Seminar by Prof. Leo Radzihovsky "Fracton-elasticity duality"

Speaker: Prof. Leo Radzihovsky

Affiliation: University of Colorado, Boulder

Title: Fracton-elasticity duality

Abstract:

I will discuss a recent discovery that elasticity of a two-dimensional quantum crystal is dual to a symmetric tensor gauge theory, thereby providing a realization of the newly discovered “fractonic” quantum order. The disclination and dislocation defects respectively map onto charges and dipoles of the fracton gauge theory. The fractionalized mobility of fractons matches the constrained dynamics of the lattice topological defects. This duality leads to predictions of fractonic phases and quantum phase transitions to their descendants, that are duals of the commensurate crystal, supersolid, smectic, and hexatic liquid crystals. Extensions of this duality to generalized elasticity theories provide a route to discovery of new fractonic models and their potential experimental realizations.

Biography:

Radzihovsky’s theoretical research interests span a broad spectrum of classical and quantum condensed matter. These range from entropy-dominated liquid crystals, colloids, membranes, rubber and other “soft” matter to quantum matter, such as superconductors, magnets, degenerate atomic gases, quantum Hall and other topological states of matter. He aims to understand the nature of phases and phase transitions exhibited by these systems, with the unifying theme of collective universal behavior that emerges at long scales and low energies, driven by a combination of strong interactions, fluctuations, and/or local heterogeneity.