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We study the Heisenberg $S=1/2$ chain with random ferro- and antiferromagnetic couplings, using quantum Monte Carlo simulations at ultra-low temperatures, converging to the ground state. Finite-size scaling of correlation functions and excitation gaps demonstrate an exotic critical state in qualitative agreement with previous strong-disorder renormalization group calculations, but with scaling exponents depending on the coupling distribution. We find dual scaling regimes of the transverse correlations versus the distance, with an $L$ independent form $C(r)=r^{-\mu}$ for $r \ll L$ and $C(r,L)=L^{-\eta}f(r/L)$ for $r/L > 0$, where $\mu > \eta$ and the scaling function is delivered by our analysis. These results are at variance with previous spin-wave and density-matrix renormalization group calculations, thus highlighting the power of unbiased quantum Monte Carlo simulations., Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures

We study the excitation spectrum of the $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model on the randomly diluted square lattice by analytic continuation of QMC data. At dilution fractions $p=1/16$ and $p=1/8$, the dynamic structure factor $S({\bf q},\omega)$ exhibits a damped magnon peak with anomalous dispersion near ${\bf q}=(0,0)$ and $(\pi,\pi)$, a non-dispersive low-energy localization peak, and a second dispersive peak between these two features. A magnon with anomalous dispersion, close to our result, was predicted in spin wave and $T$-matrix theory [A. Chernyshev et al., PRB {\bf 65}, 104407 (2002)], above the localization energy. However, no intermediate dispersive mode was predicted. Analyzing spectral functions in real space for individual vacancy realizations by energy tomography, we find that these excitations are concentrated on a small subset of the spins adjacent to vacancies. We argue that the low-energy excitations are those of a sparse random network of effective moments at a fraction of the vacancies. There is a shift in magnon spectral weight distribution, from the spins away from vacancies at high energy to those adjacent to vacancies at lower energy. We also analyze the Anderson quantum rotor excitation at $\omega \propto N^{-1}$ (with $N=L^2$ the system size), which in the clean system is visible in $S({\bf q},\omega)$ only at ${\bf q}=(\pi,\pi)$ but spreads through the Brillouin zone when $p>0$. Weight close to ${\bf q}=(0,0)$ and $(\pi,\pi)$ is explained by local sublattice imbalance within a dimer-monomer model but there is also structure arising from correlated singlet fluctuations, which we demonstrate by enhancing said fluctuations with four-spin couplings. All spectral features found here should be observable by elastic neutron scattering experiments on layered quantum antiferromagnets doped with nonmagnetic impurities., Comment: 35 pages, 37 figures

In critical lattice models, distance ($r$) dependent correlation functions contain power laws $r^{-2\Delta}$ governed by scaling dimensions $\Delta$ of an underlying continuum field theory. In Monte Carlo simulations and other numerical approaches, the leading dimensions can be extracted by data fitting, which can be difficult when two or more powers contribute significantly. Here a method utilizing covariance between multiple lattice operators is developed where the $r$ dependent eigenvalues of the covariance matrix represent scaling dimensions of individual field operators. The scheme is tested on symmetric operators in the two-dimensional tricritical Blume-Capel model, where the two relevant dimensions, as well as some irrelevant ones, are isolated along with their corresponding eigenvectors. The method will be broadly useful in studies of classical and quantum models at multicritical points and for targeting irrelevant operators at simple critical (or multicritical) points., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

Stochastic Analytic Continuation (SAC) of Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) imaginary-time correlation function data is a valuable tool in connecting many-body models to experimentally measurable dynamic response functions. Recent developments of the SAC method have allowed for spectral functions with sharp features, e.g. narrow peaks and divergent edges, to be resolved with unprecedented fidelity. Often times, it is not known what exact sharp features, if any, are present \textit{a priori}, and, due to the ill-posed nature of the analytic continuation problem, multiple spectral representations may be acceptable. In this work, we borrow from the machine learning and statistics literature and implement a cross validation technique to provide an unbiased method to identify the most likely spectrum amongst a set obtained with different spectral parameterizations and imposed constraints. We demonstrate the power of this method with examples using imaginary-time data generated by QMC simulations and synthetic data generated from artificial spectra. Our procedure, which can be considered a form of model selection, can be applied to a variety of numerical analytic continuation methods, beyond just SAC., Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures

We resolve the nature of the quantum phase transition between a N\'eel antiferromagnet and a valence-bond solid in two-dimensional spin-1/2 magnets. We study a class of $J$-$Q$ models, in which Heisenberg exchange $J$ competes with interactions $Q_n$ formed by products of $n$ singlet projectors on adjacent parallel lattice links. QMC simulations provide unambiguous evidence for first-order transitions, with the discontinuities increasing with $n$. For $n=2$ and $n=3$ models, the first-order signatures are very weak. On intermediate length scales, we extract well-defined scaling dimensions (critical exponents) that are common to the models with small $n$, indicating proximity to a quantum critical point. By combining two $Q$ terms, the transition can be tuned from weak to more strongly first-order. The two coexisting orders on the first-order line scale with a large exponent $\beta \approx 0.85$. This exponent and others are close to bounds for an SO($5$) symmetric CFT with a relevant SO($5$) singlet. We characterize the emergent SO($5$) symmetry by the scaling dimensions of its leading irrelevant perturbations. The large $\beta$ value and a large correlation length exponent, $\nu \approx 1.4$, partially explain why the transition remains near-critical even quite far away from the critical point and in many different models without fine-tuning. In addition, we find that few-spin lattice operators are dominated by the SO($5$) violating field (the traceless symmetric tensor), and interactions involving many spins are required to observe strong effects of the relevant SO($5$) singlet. The exponent that had previously been identified with the divergent correlation length when crossing between the two phases does not have a corresponding CFT operator. We explain this emergent pseudocritical scale by a mechanism relying on a dangerously irrelevant SO($5$) perturbation., Comment: 57 pages, 36 figures

Quantum computers hold the promise of solving certain problems that lie beyond the reach of conventional computers. Establishing this capability, especially for impactful and meaningful problems, remains a central challenge. One such problem is the simulation of nonequilibrium dynamics of a magnetic spin system quenched through a quantum phase transition. State-of-the-art classical simulations demand resources that grow exponentially with system size. Here we show that superconducting quantum annealing processors can rapidly generate samples in close agreement with solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation. We demonstrate area-law scaling of entanglement in the model quench in two-, three- and infinite-dimensional spin glasses, supporting the observed stretched-exponential scaling of effort for classical approaches. We assess approximate methods based on tensor networks and neural networks and conclude that no known approach can achieve the same accuracy as the quantum annealer within a reasonable timeframe. Thus quantum annealers can answer questions of practical importance that classical computers cannot.

