Phase diagram of a one-dimensional Ising model with an anomalous Z_2 symmetry

TL;DR

This paper investigates a one-dimensional Ising model with an anomalous Z2 symmetry, revealing a rich phase diagram including a ferromagnetic phase and a gapless phase described by conformal field theory, using numerical methods.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of a gapless phase with SU(2)_1 conformal symmetry in a Z2 symmetric model, highlighting effects of anomalous symmetries on phase structure.

Findings

Identification of a gapless phase with SU(2)_1 conformal symmetry

Continuous phase transition with known critical scaling

Numerical results consistent with theoretical symmetry constraints

Abstract

Anomalous global symmetries, which can be realized on the boundary of symmetry-protected topological phases, brings new phases and phase transitions to condensed matter physics. In this work, we study a one dimensional model with an anomalous Z2 symmetry, using the density-matrix renormalization group method. Besides a symmetry-breaking ferromagnetic phase, we find a gapless phase described by the SU(2)_1 conformal field theory, despite the existence of only discrete Z_2 symmetry in the Hamiltonian. The phase transition between the ferromagnetic phase and the gapless phase is continuous and has the same critical scaling as in the gapless phase. Our numerical finding is compatible of theoretical constraints on possible phases resulting from the symmetry anomaly.