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We leverage the interplay between gapped phases and dualities of symmetric one-dimensional quantum lattice models to demonstrate that every phase is efficiently characterised by the maximal breaking of the dual (genereralised) symmetry whose structure encodes the quasiparticle excitations. This result has strong implications for the complexity of simulating many-body systems using variational tensor network methods. For every phase in the phase diagram, the dual representation of the ground state that breaks all symmetries minimises both the entanglement entropy and the required number of variational parameters. We demonstrate the applicability of this idea by developing a generalised density matrix renormalisation group algorithm that works on (dual) constrained Hilbert spaces, and quantify the computational gains obtained over traditional DMRG methods in a perturbed Heisenberg model. Our work testifies to the usefulness of generalised non-invertible symmetries and their formal category theoretic description for the nuts and bolts simulation of strongly correlated systems., Comment: 7+6 pages

For a class of two-dimensional Euclidean lattice field theories admitting topological lines encoded into a spherical fusion category, we explore aspects of their realisations as boundary theories of a three-dimensional topological quantum field theory. After providing a general framework for explicitly constructing such realisations, we specialise to non-abelian generalisations of the Ising model and consider two operations: gauging an arbitrary subsymmetry and performing Fourier transforms of the local weights encoding the dynamics of the theory. These are carried out both in a traditional way and in terms of the three-dimensional topological quantum field theory. Whenever the whole symmetry is gauged, combining both operations recovers the non-abelian Kramers-Wannier duals \`a la Freed and Teleman of the generalised Ising models. Moreover, we discuss the interplay between renormalisation group fixed points of gapped symmetric phases and these generalised Kramers-Wannier dualities.

A systematic approach to dualities in symmetric (1+1)d quantum lattice models has recently been proposed in terms of module categories over the symmetry fusion categories. By characterizing the non-trivial way in which dualities intertwine closed boundary conditions and charge sectors, these can be implemented by unitary matrix product operators. In this manuscript, we explain how to turn such duality operators into unitary linear depth quantum circuits via the introduction of ancillary degrees of freedom that keep track of the various sectors. The linear depth is consistent with the fact that these dualities change the phase of the states on which they act. When supplemented with measurements, we show that dualities with respect to symmetries encoded into nilpotent fusion categories can be realised in constant depth. The resulting circuits can for instance be used to efficiently prepare short- and long-range entangled states or map between different gapped boundaries of (2+1)d topological models., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures

We present a framework to systematically investigate higher categorical symmetries in two-dimensional spin systems. Though exotic, such generalised symmetries have been shown to naturally arise as dual symmetries upon gauging invertible symmetries. Our framework relies on an approach to dualities whereby dual quantum lattice models only differ in a choice of module 2-category over some input fusion 2-category. Given an arbitrary two-dimensional spin system with an ordinary symmetry, we explain how to perform the (twisted) gauging of any of its sub-symmetries. We then demonstrate that the resulting model has a symmetry structure encoded into the Morita dual of the input fusion 2-category with respect to the corresponding module 2-category. We exemplify this approach by specialising to certain finite group generalisations of the transverse-field Ising model, for which we explicitly define lattice symmetry operators organised into fusion 2-categories of higher representations of higher groups.

It has been a long-standing open problem to construct a general framework for relating the spectra of dual theories to each other. Here, we solve this problem for the case of one-dimensional quantum lattice models with symmetry-twisted boundary conditions. In ref. [PRX Quantum 4, 020357], dualities are defined between (categorically) symmetric models that only differ in a choice of module category. Using matrix product operators, we construct from the data of module functors explicit symmetry operators preserving boundary conditions as well as intertwiners mapping topological sectors of dual models onto one another. We illustrate our construction with a family of examples that are in the duality class of the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ Heisenberg XXZ model. One model has symmetry operators forming the fusion category $\mathsf{Rep}(\mathcal S_3)$ of representations of the group $\mathcal S_3$. We find that the mapping between its topological sectors and those of the XXZ model is associated with the non-trivial braided auto-equivalence of the Drinfel'd center of $\mathsf{Rep}(\mathcal S_3)$., Comment: 24+7 pages, v2: updated introduction and discussion, fixed supplementary material

We consider a higher gauge topological model in three spatial dimensions whose input datum is a 2-group encoding the mixing of a 0-form $\mathbb Z_2$- and 1-form $\mathbb Z_3$-symmetry. We study the excitation content of the theory on the symmetry-preserving boundary. We show that boundary operators are organised into the fusion 2-category of 2-representations of the 2-group. These can be interpreted as categorical charges for an effective boundary model that inherits a global 2-group symmetry from the bulk topological order. Interestingly, we find that certain simple 2-representations are physically interpreted as composites of intrinsic excitations and condensation defects.