We study the R\'enyi entanglement entropy (EE) of the two-dimensional $J$-$Q$ model, the emblematic quantum spin model of deconfined criticality at the phase transition between antiferromagnetic and valence-bond-solid ground states. State-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the EE reveal critical corner contributions that scale logarithmically with the system size, with a coefficient in remarkable agreement with the form expected from a large-$N$ conformal field theory with SO($N=5$) symmetry. However, details of the bipartition of the lattice are crucial in order to observe this behavior. If the subsystem for the reduced density matrix does not properly accommodate valence-bond fluctuations, logarithmic contributions appear even for corner-less bipartitions. We here use a $45^\circ$ tilted cut on the square lattice. Beyond supporting an SO($5$) deconfined quantum critical point, our results for both the regular and tilted cuts demonstrate important microscopic aspects of the EE that are not captured by conformal field theory., Comment: 4.5 pages, 3 figures + supplemental material. Added corner subtraction to supplement

Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations and field-theory arguments, we study the fully frustrated (Villain) transverse-field Ising model on the square lattice. We consider a "primary" spin order parameter and a "secondary" dimer order parameter, which both lead to the same phase diagram but detect $Z_8$ and $Z_4$ symmetry, respectively. The spin order scales with conventional exponents, both in the finite temperature critical phase and at the $T = 0$ quantum critical point. The scaling of the dimer order requires more detailed investigations of the applicable low-energy theories; the height model at $T > 0$ and the $O(2)$ model in 2+1 dimensions at $T = 0$. Relating the order parameters to operators in these effective models, we predict the secondary critical exponents and confirm them numerically. The relationships between the primary and secondary order parameters have not been previously discussed in this context and provide insight more broadly for Ising models whose low-energy physics involves dimer degrees of freedom., Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures

Deconfined quantum criticality (DQC) arises from fractionalization of quasi-particles and leads to fascinating behaviors beyond the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) description of phase transitions. The unusual aspects of DQC in equilibrium also suggest exotic phenomena out of equilibrium, which are still largely unexplored. Here we study manifestations of DQC when driving (quantum annealing) a two-dimensional quantum magnet through a critical point separating antiferromagnetic and spontaneously dimerized ground states. Numerical simulations show that the celebrated Kibble-Zurek scaling (KZS) mechanism is inadequate for describing the annealing process. To explain our results, we introduce the concept of dual asymmetric KZS, where a deconfinement time enters in addition to the conventional relaxation time and the scaling also depends on the direction in which the system is driven through the critical point according to a duality principle connecting the topological defects in the two phases. These defects -- spinons in the dimerized phase and space-time hedgehogs in the antiferromagnetic phase -- require a much longer time scale for equilibration than the amplitude of the order parameter. Beyond the new insights into DQC, our scaling approach provides a new window into out-of-equilibrium criticality with multiple length and time scales., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures

Experiments on disordered alloys suggest that spin glasses can be brought into low-energy states faster by annealing quantum fluctuations than by conventional thermal annealing. Due to the importance of spin glasses as a paradigmatic computational testbed, reproducing this phenomenon in a programmable system has remained a central challenge in quantum optimization. Here we achieve this goal by realizing quantum critical spin-glass dynamics on thousands of qubits with a superconducting quantum annealer. We first demonstrate quantitative agreement between quantum annealing and time-evolution of the Schr\"odinger equation in small spin glasses. We then measure dynamics in 3D spin glasses on thousands of qubits, where simulation of many-body quantum dynamics is intractable. We extract critical exponents that clearly distinguish quantum annealing from the slower stochastic dynamics of analogous Monte Carlo algorithms, providing both theoretical and experimental support for a scaling advantage in reducing energy as a function of annealing time.

We study the spin-$1/2$ two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland spin model by exact diagonalization of clusters with periodic boundary conditions. We develop an improved level spectroscopic technique using energy gaps between states with different quantum numbers. The crossing points of some of the relative (composite) gaps have much weaker finite-size drifts than the normally used gaps defined only with respect to the ground state, thus allowing precise determination of quantum critical points even with small clusters. Our results support the picture of a spin liquid phase intervening between the well known plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic ground states, with phase boundaries in almost perfect agreement with a recent density matrix renormalization group study, where much larger cylindrical lattices were used [J. Yang et al., Phys. Rev. B {\bf 105}, L060409 (2022)]. The method of using composite low-energy gaps to reduce scaling corrections has potentially broad applications in numerical studies of quantum critical phenomena., Comment: 12 pages 9 figs

The deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP) represents a paradigm shift in quantum matter studies, presenting a "beyond Landau" scenario for order--order transitions. Its experimental realization, however, has remained elusive. Using high-pressure $^{11}$B NMR measurements on the quantum magnet SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$, we here demonstrate a magnetic-field induced plaquette-singlet to antiferromagnetic transition above 1.8 GPa at a remarkably low temperature, $T_{\rm c}\simeq 0.07$ K. First-order signatures of the transition weaken with increasing pressure, and we observe quantum critical scaling at the highest pressure, 2.4 GPa. Supported by model calculations, we suggest that these observations can be explained by a proximate DQCP inducing critical quantum fluctuations and emergent O(3) symmetry of the order parameters. Our findings take the DQCP from a theoretical concept to a concrete experimental platform.

