We prove that the space P(2) of pure states of a nonelementary, simple, separable, real rank zero C & lowast;-algebra 2 has trivial homotopy groups of all orders when P(2) is equipped with the weak* topology. The convex-valued and finite-dimensional selection theorems of Michael are used to deform a family of pure states via the action of a homotopy of unitaries so that the entire family evaluates to one on a given projection P is an element of 2. Then, the excision theorem of Akemann, Anderson, and Pedersen is used to iterate this deformation for a sequence of projections in 2 excising a base point of the family of pure states, thereby contracting the family to the base point. Finally, we compare our weak contractibility result to the spaces of pure states of commutative C & lowast;-algebras and rational rotation algebras, and compute the homotopy groups of the latter in terms of the homotopy groups of spheres. (c) 2024 Published by Elsevier Inc.

We employ matrix product states (MPS) and tensor networks to study topological properties of the space of ground states of gapped many-body systems. We focus on families of states in one spatial dimension, where each state can be represented as an injective MPS of finite bond dimension. Such states are short-range entangled ground states of gapped local Hamiltonians. To such parametrized families over $X$ we associate a gerbe, which generalizes the line bundle of ground states in zero-dimensional families (\emph{i.e.} in few-body quantum mechanics). The nontriviality of the gerbe is measured by a class in $H^3(X, \mathbb{Z})$, which is believed to classify one-dimensional parametrized systems. We show that when the gerbe is nontrivial, there is an obstruction to representing the family of ground states with an MPS tensor that is continuous everywhere on $X$. We illustrate our construction with two examples of nontrivial parametrized systems over $X=S^3$ and $X = \mathbb{R} P^2 \times S^1$. Finally, we sketch using tensor network methods how the construction extends to higher dimensional parametrized systems, with an example of a two-dimensional parametrized system that gives rise to a nontrivial 2-gerbe over $X = S^4$.

In this paper, we present a homotopical framework for studying invertible gapped phases of matter from the point of view of infinite spin lattice systems, using the framework of algebraic quantum mechanics. We define the notion of quantum state types. These are certain lax-monoidal functors from the category of finite dimensional Hilbert spaces to the category of topological spaces. The universal example takes a finite dimensional Hilbert space to the pure state space of the quasi-local algebra of the quantum spin system with this Hilbert space at each site of a specified lattice. The lax-monoidal structure encodes the tensor product of states, which corresponds to stacking for quantum systems. We then explain how to formally extract parametrized phases of matter from quantum state types, and how they naturally give rise to $\mathscr{E}_\infty$-spaces for an operad we call the "multiplicative" linear isometry operad. We define the notion of invertible quantum state types and explain how the passage to phases for these is related to group completion. We also explain how invertible quantum state types give rise to loop-spectra. Our motivation is to provide a framework for constructing Kitaev's loop-spectrum of bosonic invertible gapped phases of matter. Finally, as a first step towards understanding the homotopy types of the loop-spectra associated to invertible quantum state types, we prove that the pure state space of any UHF algebra is simply connected.

This paper is concerned with the physics of parametrized gapped quantum many-body systems, which can be viewed as a generalization of conventional topological phases of matter. In such systems, rather than considering a single Hamiltonian, one considers a family of Hamiltonians that depend continuously on some parameters. After discussing the notion of phases of parametrized systems, we formulate a bulk-boundary correspondence for an important bulk quantity, the Kapustin-Spodyneiko higher Berry curvature, first in one spatial dimension and then in arbitrary dimension. This clarifies the physical interpretation of the higher Berry curvature, which in one spatial dimension is a flow of (ordinary) Berry curvature. In d dimensions, the higher Berry curvature is a flow of (d-1)-dimensional higher Berry curvature. Based on this, we discuss one-dimensional systems that pump Chern number to/from spatial boundaries, resulting in anomalous boundary modes featuring isolated Weyl points. In higher dimensions, there are pumps of the analogous quantized invariants obtained by integrating the higher Berry curvature. We also discuss the consequences for parametrized systems of Kitaev's proposal that invertible phases are classified by a generalized cohomology theory, and emphasize the role of the suspension isomorphism in generating new examples of parametrized systems from known invertible phases. Finally, we present a pair of general quantum pumping constructions, based on physical pictures introduced by Kitaev, which take as input a d-dimensional parametrized system, and produce new (d+1)-dimensional parametrized systems. These constructions are useful for generating examples, and we conjecture that one of the constructions realizes the suspension isomorphism in a generalized cohomology theory of invertible phases.

