Deep Boundary Perturbations at a Quantum Critical Point

TL;DR

This paper investigates how algebraically decaying boundary perturbations influence quantum critical systems, revealing exotic scaling laws and transitions in behavior as the decay exponent varies, expanding understanding of boundary effects in critical phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of deep boundary criticality with algebraic decay, analyzing its effects on bulk properties in quantum critical systems using analytical and numerical methods.

Findings

Discovery of exotic scaling laws in observables

Identification of qualitative behavior changes with decay exponent

Demonstration of boundary perturbation effects on bulk criticality

Abstract

In this work, we explore an unconventional class of problems in the study of (quantum) critical phenomena, termed ''deep boundary criticality''. Traditionally, critical systems are analyzed with two types of perturbations: those uniformly distributed throughout the bulk, which can significantly alter the bulk criticality by triggering a nontrivial bulk renormalization group flow, and those confined to a boundary or subdimensional defect, which affect only the boundary or defect condition. Here, we go beyond this paradigm by studying quantum critical systems with boundary perturbations that decay algebraically (following a power law) into the bulk. By continuously varying the decay exponent, such perturbations can transition between having no effect on the bulk and strongly influencing bulk behavior. We investigate this regime using two prototypical models based on (1+1)D massless Dirac fermions. Through a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we uncover exotic scaling laws in simple observables and observe qualitative changes in model behavior as the decay exponent varies.