We report multipronged progress on the stochastic averaging approach to numerical analytic continuation of quantum Monte Carlo data. With the sampled spectrum parametrized with delta-functions in continuous frequency space, a calculation of the configurational entropy lends support to a simple goodness-of-fit criterion for the optimal sampling temperature. To further investigate entropic effects, we compare spectra sampled in continuous frequency with results of amplitudes sampled on a fixed frequency grid. We demonstrate equivalences between sampling and optimizing spectral functions with the maximum-entropy approach with different forms of the entropy. These insights revise prevailing notions of the maximum-entropy method and its relationship to stochastic analytic continuation. We further explore various adjustable (optimized) constraints that allow sharp spectral features to be resolved, in particular at the lower frequency edge. The constraints, e.g., the location of the edge or the spectral weight of a quasi-particle peak, are optimized using a statistical criterion. We show that this method can correctly reproduce both narrow and broad quasi-particle peaks. We next introduce a parametrization for more intricate spectral functions with sharp edges, e.g., power-law singularities. Tests with synthetic data as well as with real simulation data for the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain demonstrate that constrained sampling methods can reproduce spectral functions with sharp edge features at unprecedented fidelity. We present new results for S=1/2 Heisenberg 2-leg and 3-leg ladders to illustrate the ability of the methods to resolve spectral features arising from both elementary and composite excitations. Finally, we also propose how the methods developed here could be used as "pre processors" for analytic continuation by machine learning., Comment: 89 pages, 55 figures. v2: expanded discussion of quasi-particle peaks + other minor changes. v3: minor changes. Note: published version is open-access

Using the density-matrix renormalization group method for the ground state and excitations of the Shastry- Sutherland spin model, we demonstrate the existence of a narrow quantum spin liquid phase between the previously known plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic states. Our conclusions are based on finite-size scaling of excited level crossings and order parameters. Together with previous results on candidate models for deconfined quantum criticality and spin liquid phases, our results point to a unified quantum phase diagram where the deconfined quantum-critical point separates a line of first-order transitions and a gapless spin liquid phase. The frustrated Shastry-Sutherland model is close to the critical point but slightly inside the spin liquid phase, while previously studied unfrustrated models cross the first-order line. We also argue that recent heat capacity measurements in SrCu2(BO3)2 show evidence of the proposed spin liquid at pressures between 2.6 and 3 GPa., Comment: 12 pages 12 figs, v3: minor additions

We study a generalization of the two-dimensional transverse-field Ising model, combining both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic two-body interactions, that hosts exact global and local Z2 gauge symmetries. Using exact diagonalization and stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo methods, we confirm the existence of the topological phase in line with previous theoretical predictions. Our simulation results show that the transition between the confined topological phase and the deconfined paramagnetic phase is of first-order, in contrast to the conventional Z2 lattice gauge model in which the transition maps onto that of the standard Ising model and is continuous. We further generalize the model by replacing the transverse field on the gauge spins with a ferromagnetic XX interaction while keeping the local gauge symmetry intact. We find that the Z2 topological phase remains stable, while the paramagnetic phase is replaced by a ferromagnetic phase. The topological-ferromagnetic quantum phase transition is also of first-order. For both models, we discuss the low-energy spinon and vison excitations of the topological phase and their avoided level crossings associated with the first-order quantum phase transitions.

Recent experiments [J. Guo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.124,206602 (2020)] on thermodynamic properties of the frustrated layered quantum magnet SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ -- the Shastry-Sutherland material -- have provided strong evidence for a low-temperature phase transition between plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic order as a function of pressure. Further motivated by the recently discovered unusual first-order quantum phase transition with an apparent emergent O(4) symmetry of the antiferromagnetic and plaquette-singlet order parameters in a two-dimensional "checkerboard J-Q" quantum spin model [B. Zhao et al., Nat. Phys. 15, 678 (2019)], we here study the same model in the presence of weak inter-layer couplings. Our focus is on the evolution of the emergent symmetry as the system crosses over from two to three dimensions and the phase transition extends from strictly zero temperature in two dimensions up to finite temperature as expected in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we map out the phase boundaries of the plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic phases, with particular focus on the triple point where these two order phases meet the paramagnetic phase for given strength of the inter-layer coupling. All transitions are first-order in the neighborhood of the triple points. We show that the emergent O(4) symmetry of the coexistence state breaks down clearly when the interlayer coupling becomes sufficiently large, but for a weak coupling, of the magnitude expected experimentally, the enlarged symmetry can still be observed at the triple point up to significant length scales. Thus, it is likely that the plaquette-singlet to antiferromagnetic transition in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ exhibits remnants of emergent O(4) symmetry, which should be observable due to additional weakly gapped Goldstone modes., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures

Using quantum Monte Carlo, exact diagonalization and perturbation theory, we study the spectrum of the $S=1/2$ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg trimer chain by varying the ratio $g=J_2/J_1$ of the intertrimer and intratrimer coupling strengths. The doublet ground states of trimers form effective interacting $S=1/2$ degrees of freedom described by a Heisenberg chain. Therefore, the conventional two-spinon continuum of width $\propto J_1$ when $g=1$ evolves into to a similar continuum of width $\propto J_2$ when $g\to 0$. The intermediate-energy and high-energy modes are termed \emph{doublons} and \emph{quartons} which fractionalize with increasing $g$ to form the conventional spinon continuum. In particular, at $g \approx 0.716$, the gap between the low-energy spinon branch and the high-energy band with mixed doublons, quartons, and spinons closes. These features should be observable in inelastic neutron scattering experiments if a quasi-one-dimensional quantum magnet with the linear trimer structure and $J_2

We consider two-dimensional $q$-state quantum clock models with quantum fluctuations connecting states with clock transitions with different choices for matrix elements. We study the quantum phase transitions in these models using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, with the aim of characterizing the cross-over from emergent U(1) symmetry at the transition (for $q \ge 4$) to $Z_q$ symmetry of the ordered state. We also study classical three-dimensional clock models with spatial anisotropy corresponding to the space-time anisotropy of the quantum systems. The U(1) to ${Z_q}$ symmetry cross-over in all these systems is governed by a dangerously irrelevant operator. We specifically study $q=5$ and $q=6$ models with different forms of the quantum fluctuations and different anisotropies in the classical models. We find the expected classical XY critical exponents and scaling dimensions $y_q$ of the clock fields. However, the initial weak violation of the U(1) symmetry in the ordered phase, characterized by a $Z_q$ symmetric order parameter $\phi_q$, scales in an unexpected way. As a function of the system size $L$, close to the critical temperature $\phi_q \propto L^p$, where the known value of the exponent is $p=2$ in the classical isotropic clock model. In contrast, for strongly anisotropic classical models and the quantum models we find $p=3$. For weakly anisotropic classical models we observe a cross-over from $p=2$ to $p=3$ scaling. The exponent $p$ directly impacts the exponent $\nu'$ governing the divergence of the U(1) to $Z_q$ cross-over length scale $\xi'$ in the thermodynamic limit, according to the relationship $\nu'=\nu(1+|y_q|/p)$, where $\nu$ is the conventional correlation length exponent. We present a phenomenological argument based on an anomalous renormalization of the clock field in the presence of anisotropy, possibly as a consequence of topological (vortex) line defects., Comment: Due to small technical error pointed out by readers, we have replaced page 20, left column, last sentence "These operators instead ... is not necessary)."

Sr$_2$CuTeO$_6$ is a square-lattice N\'eel antiferromagnet with superexchange between first-neighbor $S=1/2$ Cu spins mediated by plaquette centered Te ions. Substituting Te by W, the affected impurity plaquettes have predominantly second-neighbor interactions, thus causing local magnetic frustration. Here we report a study of Sr$_2$CuTe$_{1-x}$W$_x$O$_6$ using neutron diffraction and $\mu$SR techniques, showing that the N\'eel order vanishes already at $x = 0.025 \pm 0.005$. We explain this extreme order suppression using a two-dimensional Heisenberg spin model, demonstrating that a W-type impurity induces a deformation of the order parameter that decays with distance as $1/r^2$ at temperature $T=0$. The associated logarithmic singularity leads to loss of order for any $x>0$. Order for small $x>0$ and $T>0$ is induced by weak interplane couplings. In the nonmagnetic phase of Sr$_2$CuTe$_{1-x}$W$_x$O$_6$, the $\mu$SR relaxation rate exhibits quantum critical scaling with a large dynamic exponent, $z \approx 3$, consistent with a random-singlet state., Comment: 6 pages + 6 pages supplemental material

We use QMC simulations to study effects of disorder on the $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model with exchange constant $J$ on the square lattice supplemented by multispin interactions $Q$. It was found recently [L. Lu et al., Phys. Rev. X 8, 041040 (2018)] that the ground state of this $J$-$Q$ model with random couplings undergoes a quantum phase transition from the N\'eel state into a randomness-induced spin-liquid-like state that is a close analogue to the well known random-singlet (RS) state of the random Heisenberg chain. The 2D RS state arises from spinons localized at topological defects. The interacting spinons form a critical state with mean spin-spin correlations decaying with distance $r$ as $r^{-2}$, as in the 1D RS state. The dynamic exponent $z \ge 2$, varying continuously with the model parameters. We here further investigate the properties of the RS state in the $J$-$Q$ model with random $Q$ couplings. We study the temperature dependence of the specific heat and various susceptibilities for large enough systems to reach the thermodynamic limit and also analyze the size dependence of the critical magnetic order parameter and its susceptibility in the ground state. For all these quantities, we find consistency with conventional quantum-critical scaling when the condition implied by the $r^{-2}$ form of the spin correlations is imposed. All quantities can be explained by the same value of the dynamic exponent $z$ at fixed model parameters. We argue that the RS state identified in the $J$-$Q$ model corresponds to a generic renormalization group fixed point that can be reached in many quantum magnets with random couplings, and may already have been observed experimentally., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures

The $S=1/2$ square-lattice $J$-$Q$ model hosts a deconfined quantum phase transition between antiferromagnetic and dimerized (valence-bond solid) ground states. We here study two deformations of this model -- a term projecting staggered singlets as well as a modulation of the $J$ terms forming alternating "staircases" of strong and weak couplings. The first deformation preserves all lattice symmetries. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we show that it nevertheless introduces a second relevant field, likely by producing topological defects. The second deformation induces helical valence-bond order. Thus, we identify the deconfined quantum critical point as a multicritical Lifshitz point -- the end point of the helical phase and also the end point of a line of first-order transitions. The helical-antiferromagnetic transitions form a line of generic deconfined quantum-critical points. These findings extend the scope of deconfined quantum criticality and resolve a previously inconsistent critical-exponent bound from the conformal-bootstrap method., Comment: v2: Minor changes and some improved numerical data

We report a quantum Monte Carlo study of the phase transition between antiferromagnetic and valence-bond solid ground states in the square-lattice $S=1/2$ $J$-$Q$ model. The critical correlation function of the $Q$ terms gives a scaling dimension corresponding to the value $\nu = 0.455 \pm 0.002$ of the correlation-length exponent. This value agrees with previous (less precise) results from conventional methods, e.g., finite-size scaling of the near-critical order parameters. We also study the $Q$-derivatives of the Binder cumulants of the order parameters for $L^2$ lattices with $L$ up to $448$. The slope grows as $L^{1/\nu}$ with a value of $\nu$ consistent with the scaling dimension of the $Q$ term. There are no indications of runaway flow to a first-order phase transition. The mutually consistent estimates of $\nu$ provide compelling support for a continuous deconfined quantum-critical point., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. v2: minor changes only

We use quantum Monte Carlo simulations to study a quantum $S=1/2$ spin model with competing multi-spin interactions. We find a quantum phase transition between a columnar valence-bond solid (cVBS) and a N\'eel antiferromagnet (AFM), as in the scenario of deconfined quantum-critical points, as well as a transition between the AFM and a staggered valence-bond solid (sVBS). By continuously varying a parameter, the sVBS--AFM and AFM--cVBS boundaries merge into a direct sVBS--cVBS transition. Unlike previous models with putative deconfined AFM--cVBS transitions, e.g., the standard $J$-$Q$ model, in our extended $J$-$Q$ model with competing cVBS and sVBS inducing terms the transition can be tuned from continuous to first-order. We find the expected emergent U(1) symmetry of the microscopically $Z_4$ symmetric cVBS order parameter when the transition is continuous. In contrast, when the transition changes to first-order the clock-like $Z_4$ fluctuations are absent and there is no emergent higher symmetry. We argue that the confined spinons in the sVBS phase are fracton-like. We also present results for an SU(3) symmetric model with a similar phase diagram. The new family of models can serve as a useful tool for further investigating open questions related to deconfined quantum criticality and its associated emergent symmetries., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures

We introduce a quantum spin-1/2 model with many-body correlated Heisenberg-type interactions on the 2D square lattice, designed to host a plaquette valence-bond solid (PVBS) ground state breaking $\mathbb{Z}_4$ symmetry. We carry out a detailed quantum Monte Carlo study of the quantum phase transition between the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and PVBS states. We find a first-order transition, in contrast to previously studied continuous 'deconfined' transitions between the AFM and columnar valence-bond solids. We show that the coexistence state at the AFM--PVBS transition is unexpectedly associated with SO(5) symmetry, which may indicate that the transition is connected to a deconfined critical point. We also discuss the first-order transition in the context of a recent proposal of spinons with fracton properties in the PVBS state, concluding that the fracton scenario is unlikely. Further, we discover a novel type of eight-fold degenerate VBS phase that breaks the remaining $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry of the PVBS phase. The PVBS phase can then be regarded as an intermediate 'vestigial' phase, and we develop a general graph-theoretic approach to describe the two-stage discrete symmetry breaking. At finite temperature, we observe fluctuation-induced first-order transitions, which are hallmarks of vestigial phase transitions. We also mention possible connections to the SO(5) theory of high-T$_{\rm c}$ superconductivity., Comment: 30 pages, 22 figures

We study spin-$1/2$ chains with long-range power-law decaying unfrustrated (bipartite) Heisenberg exchange $J_r \propto r^{-\alpha}$ and multi-spin interactions $Q$ favoring a valence-bond solid (VBS) ground state. Employing quantum Monte Carlo techniques and Lanczos diagonalization, we analyze order parameters and excited-state level crossings to characterize quantum states and phase transitions in the $(\alpha,Q)$ plane. For weak $Q$ and sufficiently slowly decaying Heisenberg interactions (small $\alpha$), the system has a long-range-ordered antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state, and upon increasing $\alpha$ there is a continuous transition into a quasi long-range ordered (QLRO) critical state of the type in the standard Heisenberg chain. For rapidly decaying long-range interactions, there is transition between QLRO and VBS ground states of the same kind as in the frustrated $J_1$-$J_2$ Heisenberg chain. Our most important finding is a direct continuous quantum phase transition between the AFM and VBS states - a close analogy to the 2D deconfined quantum-critical point. In previous 1D analogies the ordered phases both have gapped fractional excitations, and the critical point is a conventional Luttinger Liquid. In our model the excitations fractionalize upon transitioning from the AFM state, changing from spin waves to deconfined spinons. We extract critical exponents at the AFM-VBS transition and use order-parameter distributions to study emergent symmetries. We find emergent O($4$) symmetry of the O($3$) AFM and scalar VBS order parameters. Thus, the order parameter fluctuations exhibit the covariance of a uniaxially deformed O($4$) sphere (an "elliptical" symmetry). This unusual quantum phase transition does not yet have any known field theory description, and our detailed results can serve to guide its construction. We discuss possible experimental realizations.

The $S=1$ Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) quantum spin chain was the first rigorous example of an isotropic spin system in the Haldane phase. The conjecture that the $S=3/2$ AKLT model on the hexagonal lattice is also in a gapped phase has remained open, despite being a fundamental problem of ongoing relevance to condensed-matter physics and quantum information theory. Here we confirm this conjecture by demonstrating the size-independent lower bound $\Delta >0.006$ on the spectral gap of the hexagonal model with periodic boundary conditions in the thermodynamic limit. Our approach consists of two steps combining mathematical physics and high-precision computational physics. We first prove a mathematical finite-size criterion which gives an analytical, size-independent bound on the spectral gap if the gap of a particular cut-out subsystem of 36 spins exceeds a certain threshold value. Then we verify the finite-size criterion numerically by performing state-of-the-art DMRG calculations on the subsystem., Comment: 12 pages; 11 figures; final version

We discuss the effects of exponential fragmentation of the Hilbert space on phase transitions in the context of coupled ferromagnetic Ising models in arbitrary dimension with special emphasis on the one dimensional case. We show that the dynamics generated by quantum fluctuations is bounded within spatial partitions of the system and weak mixing of these partitions caused by global transverse fields leads to a zero temperature phase with ordering in the local product of both Ising copies but no long range order in either species. This leads to a natural connection with the Ashkin-Teller universality class for general lattices. We confirm this for the periodic chain using quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We also point out that our treatment provides an explanation for pseudo-first order behavior seen in the Binder cumulants of the classical frustrated $J_1-J_2$ Ising model and the $q=4$ Potts model in 2D.

We discuss quantum annealing of the two-dimensional transverse-field Ising model on a D-Wave device, encoded on $L \times L$ lattices with $L \le 32$. Analyzing the residual energy and deviation from maximal magnetization in the final classical state, we find an optimal $L$ dependent annealing rate $v$ for which the two quantities are minimized. The results are well described by a phenomenological model with two powers of $v$ and $L$-dependent prefactors to describe the competing effects of reduced quantum fluctuations (for which we see evidence of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism) and increasing noise impact when $v$ is lowered. The same scaling form also describes results of numerical solutions of a transverse-field Ising model with the spins coupled to noise sources. We explain why the optimal annealing time is much longer than the coherence time of the individual qubits., Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures

Liu et al. [Phys.Rev.B 98, 241109 (2018)] used Monte Carlo sampling of the physical degrees of freedom of a Projected Entangled Pair State (PEPS) type wave function for the $S=1/2$ frustrated $J_1$-$J_2$ Heisenberg model on the square lattice and found a non-magnetic state argued to be a gapless spin liquid when the coupling ratio $g=J_2/J_1$ is in the range $g \in [0.42,0.6]$. Here we show that their definition of the order parameter for another candidate ground state within this coupling window---a spontaneously dimerized state---is problematic. The order parameter as defined will not detect dimer order when lattice symmeties are broken due to open boundaries or asymmetries originating from the calculation itself. Thus, a dimerized phase for some range of $g$ cannot be excluded (and is likely based on several other recent works)., Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures

The Stochastic Series Expansion (SSE) technique is a quantum Monte Carlo method that is especially efficient for many quantum spin systems and boson models. It was the first generic method free from the discretization errors affecting previous path integral based approaches. These lecture notes give a brief overview of the SSE method and its applications. In the introductory section, the representation of quantum statistical mechanics by the power series expansion of ${\rm e}^{-\beta H}$ will be compared with path integrals in discrete and continuous imaginary time. Extensions of the SSE approach to ground state projection and quantum annealing in imaginary time will also be briefly discussed. The later sections introduce efficient sampling schemes (loop and cluster updates) that have been developed for many classes of models. A summary of generic forms of estimators for important observables are also given. Applications are discussed in the last section., Comment: 34 pages, 3 figures. Lecture notes for Autumn School on Correlated Electrons, Many-Body Methods for Real Materials, Forschungszentrum Julich, September 2019

The transition between the N\'{e}el antiferromagnet and the valence-bond solid state in two dimensions has become a paradigmatic example of deconfined quantum criticality, a non-Landau transition characterized by fractionalized excitations (spinons). We consider an extension of this scenario whereby the deconfined spinons are subject to a magnetic field. The primary purpose is to identify the exotic scenario of a Bose-Einstein condensate of spinons. We employ quantum Monte Carlo simulations of the \mbox{$J$-$Q$} model with a magnetic field and perform a quantum field theoretic analysis of the magnetic field and temperature dependence of thermodynamic quantities. The combined analysis provides compelling evidence for the Bose-Einstein condensation of spinons and also demonstrates an extended temperature regime in which the system is best described as a gas of spinons interacting with an emergent gauge field., Comment: Published in Phys. Rev. B March 11, 2020

We present a way to visualize and quantify renormalization group flows in a space of observables computed using Monte Carlo simulations. We apply the method to classical three-dimensional clock models, i.e., the planar (XY) spin model perturbed by a $Z_q$ symmetric anisotropy field. The method performs significantly better than standard techniques for determining the scaling dimension $y_q$ of the $Z_q$ field at the critical point if it is irrelevant ($q\ge4$). Furthermore, we analyze all stages of the complex renormalization flow, including the cross-over from the U(1) Nambu-Goldstone fixed point to the ultimate $Z_q$ symmetry-breaking fixed point due to the relevance of the $Z_q$ field inside the ordered phase. We expect our method to be particularly useful in the context of quantum-critical points with inherent dangerously irrelevant operators that cannot be tuned away microscopically but whose renormalization flows can be analyzed exactly as we do here for the clock models., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures + 5 pages, 6 figures in supplemental material

We consider the isotropic $S=1$ Heisenberg chain with a finite Haldane gap $\Delta$ and use state-of-the-art numerical techniques to investigate its dynamical properties at finite temperature, focusing on the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ measured in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments for instance. In particular, we analyze the contributions from modes with momenta close to $q\approx 0$ and $q\approx \pi$ as a function of temperature. At high-temperature, we observe spin diffusion with a non-trivial exponent. At low-temperature, we argue that a simple activated behavior $1/T_1 \propto\exp(-\Delta/T)$ can only be observed at temperatures much smaller than the gap $\Delta$., Comment: published version

We report heat capacity measurements of SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ under high pressure along with simulations of relevant quantum spin models and map out the $(P,T)$ phase diagram of the material. We find a first-order quantum phase transition between the low-pressure quantum dimer paramagnet and a phase with signatures of a plaquette-singlet state below T = $2$ K. At higher pressures, we observe a transition into a previously unknown antiferromagnetic state below $4$ K. Our findings can be explained within the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland quantum spin model supplemented by weak inter-layer couplings. The possibility to tune SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$ between the plaquette-singlet and antiferromagnetic states opens opportunities for experimental tests of quantum field theories and lattice models involving fractionalized excitations, emergent symmetries, and gauge fluctuations., Comment: 6 pages + 8 pages supplemental information

We have used the Stochastic Series Expansion quantum Monte Carlo method to study interacting hard-core bosons on the square lattice, with pair-hopping processes supplementing the standard single-particle hopping. Such pair hopping arises in effective models for frustrated quantum magnets. Our goal is to investigate the effects of the pair hopping process on the commonly observed superfluid, insulating (Mott), and super-solid ground-state phases in the standard hard-core boson model with various interaction terms. The model is specifically motivated by the observation of finite dispersion of 2-magnon bound states in neutron diffraction experiments SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. Our results show that the pair hopping has different effects on Mott phases at different filling fractions, "melting" them at different critical pair-hopping amplitudes. Thus, it appears that pair hopping may have an important role in determining which out of a potentially large number of Mott phases (stabilized by details of the charge-diagonal interaction terms) actually survive the totality of quantum fluctuations present., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures

We discuss the concept of typicality of quantum states at quantum-critical points, using projector Monte Carlo simulations of an $S=1/2$ bilayer Heisenberg antiferromagnet as an illustration. With the projection (imaginary) time $\tau$ scaled as $\tau =aL^z$, $L$ being the system length and $z$ the dynamic critical exponent (which takes the value $z=1$ in the bilayer model studied here), a critical point can be identified which asymptotically flows to the correct location and universality class with increasing $L$, independently of the prefactor $a$ and the initial state. Varying the proportionality factor $a$ and the initial state only changes the cross-over behavior into the asymptotic large-$L$ behavior. In some cases, choosing an optimal factor $a$ may also lead to the vanishing of the leading finite-size corrections. The observation of typicality can be used to speed up simulations of quantum criticality, not only within the Monte Carlo approach but also with other numerical methods where imaginary-time evolution is employed, e.g., tensor network states, as it is not necessary to evolve fully to the ground state but only for sufficiently long times to reach the typicality regime., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures

Theoretical studies of quantum phase transitions have suggested critical points with higher symmetries than those of the underlying Hamiltonian. Here we demonstrate a surprising emergent symmetry of the coexistence state at a strongly discontinuous phase transition between two ordered ground states. We present a quantum Monte Carlo study of a two-dimensional $S=1/2$ quantum magnet hosting the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and plaquette-singlet solid (PSS) states recently detected in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. We observe that the O(3) symmetric AFM order and the Z$_2$ symmetric PSS order form an O(4) vector at the transition. The control parameter $g$ (a coupling ratio) rotates the vector between the AFM and PSS sectors and there are no energy barriers between the two at the transition point $g_c$. This phenomenon may be observable in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$., Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures

We study effects of disorder (randomness) in a 2D square-lattice $S=1/2$ quantum spin system, the $J$-$Q$ model with a 6-spin interaction $Q$ supplementing the Heisenberg exchange $J$. In the absence of disorder the system hosts antiferromagnetic (AFM) and columnar valence-bond-solid (VBS) ground states. The VBS breaks $Z_4$ symmetry, and in the presence of arbitrarily weak disorder it forms domains. Using QMC simulations, we demonstrate two kinds of such disordered VBS states. Upon dilution, a removed site leaves a localized spin in the opposite sublattice. These spins form AFM order. For random interactions, we find a different state, with no order but algebraically decaying mean correlations. We identify localized spinons at the nexus of domain walls between different VBS patterns. These spinons form correlated groups with the same number of spinons and antispinons. Within such a group, there is a strong tendency to singlet formation, because of spinon-spinon interactions mediated by the domain walls. Thus, no long-range AFM order forms. We propose that this state is a 2D analog of the well-known 1D random singlet (RS) state, though the dynamic exponent $z$ in 2D is finite. By studying the T-dependent magnetic susceptibility, we find that $z$ varies, from $z=2$ at the AFM--RS phase boundary and larger in the RS phase The RS state discovered here in a system without geometric frustration should correspond to the same fixed point as the RS state recently proposed for frustrated systems, and the ability to study it without Monte Carlo sign problems opens up opportunities for further detailed characterization of its static and dynamic properties. We also discuss experimental evidence of the RS phase in the quasi-two-dimensional square-lattice random-exchange quantum magnets Sr$_2$CuTe$_{1-x}$W$_x$O$_6$., Comment: 31 pages, 29 figures; substantial additions in v2; additional analysis in v3

