Litcius/Paper detail

Strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking meets average symmetry-protected topological order

Yuchen Guo, Shuo Yang

2025Physical review. B./Physical review. B13 citationsDOI

Abstract

The authors uncover here a new quantum phase --- the double average symmetry-protected topological (ASPT) phase --- that arises uniquely in open quantum systems, where symmetry breaking and topological order coexist. Using the imaginary-time Lindbladian formalism, they establish a rich phase diagram featuring distinct gapless phases and topological triple points. This work highlights how environmental interactions can lead to novel quantum phenomena with no analog in closed systems.

Topics & Concepts

Spontaneous symmetry breakingSymmetry (geometry)Symmetry protected topological orderSymmetry breakingOrder (exchange)Explicit symmetry breakingGlobal symmetryTopology (electrical circuits)Theoretical physicsPhysicsMathematicsTopological orderQuantum mechanicsGeometryCombinatoricsBusinessQuantumFinanceQuantum many-body systemsQuantum and electron transport phenomenaQuantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture