo simulations, as well as the D-Wave 2X quantum annealer scale considerably better than state-of-the-art simulated annealing simulations. Moreover, the D-Wave 2X quantum annealer is $\sim 10^8$ times faster than simulated annealing on conventional computer hardware for problems with approximately $10^3$ variables. Here, an overview of different sequential, nontailored, as well as specialized tailored algorithms on the Google instances is given. We show that the quantum speedup is limited to sequential approaches and study the typical complexity of the benchmark problems using insights from the study of spin glasses.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Evolutionary Approaches to Optimization Problems in Chimera Topologies

Chimera graphs define the topology of one of the first commercially available quantum computers. A variety of optimization problems have been mapped to this topology to evaluate the behavior of quantum enhanced optimization heuristics in relation to other optimizers, being able to efficiently solve problems classically to use them as benchmarks for quantum machines. In this paper we investigate for the first time the use of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) on Ising spin glass instances defined on the Chimera topology. Three genetic algorithms (GAs) and three estimation of distribution algorithms (EDAs) are evaluated over $1000$ hard instances of the Ising spin glass constructed from Sidon sets. We focus on determining whether the information about the topology of the graph can be used to improve the results of EAs and on identifying the characteristics of the Ising instances that influence the success rate of GAs and EDAs.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2016

borealis - A generalized global update algorithm for Boolean optimization problems

Optimization problems with Boolean variables that fall into the nondeterministic polynomial (NP) class are of fundamental importance in computer science, mathematics, physics and industrial applications. Most notably, solving constraint-satisfaction problems, which are related to spin-glass-like Hamiltonians in physics, remains a difficult numerical task. As such, there has been great interest in designing efficient heuristics to solve these computationally difficult problems. Inspired by parallel tempering Monte Carlo in conjunction with the rejection-free isoenergetic cluster algorithm developed for Ising spin glasses, we present a generalized global update optimization heuristic that can be applied to different NP-complete problems with Boolean variables. The global cluster updates allow for a wide-spread sampling of phase space, thus considerably speeding up optimization. By carefully tuning the pseudo-temperature (needed to randomize the configurations) of the problem, we show that the method can efficiently tackle optimization problems with over-constraints or on topologies with a large site-percolation threshold. We illustrate the efficiency of the heuristic on paradigmatic optimization problems, such as the maximum satisfiability problem and the vertex cover problem.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2016

Best-case performance of quantum annealers on native spin-glass benchmarks: How chaos can affect success probabilities

Recent tests performed on the D-Wave Two quantum annealer have revealed no clear evidence of speedup over conventional silicon-based technologies. Here, we present results from classical parallel-tempering Monte Carlo simulations combined with isoenergetic cluster moves of the archetypal benchmark problem-an Ising spin glass-on the native chip topology. Using realistic uncorrelated noise models for the D-Wave Two quantum annealer, we study the best-case resilience, i.e., the probability that the ground-state configuration is not affected by random fields and random-bond fluctuations found on the chip. We thus compute classical upper-bound success probabilities for different types of disorder used in the benchmarks and predict that an increase in the number of qubits will require either error correction schemes or a drastic reduction of the intrinsic noise found in these devices. We outline strategies to develop robust, as well as hard benchmarks for quantum annealing devices, as well as any other computing paradigm affected by noise.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Quasiparticle collapsing in an anisotropic $t$-$J$ ladder

Quasiparticle collapsing is a central issue in the study of strongly correlated electron systems. In the one-dimensional case, the quasiparticle collapsing in a form of spin-charge separation has been well established, but the problem remains elusive in dimensions higher than one. By using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm, we show that in an anisotropic two-leg $t$-$J$ ladder, an injected single hole behaves like a well-defined quasiparticle in the strong rung limit, but undergoes a "phase transition" with the effective mass diverging at a quantum critical point (QCP) towards the isotropic limit. After the transition, the quasiparticle collapses into a composite object of a self-localized charge (holon) and a deconfined spin-1/2 (spinon), accompanied by a substantially enhanced binding energy between two holes. A phase diagram of multi-leg ladders is further obtained, which extrapolates the QCP towards the two-dimensional limit. The underlying novel mechanism generic for any dimensions is also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Breakdown of the Bloch-wave behavior for a single hole in a gapped antiferromagnet