Using a combination of quantum Monte Carlo and exact methods, we study the field-driven saturation transition of the two-dimensional $J$-$Q$ model, in which the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange $(J)$ coupling competes with an additional four-spin interaction $(Q)$ that favors valence-bond solid order. For small values of $Q$, the saturation transition is continuous, and is expected to be governed by zero-scale-factor universality at its upper critical dimension, with a specific form of logarithmic corrections to scaling (first proposed by Sachdev \textit{et al.} [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{50}, 258 (1994)]). Our results conform to this expectation, but the logarithmic corrections to scaling do not match the form predicted by Sachdev \textit{et al.} We also show that the saturation transition becomes first order above a critical coupling ratio $(Q/J)_{\rm min}$ and is accompanied by magnetization jumps---metamagnetism. We obtain an exact solution for $(Q/J)_{\rm min}$ using a high magnetization expansion, and confirm the existence of the magnetization jumps beyond this value of coupling using quantum Monte Carlo simulations., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

We study the N\'eel-paramagnetic quantum phase transition in two-dimensional dimerized $S=1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnets using finite-size scaling of quantum Monte Carlo data. We resolve the long standing issue of the role of cubic interactions arising in the bond-operator representation when the dimer pattern lacks a certain symmetry. We find non-monotonic (monotonic) size dependence in the staggered (columnar) dimerized model, where cubic interactions are (are not) present. We conclude that there is an irrelevant field in the staggered model that is not present in the columnar case, but, at variance with previous claims, it is not the leading irrelevant field. The new exponent is $\omega_2 \approx 1.25$ and the prefactor of the correction $L^{-\omega_2}$ is large and comes with a different sign from that of the formally leading conventional correction with exponent $\omega_1 \approx 0.78$. Our study highlights the possibility of competing scaling corrections at quantum critical points., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures

The antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain is expected to have an extended symmetry, [SU(2)xSU(2)]/Z 2 , in the infrared limit, whose physical interpretation is that the spin and dimer order parameters form the components of a common 4-dimensional vector. Here we numerically in- vestigate this emergent symmetry using quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a modified Heisenberg chain (the J-Q model) in which the logarithmic scaling corrections of the conventional Heisenberg chain can be avoided. We show how the two- and three-point spin and dimer correlation func- tions approach their forms constrained by conformal field theory as the system size increases and numerically confirm the expected effects of the extended symmetry on various correlation functions.

Deconfined quantum critical points govern continuous quantum phase transitions at which fractionalized (deconfined) degrees of freedom emerge. Here we study dynamical signatures of the fractionalized excitations in a quantum magnet (the easy-plane J-Q model) that realize a deconfined quantum critical point with emergent O(4) symmetry. By means of large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations and stochastic analytic continuation of imaginary-time correlation functions, we obtain the dynamic spin structure factors in the $S^{x}$ and $S^{z}$ channels. In both channels, we observe broad continua that originate from the deconfined excitations. We further identify several distinct spectral features of the deconfined quantum critical point, including the lower edge of the continuum and its form factor on moving through the Brillouin Zone. We provide field-theoretical and lattice model calculations that explain the overall shapes of the computed spectra, which highlight the importance of interactions and gauge fluctuations to explaining the spectral-weight distribution. We make further comparisons with the conventional Landau O(2) transition in a different quantum magnet, at which no signatures of fractionalization are observed. The distinctive spectral signatures of the deconfined quantum critical point suggest the feasibility of its experimental detection in neutron scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments., Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures and 2 appendices

We investigate the first-order phase transitions of the $q$-state Potts models with $q = 5, 6, 7$, and $8$ on the two-dimensional square lattice, using Monte Carlo simulations. At the very weakly first-order transition of the $q=5$ system, the standard data-collapse procedure for the order parameter, carried out with results for a broad range of system sizes, works deceptively well and produces non-trivial critical exponents different from the trivial values expected for first-order transitions. However, a more systematic study reveals significant drifts in the `pseudo-critical' exponents as a function of the system size. For this purpose, we employ two methods of analysis: the data-collapse procedure with narrow range of the system size, and the Binder-cumulant crossing technique for pairs of system sizes. In both methods, the estimates start to drift toward the trivial values as the system size used in the analysis exceeds a certain `cross-over' length scale. This length scale is remarkably smaller than the correlation length at the transition point for weakly first-order transitions, e.g., less than one tenth for $q=5$, in contrast to the naive expectation that the system size has to be comparable to or larger than the correlation length to observe the correct behavior. The results overall show that proper care is indispensable to diagnose the nature of a phase transition with limited system sizes., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. One figure has been replaced to make our claim clearer

We use numerical techniques to study dynamical properties at finite temperature ($T$) of the Heisenberg spin chain with random exchange couplings, which realizes the random singlet (RS) fixed point in the low-energy limit. Specifically, we study the dynamic spin structure factor $S(q,\omega)$, which can be probed directly by inelastic neutron scattering experiments and, in the limit of small $\omega$, in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments through the spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$. Our work combines three complementary methods: exact diagonalization, matrix-product-state algorithms, and stochastic analytic continuation of quantum Monte Carlo results in imaginary time. Unlike the uniform system, whose low-energy excitations at low $T$ are restricted to $q$ close to $0$ and $\pi$, our study reveals a continuous narrow band of low-energy excitations in $S(q,\omega)$, extending throughout the Brillouin zone. Close to $q=\pi$, the scaling properties of these excitations are well captured by the RS theory, but we also see disagreements with some aspects of the predicted $q$-dependence further away from $q=\pi$. Furthermore we find spin diffusion effects close to $q=0$ that are not contained within the RS theory but give non-negligible contributions to the mean $1/T_1$. To compare with NMR experiments, we consider the distribution of the local $1/T_1$ values, which is broad, approximately described by a stretched exponential. The mean value first decreases with $T$, but starts to increase and diverge below a crossover temperature. Although a similar divergent behavior has been found for the static uniform susceptibility, this divergent behavior of $1/T_1$ has never been seen in experiments. Our results show that the divergence of the mean $1/T_1$ is due to rare events in the disordered chains and is concealed in experiments, where the typical $1/T_1$ value is accessed., Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures

We analyze scaling behaviors of simulated annealing carried out on various classical systems with topological order, obtained as appropriate limits of the toric code in two and three dimensions. We first consider the three-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ (Ising) lattice gauge model, which exhibits a continuous topological phase transition at finite temperature. We show that a generalized Kibble-Zurek scaling ansatz applies to this transition, in spite of the absence of a local order parameter. We find perimeter-law scaling of the magnitude of a non-local order parameter (defined using Wilson loops) and a dynamic exponent $z=2.70 \pm 0.03$, the latter in good agreement with previous results for the equilibrium dynamics (autocorrelations). We then study systems where (topological) order forms only at zero temperature---the Ising chain, the two-dimensional $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge model, and a three-dimensional star model (another variant of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge model). In these systems the correlation length diverges exponentially, in a way that is non-smooth as a finite-size system approaches the zero temperature state. We show that the Kibble-Zurek theory does not apply in any of these systems. Instead, the dynamics can be understood in terms of diffusion and annihilation of topological defects, which we use to formulate a scaling theory in good agreement with our simulation results. We also discuss the effect of open boundaries where defect annihilation competes with a faster process of evaporation at the surface., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures

We study the dynamic spin structure factor of the spin-$1/2$ square-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet and of the $J$-$Q$ model (with 4-spin interactions $Q$ and Heisenberg exchange $J$). Using an improved method for stochastic analytic continuation of imaginary-time correlation functions computed with QMC simulations, we can treat the sharp ($\delta$-function) contribution from spinwaves (magnons) and a continuum at higher energy. The results for the Heisenberg model agree with neutron scattering experiments on Cu(DCOO)$_2$$\cdot$4D$_2$O, where a broad spectral-weight continuum at $q=(\pi,0)$ was interpreted as deconfined spinons. Our results at $(\pi,0)$ show a similar reduction of the magnon weight and a large continuum, while the continuum is much smaller at $q=(\pi/2,\pi/2)$ (as also seen experimentally). Turning on $Q$, we observe a rapid reduction of the $(\pi,0)$ magnon weight to zero, well before the deconfined quantum phase transition into a spontaneously dimerized state. We re-interpret the picture of deconfined spinons at $(\pi,0)$ in the experiments as nearly deconfined spinons---a precursor to deconfined quantum criticality. To further elucidate the picture of a fragile $(\pi,0)$-magnon in the Heisenberg model and its depletion in the $J$-$Q$ model, we introduce an effective model in which a magnon can split into two spinons that do not separate but fluctuate in and out of the magnon space (in analogy with the resonance between a photon and a particle-hole pair in the exciton-polariton problem). The model reproduces the $(\pi,0)$ and $(\pi/2,\pi/2)$ features of the Heisenberg model. It can also account for the rapid loss of the $(\pi,0)$ magnon with increasing $Q$ and a remarkable persistence of a large magnon pole at $q=(\pi/2,\pi/2)$ even at the deconfined critical point., Comment: 25 pages, 24 figures, some additional discussion in version 3, to be appeared in PRX

We carry out simulated annealing and employ a generalized Kibble-Zurek scaling hypothesis to study the 2D Ising spin glass with normal-distributed couplings. The system has an equilibrium glass transition at temperature $T=0$. From a scaling analysis when $T\rightarrow 0$ at different annealing velocities, we extract the dynamic critical exponent $z$, i.e., the exponent relating the relaxation time $\tau$ to the system length $L$; $\tau\sim L^z$. We find $z=13.6 \pm 0.4$ for both the Edwards-Anderson spin-glass order parameter and the excess energy. This is different from a previous study of the system with bimodal couplings [S. J. Rubin, N. Xu, and A. W. Sandvik, Phys. Rev. E {\bf 95}, 052133 (2017)] where the dynamics is faster and the above two quantities relax with different exponents (and that of the energy is larger). We here argue that the different behaviors arise as a consequence of the different low-energy landscapes---for normal-distributed couplings the ground state is unique (up to a spin reflection) while the system with bimodal couplings is massively degenerate. Our results reinforce the conclusion of anomalous entropy-driven relaxation behavior in the bimodal Ising glass. In the case of a continuous coupling distribution, our results presented here indicate that, although Kibble-Zurek scaling holds, the perturbative behavior normally applying in the slow limit breaks down, likely due to quasi-degenerate states, and the scaling function takes a different form., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures

Recently significant progress has been made in $(2+1)$-dimensional conformal field theories without supersymmetry. In particular, it was realized that different Lagrangians may be related by hidden dualities, i.e., seemingly different field theories may actually be identical in the infrared limit. Among all the proposed dualities, one has attracted particular interest in the field of strongly-correlated quantum-matter systems: the one relating the easy-plane noncompact CP$^1$ model (NCCP$^1$) and noncompact quantum electrodynamics (QED) with two flavors ($N = 2$) of massless two-component Dirac fermions. The easy-plane NCCP$^1$ model is the field theory of the putative deconfined quantum-critical point separating a planar (XY) antiferromagnet and a dimerized (valence-bond solid) ground state, while $N=2$ noncompact QED is the theory for the transition between a bosonic symmetry-protected topological phase and a trivial Mott insulator. In this work we present strong numerical support for the proposed duality. We realize the $N=2$ noncompact QED at a critical point of an interacting fermion model on the bilayer honeycomb lattice and study it using determinant quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations. Using stochastic series expansion QMC, we study a planar version of the $S=1/2$ $J$-$Q$ spin Hamiltonian (a quantum XY-model with additional multi-spin couplings) and show that it hosts a continuous transition between the XY magnet and the valence-bond solid. The duality between the two systems, following from a mapping of their phase diagrams extending from their respective critical points, is supported by the good agreement between the critical exponents according to the proposed duality relationships., Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures

This work is dedicated to the study of the discrete version of the Maier-Saupe model in the presence of competing interactions. The competition between interactions favoring different orientational ordering produces a rich phase diagram including modulated phases. Using a mean-field approach and Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the proposed model exhibits isotropic and nematic phases and also a series of modulated phases that meet at a multicritical point, a Lifshitz point. Though the Monte Carlo and mean-field phase diagrams show some quantitative disagreements, the Monte Carlo simulations corroborate the general behavior found within the mean-field approximation., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, title modified, minor typos corrected, improved interpretation of results, published version