We present a systematic recipe for generating and classifying duality transformations in one-dimensional quantum lattice systems. Our construction emphasizes the role of global symmetries, including those described by (non)-abelian groups but also more general categorical symmetries. These symmetries can be realized as matrix product operators which allow the extraction of a fusion category that characterizes the algebra of all symmetric operators commuting with the symmetry. Known as the bond algebra, its explicit realizations are classified by module categories over the fusion category. A duality is then defined by a pair of distinct module categories giving rise to dual realizations of the bond algebra, as well as dual Hamiltonians. Symmetries of dual models are in general distinct but satisfy a categorical Morita equivalence. A key novelty of our categorical approach is the explicit construction of matrix product operators that intertwine dual bond algebra realizations at the level of the Hilbert space, and in general map local order operators to non-local string-order operators. We illustrate this approach for known dualities such as Kramers-Wannier, Jordan-Wigner, Kennedy-Tasaki and the IRF-vertex correspondence, a new duality of the $t$-$J_z$ chain model, and dualities in models with the exotic Haagerup symmetry. Finally, we comment on generalizations to higher dimensions., Comment: 21 pages, v4: additional example, expanded discussion

Given the Hamiltonian realisation of a topological (3+1)d gauge theory with finite group $G$, we consider a family of tensor network representations of its ground state subspace. This family is indexed by gapped boundary conditions encoded into module 2-categories over the input spherical fusion 2-category. Individual tensors are characterised by symmetry conditions with respect to non-local operators acting on entanglement degrees of freedom. In the case of Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, we show that the symmetry operators form the fusion 2-categories $\mathsf{2Vec}_G$ of $G$-graded 2-vector spaces and $\mathsf{2Rep}(G)$ of 2-representations of $G$, respectively. In virtue of the Morita equivalence between $\mathsf{2Vec}_G$ and $\mathsf{2Rep}(G)$ -- which we explicitly establish -- the topological order can be realised as the Drinfel'd centre of either 2-category of operators; this is a realisation of the electromagnetic duality of the theory. Specialising to the case $G = \mathbb Z_2$, we recover tensor network representations that were recently introduced, as well as the relation between the electromagnetic duality of a pure (3+1)d $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge theory and the Kramers-Wannier duality of a boundary (2+1)d Ising model.

Given a fully extended topological quantum field theory, the 'crossing with the circle' conditions establish that the dimension, or categorification thereof, of the quantum invariant assigned to a closed $k$-manifold $\Sigma$ is equivalent to that assigned to the ($k$+1)-manifold $\Sigma \times \mathbb S^1$. We compute in this manuscript these conditions for the 4-3-2-1 Dijkgraaf-Witten theory. In the context of the lattice Hamiltonian realisation of the theory, the quantum invariants assigned to the circle and the torus encode the defect open string-like and bulk loop-like excitations, respectively. The corresponding 'crossing with the circle' condition thus formalises the process by which loop-like excitations are formed out of string-like ones. Exploiting this result, we revisit the statement that loop-like excitations define representations of the linear necklace group as well as the loop braid group.

We define two dual tensor network representations of the (3+1)d toric code ground state subspace. These two representations, which are obtained by initially imposing either family of stabilizer constraints, are characterized by different virtual symmetries generated by string-like and membrane-like operators, respectively. We discuss the topological properties of the model from the point of view of these virtual symmetries, emphasizing the differences between both representations. In particular, we argue that, depending on the representation, the phase diagram of boundary entanglement degrees of freedom is naturally associated with that of a (2+1)d Hamiltonian displaying either a global or a gauge $\mathbb Z_2$-symmetry.