Whether a doped hole propagates as a Bloch wave or not is an important issue of doped Mott physics. Here we examine this problem based on the quasiparticle spectral weight $Z$ distribution, calculated by density matrix renormalization group (DMRG). By tuning the anisotropy of a two-leg $t$-$J$ ladder without closing the background spin gap, the $Z$ distribution unambiguously reveals a transition of the single hole state from a Bloch wave to a novel one with spontaneous translational symmetry breaking. We further establish a direct connection of such a transition with a nonlocal phase string entanglement between the hole and quantum spins, which explains numerical observations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Exact sign structure of the $t$-$J$ chain and the single hole ground state

Injecting a single hole into a one-dimensional Heisenberg spin chain is probably the simplest case of doping a Mott insulator. The motion of such a single hole will generally induce a many-body phase shift, which can be identified by an exact sign structure of the model known as the phase string. We show that the sign structure is nontrivial even in this simplest problem, which is responsible for the essential properties of Mott physics. We find that the characteristic momentum structure, the Luttinger liquid behavior, and the quantum phase interference of the hole under a periodic boundary condition, can all be attributed to it. We use the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) numerical simulation to make a comparative study of the $t$-$J$ chain and a model in which the sign structure is switched off. We further show that the key DMRG results can be reproduced by a variational wave function with incorporating the correct sign structure. Physical implications of the sign structure for doped Mott insulators in general are also discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

The length scale measurements of the Fractional quantum Hall state on cylinder

Once the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state for a finite size system is put on the surface of a cylinder, the distance between the two ends with open boundary conditions can be tuned as varying the aspect ratio $γ$. It scales linearly as increasing the system size and therefore has a larger adjustable range than that on disk. The previous study of the quasi-hole tunneling amplitude on disk in Ref.~\cite{Zk2011} indicates that the tunneling amplitudes have a scaling behavior as a function of the tunneling distance and the scaling exponents are related to the scaling dimension and the charge of the transported quasiparticles. However, the scaling behaviors poorly due to the narrow range of the tunneling distance on disk. Here we systematically study the quasiparticle tunneling amplitudes of the Laughlin state in the cylinder geometry which shows a much better scaling behavior. Especially, there are some corssover behaviors at two length scales when the two open edges are close to each other. These lengths are also reflected in the bipartite entanglement and the electron Green's function as either a singularity or a crossover. These two critical length scales of the edge-edge distance, $L_x^{c_1}$ and $L_x^{c_2}$, are found to be related to the dimension reduction and back scattering point respectively.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Spin and charge modulations in a single hole doped Hubbard ladder -- verification with optical lattice experiments

We show that pronounced modulations in spin and charge densities can be induced by the insertion of a single hole in an otherwise half-filled 2-leg Hubbard ladder. Accompanied with these modulations is a loosely bound structure of the doped charge with a spin-1/2, in contrast to the tightly bound case where such modulations are absent. These behaviors are caused by the interference of the Berry phases associated a string of flipped spins (or "phase strings") left behind as a hole travels through a spin bath with a short-range anti-ferromagnetic order. The key role of the phase strings is also reflected in how the system respond to increasing spin polarization, increasing the on-site repulsion, addition of a second hole, and increasing asymmetry between intra- and inter-chain hopping. Remarkably, all these properties persist down to ladders as short as $\sim 10$ sites. They can therefore be studied in cold atom experiments using the recently developed fermion microscope.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Variational wave function for an anisotropic single-hole-doped $t$-$J$ ladder