This thesis investigates parametrized quantum spin systems in the thermodynamic limit from a $C^*$-algebraic point of view. Our main physical result is the construction of a phase invariant for one-dimensional quantum spin chains parametrized by a topological space $X$. This invariant is constructed using $C^*$-algebraic techniques and takes values in degree one \v{C}ech cohomology $H^1(X;\mathbb{P}\mathrm{U}(\mathscr{H}))$, where $\mathbb{P}\mathrm{U}(\mathscr{H})$ is the projective unitary group of an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space $\mathscr{H}$, endowed with the strong operator topology. Using Dixmier-Douady theory [Bry93, DD63, HJJS08] one may equivalently view this as an element of $H^3(X;\mathbb{Z})$. An exactly solvable model of a one-dimensional spin system parametrized by the 3-sphere $X = \mathbb{S}^3$ is presented and it is shown that its invariant is nontrivial [WQB+22]. We also prove several mathematical results on topological aspects of the pure state space $\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$ of a $C^*$-algebra $\mathfrak{A}$. We prove that $\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$, endowed with the weak* topology, has trivial fundamental group for every UHF algebra $\mathfrak{A}$ [BHM+23]. We review the results of [SMQ+22] that show how the outputs of the GNS representation and Kadison transitivity theorem can be understood to depend continuously on their inputs. These results are expanded upon with the construction of a distinguished \v{C}ech class in $H^1(\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A});\mathrm{U}(1))$ that generalizes the principal $\mathrm{U}(1)$-bundle $\mathbb{S} \mathscr{H} \rightarrow \mathbb{P} \mathscr{H}$ in a representation independent way, where $\mathbb{S} \mathscr{H}$ and $\mathbb{P} \mathscr{H}$ are the unit sphere and projective Hilbert space of $\mathscr{H}$. Finally, we prove a selection theorem in the vein of [SMQ+22] for the weak* topology on $\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$.

We consider how the outputs of the Kadison transitivity theorem and Gelfand-Naimark-Segal construction may be obtained in families when the initial data are varied. More precisely, for the Kadison transitivity theorem, we prove that for any nonzero irreducible representation $(\mathcal{H}, \pi)$ of a $C^*$-algebra $\mathfrak{A}$ and $n \in \mathbb{N}$, there exists a continuous function $A:X \rightarrow \mathfrak{A}$ such that $\pi(A(\mathbf{x}, \mathbf{y}))x_i = y_i$ for all $i \in \{1, \ldots, n\}$, where $X$ is the set of pairs of $n$-tuples $(\mathbf{x}, \mathbf{y}) \in \mathcal{H}^n \times \mathcal{H}^n$ such that the components of $\mathbf{x}$ are linearly independent. Versions of this result where $A$ maps into the self-adjoint or unitary elements of $\mathfrak{A}$ are also presented. Regarding the Gelfand-Naimark-Segal construction, we prove that given a topological $C^*$-algebra fiber bundle $p:\mathfrak{A} \rightarrow Y$, one may construct a topological fiber bundle $\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A}) \rightarrow Y$ whose fiber over $y \in Y$ is the space of pure states of $\mathfrak{A}_y$ (with the norm topology), as well as bundles $\mathscr{H} \rightarrow \mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$ and $\mathscr{N} \rightarrow \mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$ whose fibers $\mathscr{H}_\omega$ and $\mathscr{N}_\omega$ over $\omega \in \mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$ are the GNS Hilbert space and closed left ideal, respectively, corresponding to $\omega$. When $p:\mathfrak{A} \rightarrow Y$ is a smooth fiber bundle, we show that $\mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A}) \rightarrow Y$ and $\mathscr{H}\rightarrow \mathscr{P}(\mathfrak{A})$ are also smooth fiber bundles; this involves proving that the group of $*$-automorphisms of a $C^*$-algebra is a Banach-Lie group. In service of these results, we review the geometry of the topology and pure state space. A simple non-interacting quantum spin system is provided as an example.

This expository note presents a constructive proof of Wigner's theorem using only a few basic facts about Hilbert spaces, such as the existence of orthonormal bases and the Fourier decomposition of a vector. Our proof is based on a proof by Steven Weinberg found in the first volume of his series of textbooks on quantum field theory, but differs in a few places for the sake of greater simplicity and rigor.

We study the constraints on neutralino dark matter in minimal low energy supersymmetry models and the case of heavy lepton and quark scalar superpartners. For values of the Higgsino and gaugino mass parameters of the order of the weak scale, direct detection experiments are already putting strong bounds on models in which the dominant interactions between the dark matter candidates and nuclei are governed by Higgs boson exchange processes, particularly for positive values of the Higgsino mass parameter mu. For negative values of mu, there can be destructive interference between the amplitudes associated with the exchange of the standard CP-even Higgs boson and the exchange of the non-standard one. This leads to specific regions of parameter space which are consistent with the current experimental constraints and a thermal origin of the observed relic density. In this article we study the current experimental constraints on these scenarios, as well as the future experimental probes, using a combination of direct and indirect dark matter detection and heavy Higgs and electroweakino searches at hadron colliders.