We construct a tensor network representation of the 3d toric code ground state that is stable to a generating set of uniform local tensor perturbations, including those that do not map to local operators on the physical Hilbert space. The stability is established by mapping the phase diagram of the perturbed tensor network to that of the 3d Ising gauge theory, which has a non-zero finite temperature transition. More generally, we find that the stability of a topological tensor network state is determined by the form of its virtual symmetries and the topological excitations created by virtual operators that break those symmetries. In particular, a dual representation of the 3d toric code ground state, as well as representations of the X-cube and cubic code ground states, for which point-like excitations are created by such operators, are found to be unstable., Comment: 8+10 pages, 1 figure; v2 published version

We study lattice Hamiltonian realisations of (3+1)d Dijkgraaf-Witten theory with gapped boundaries. In addition to the bulk loop-like excitations, the Hamiltonian yields bulk dyonic string-like excitations that terminate at gapped boundaries. Using a tube algebra approach, we classify such excitations and derive the corresponding representation theory. Via a dimensional reduction argument, we relate this tube algebra to that describing (2+1)d boundary point-like excitations at interfaces between two gapped boundaries. Such point-like excitations are well known to be encoded into a bicategory of module categories over the input fusion category. Exploiting this correspondence, we define a bicategory that encodes the string-like excitations ending at gapped boundaries, showing that it is a sub-bicategory of the centre of the input bicategory of group-graded 2-vector spaces. In the process, we explain how gapped boundaries in (3+1)d can be labelled by so-called pseudo-algebra objects over this input bicategory.

We study the renormalization group flow of $\phi^4$ theory in two dimensions. Regularizing space into a fine-grained lattice and discretizing the scalar field in a controlled way, we rewrite the partition function of the theory as a tensor network. Combining local truncations and a standard coarse-graining scheme, we obtain the renormalization group flow of the theory as a map in a space of tensors. Aside from qualitative insights, we verify the scaling dimensions at criticality and extrapolate the critical coupling constant $f_{\rm c} = \lambda / \mu ^2$ to the continuum to find $f^{\rm cont.}_{\rm c} = 11.0861(90)$, which favorably compares with alternative methods.

We consider an exactly solvable model for topological phases in (3+1)d whose input data is a strict 2-group. This model, which has a higher gauge theory interpretation, provides a lattice Hamiltonian realisation of the Yetter homotopy 2-type topological quantum field theory. The Hamiltonian yields bulk flux and charge composite excitations that are either point-like or loop-like. Applying a generalised tube algebra approach, we reveal the algebraic structure underlying these excitations and derive the irreducible modules of this algebra, which in turn classify the elementary excitations of the model. As a further application of the tube algebra approach, we demonstrate that the ground state subspace of the three-torus is described by the central subalgebra of the tube algebra for torus boundary, demonstrating the ground state degeneracy is given by the number of elementary loop-like excitations., Comment: 39 pages

We consider lattice Hamiltonian realizations of ($d$+1)-dimensional Dijkgraaf-Witten theory. In (2+1)d, it is well-known that the Hamiltonian yields point-like excitations classified by irreducible representations of the twisted quantum double. This can be confirmed using a tube algebra approach. In this paper, we propose a generalization of this strategy that is valid in any dimensions. We then apply the tube algebra approach to derive the algebraic structure of loop-like excitations in (3+1)d, namely the twisted quantum triple. The irreducible representations of the twisted quantum triple algebra correspond to the simple loop-like excitations of the model. Similarly to its (2+1)d counterpart, the twisted quantum triple comes equipped with a compatible comultiplication map and an $R$-matrix that encode the fusion and the braiding statistics of the loop-like excitations, respectively. Moreover, we explain using the language of loop-groupoids how a model defined on a manifold that is $n$-times compactified can be expressed in terms of another model in $n$-lower dimensions. This can in turn be used to recast higher-dimensional tube algebras in terms of lower dimensional analogues., Comment: 71 pages

We explore various aspects of 2-form topological gauge theories in (3+1)d. These theories can be constructed as sigma models with target space the second classifying space $B^2G$ of the symmetry group $G$, and they are classified by cohomology classes of $B^2G$. Discrete topological gauge theories can typically be embedded into continuous quantum field theories. In the 2-form case, the continuous theory is shown to be a strict 2-group gauge theory. This embedding is studied by carefully constructing the space of $q$-form connections using the technology of Deligne-Beilinson cohomology. The same techniques can then be used to study more general models built from Postnikov towers. For finite symmetry groups, 2-form topological theories have a natural lattice interpretation, which we use to construct a lattice Hamiltonian model in (3+1)d that is exactly solvable. This construction relies on the introduction of a cohomology, dubbed 2-form cohomology, of algebraic cocycles that are identified with the simplicial cocycles of $B^2G$ as provided by the so-called $W$-construction of Eilenberg-MacLane spaces. We show algebraically and geometrically how a 2-form 4-cocycle reduces to the associator and the braiding isomorphisms of a premodular category of $G$-graded vector spaces. This is used to show the correspondence between our 2-form gauge model and the Walker-Wang model., Comment: 78 pages