Gauging anomalous unitary operators

Yuhan Liu, Hassan Shapourian, Paolo Glorioso, Shinsei Ryu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Boundary theories of static bulk topological phases of matter are obstructed in the sense that they cannot be realized on their own as isolated systems. The obstruction can be quantified/characterized by quantum anomalies, in particular when there is a global symmetry. Similarly, topological Floquet evolutions can realize obstructed unitary operators at their boundaries. In this paper, we discuss the characterization of such obstructions by using quantum anomalies. As a particular example, we discuss time-reversal symmetric boundary unitary operators in one and two spatial dimensions, where the anomaly emerges as we gauge the so-called Kubo-Martin-Schwinger (KMS) symmetry. We also discuss mixed anomalies between particle number conserving U(1) symmetry and discrete symmetries, such as C and CP, for unitary operators in odd spatial dimensions that can be realized at the boundaries of topological Floquet systems in even spatial dimensions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number155144
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume104
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 15 2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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