Based on three general guiding principles, i.e., no double occupancy constraint, accurate description of antiferromagnetism at half-filling, and the precise sign structure of the $t$-$J$ model, a new ground state wave function has been constructed recently [Weng, New J. Phys. 13, 103039 (2011)]. In this paper, we specifically study such kind of variational ground state for the one-hole-doped anisotropic two-leg $t$-$J$ ladder using variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method. The results are then systematically compared with those recently obtained by density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulation. An excellent agreement is found between the VMC and DMRG results, including a "quantum critical point" at the anisotropy parameter $α=α_c\approx0.7$ (with the parameters $t/J=3$), and the emergence of charge modulation and momentum (Fermi point) reconstruction at $α>α_c$ due to the quantum interference of the sign structure. In particular, the wave function indicates that a Landau's quasiparticle description remains valid at $α<α_c$ but fails at $α>α_c$ due to the breakdown of the one-to-one correspondence of momentum and translational symmetry of the hole. The explicit form of the wave function provides a direct understanding on how the many-body strong correlation effect takes place non-perturbatively in a doped Mott insulator, which sheds interesting light on the two-dimensional case where the same type of wave function was proposed to describe the cuprate superconductor.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Seeking Quantum Speedup Through Spin Glasses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

There has been considerable progress in the design and construction of quantum annealing devices. However, a conclusive detection of quantum speedup over traditional silicon-based machines remains elusive, despite multiple careful studies. In this work we outline strategies to design hard tunable benchmark instances based on insights from the study of spin glasses - the archetypal random benchmark problem for novel algorithms and optimization devices. We propose to complement head-to-head scaling studies that compare quantum annealing machines to state-of-the-art classical codes with an approach that compares the performance of different algorithms and/or computing architectures on different classes of computationally hard tunable spin-glass instances. The advantage of such an approach lies in having to only compare the performance hit felt by a given algorithm and/or architecture when the instance complexity is increased. Furthermore, we propose a methodology that might not directly translate into the detection of quantum speedup, but might elucidate whether quantum annealing has a "`quantum advantage" over corresponding classical algorithms like simulated annealing. Our results on a 496 qubit D-Wave Two quantum annealing device are compared to recently-used state-of-the-art thermal simulated annealing codes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Efficient Cluster Algorithm for Spin Glasses in Any Space Dimension

Spin systems with frustration and disorder are notoriously difficult to study both analytically and numerically. While the simulation of ferromagnetic statistical mechanical models benefits greatly from cluster algorithms, these accelerated dynamics methods remain elusive for generic spin-glass-like systems. Here we present a cluster algorithm for Ising spin glasses that works in any space dimension and speeds up thermalization by at least one order of magnitude at temperatures where thermalization is typically difficult. Our isoenergetic cluster moves are based on the Houdayer cluster algorithm for two-dimensional spin glasses and lead to a speedup over conventional state-of-the-art methods that increases with the system size. We illustrate the benefits of the isoenergetic cluster moves in two and three space dimensions, as well as the nonplanar chimera topology found in the D-Wave Inc.~quantum annealing machine.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2015

Charge modulation as fingerprints of phase-string triggered interference

Charge order appears to be an ubiquitous phenomenon in doped Mott insulators, which is currently under intense experimental and theoretical investigations particularly in the high $T_c$ cuprates. This phenomenon is conventionally understood in terms of Hartree-Fock type mean field theory. Here we demonstrate a mechanism for charge modulation which is rooted in the many-particle quantum physics arising in the strong coupling limit. Specifically, we consider the problem of a single hole in a bipartite $t-J$ ladder. As a remnant of the fermion signs, the hopping hole picks up subtle phases pending the fluctuating spins, the so-called phase string effect. We demonstrate the presence of charge modulations in the density matrix renormalization group solutions which disappear when the phase strings are switched off. This form of charge modulation can be understood analytically in a path-integral language, showing that the phase strings give rise to constructive interferences leading to self-localization. When the latter occurs, left- and right-moving propagating modes emerge inside the localization volume and their interference is responsible for the real space charge modulation.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Nature of strong hole pairing in doped Mott antiferromagnets

Cooper pairing instability in a Fermi liquid is well understood by the BCS theory, but pairing mechanism for doped Mott insulators still remains elusive. Previously it has been shown by density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method that a single doped hole is always self-localized due to the quantum destructive interference of the phase string signs hidden in the t-J ladders. Here we report a DMRG investigation of hole binding in the same model, where a novel pairing-glue scheme beyond the BCS realm is discovered. Specifically, we show that, in addition to spin pairing due to superexchange interaction, the strong frustration of the phase string signs on the kinetic energy gets effectively removed by pairing the charges, which results in strong binding of two holes. By contrast, if the phase string signs are switched off artificially, the pairing strength diminishes significantly even if the superexchange coupling remains the same. In the latter, unpaired holes behave like coherent quasiparticles with pairing drastically weakened, whose sole origin may be attributed to the resonating-valence-bond (RVB) pairing of spins. Such non-BCS pairing mechanism is therefore beyond the RVB picture and may shed important light on the high-T_c cuprate superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Boolean decision problems with competing interactions on scale-free networks: Equilibrium and nonequilibrium behavior in an external bias

