Edge Theories for Anyon Condensation Phase Transitions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a two-edge thought experiment to analyze how anyon condensation phase transitions affect edge properties in topological phases, revealing symmetry breaking and preserving chiral modes.

Contribution

It proposes a novel two-edge construction that tracks edge degrees of freedom through bulk phase transitions, addressing limitations of algebraic methods.

Findings

Bulk anyon condensation induces symmetry breaking at edges.

The number of chiral edge modes remains unchanged during condensation.

The method is demonstrated on toric code and Kitaev spin liquids.

Abstract

The algebraic tools used to study topological phases of matter are not clearly suited to studying processes in which the bulk energy gap closes, such as phase transitions. We describe an elementary two edge thought experiment which reveals the effect of an anyon condensation phase transition on the robust edge properties of a sample, bypassing a limitation of the algebraic description. In particular, the two edge construction allows some edge degrees of freedom to be tracked through the transition, despite the bulk gap closing. The two edge model demonstrates that bulk anyon condensation induces symmetry breaking in the edge model. Further, the construction recovers the expected result that the number of chiral current carrying modes at the edge cannot change through anyon condensation. We illustrate the construction through detailed analysis of anyon condensation transitions in an achiral phase, the toric code, and in chiral phases, the Kitaev spin liquids.