Quantum dimer models

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive, pedagogical overview of quantum dimer models, exploring phenomena like topological liquids, fractionalisation, and emergent gauge fields, with a focus on theoretical understanding and physical implications.

Contribution

It offers a self-contained introduction to quantum dimer models, emphasizing local constraints, fractionalisation, and topological phases, integrating various phenomena and theoretical approaches.

Findings

Explanation of emergent photons and spin liquids

Analysis of valence-bond solids and Cantor deconfinement

Introduction to theoretical models and methods

Abstract

These lecture notes aim to provide a self-contained, pedagogical introduction to the physics of local constraints, fractionalisation and topological liquids organised around the Rokhsar-Kivelson quantum dimer model. Topics and phenomena covered include emergent photons, SU(2) invariant spin liquids, valence-bond solids and Cantor deconfinement, along with an elementary introduction to the underlying theoretical models and methods.