We study the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of Boolean decision problems with competing interactions on scale-free networks in an external bias (magnetic field). Previous studies at zero field have shown a remarkable equilibrium stability of Boolean variables (Ising spins) with competing interactions (spin glasses) on scale-free networks. When the exponent that describes the power-law decay of the connectivity of the network is strictly larger than 3, the system undergoes a spin-glass transition. However, when the exponent is equal to or less than 3, the glass phase is stable for all temperatures. First, we perform finite-temperature Monte Carlo simulations in a field to test the robustness of the spin-glass phase and show that the system has a spin-glass phase in a field, i.e., exhibits a de Almeida-Thouless line. Furthermore, we study avalanche distributions when the system is driven by a field at zero temperature to test if the system displays self-organized criticality. Numerical results suggest that avalanches (damage) can spread across the whole system with nonzero probability when the decay exponent of the interaction degree is less than or equal to 2, i.e., that Boolean decision problems on scale-free networks with competing interactions can be fragile when not in thermal equilibrium.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2013

Self-Organized Criticality in Glassy Spin Systems Requires a Diverging Number of Neighbors

We investigate the conditions required for general spin systems with frustration and disorder to display self-organized criticality, a property which so far has been established only for the fully-connected infinite-range Sherrington-Kirkpatrick Ising spin-glass model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1034 (1999)]. Here we study both avalanche and magnetization jump distributions triggered by an external magnetic field, as well as internal field distributions in the short-range Edwards-Anderson Ising spin glass for various space dimensions between 2 and 8, as well as the fixed-connectivity mean-field Viana-Bray model. Our numerical results, obtained on systems of unprecedented size, demonstrate that self-organized criticality is recovered only in the strict limit of a diverging number of neighbors, and is not a generic property of spin-glass models in finite space dimensions.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2012

Strong correlation induced charge localization in antiferromagnets

The fate of an injected hole in a Mott antiferromagnet is an outstanding issue of strongly correlated physics. It provides important insights into doped Mott insulators closely related to high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. Here, we report a systematic numerical study based on the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG). It reveals a remarkable novelty and surprise for the single hole's motion in otherwise well-understood Mott insulators. Specifically, we find that the charge of the hole is self-localized by a novel quantum interference mechanism purely of strong correlation origin, in contrast to Anderson localization due to disorders. The common belief of quasiparticle picture is invalidated by the charge localization concomitant with spin-charge separation: the spin of the doped hole is found to remain a mobile object. Our findings unveil a new paradigm for doped Mott insulators that emerges already in the simplest single hole case.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2012

Self-localization of a single hole in Mott antiferromagnets

A long-standing issue in the physics of strongly correlated electronic systems is whether the motion of a single hole in quantum antiferromagnets can be understood in terms of the quasiparticle picture. Very recently, investigations of this issue have been within the experimental reach. Here we perform a large-scale density matrix renormalization group study, and provide the first unambiguous numerical evidence showing that in ladder systems, a single hole doped in the Mott antiferromagnet does not behave as a quasiparticle. Specifically, the injected hole is found to be always localized as long as the leg number is larger than one, with a vanishing quasiparticle weight and a localization length monotonically decreasing with the leg number. In addition, the single hole self-localization is insensitive to the parity (even-odd) of the leg number. Our findings may advance conceptual developments in different fields of condensed matter physics. First of all, the intriguing self-localization phenomenon is of pure strong correlation origin free of extrinsic disorders. Therefore, it is in sharp contrast to the well-known Anderson localization and recently found many-body localization, where extrinsic disordered potentials play crucial roles. Second, they confirm the analytical predictions of the so-called phase string theory, suggesting that the phase string effect lies in the core of the physics of doped Mott antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.str-el↗