Flag manifold sigma models from SU($n$) chains

Abstract

One dimensional SU($n$) chains with the same irreducible representation $\mathcal{R}$ at each site are considered. We determine which $\mathcal{R}$ admit low-energy mappings to a $\text{SU}(n)/[\text{U}(1){]}^{n-1}$ flag manifold sigma model, and calculate the topological angles for such theories. Generically, these models will have fields with both linear and quadratic dispersion relations; for each $\mathcal{R}$, we determine how many fields of each dispersion type there are. Finally, for purely linearly-dispersing theories, we list the irreducible representations that also possess a ${\mathbb{Z}}_n$ symmetry that acts transitively on the $\text{SU}(n)/[\text{U}(1){]}^{n-1}$ fields. Such SU($n$) chains have an 't Hooft anomaly in certain cases, allowing for a generalization of Haldane's conjecture to these novel representations. In particular, for even $n$ and for representations whose Young tableaux have two rows, of lengths $p_1$ and $p_2$ satisfying $p_1\ne p_2$, we predict a gapless ground state when $p_1+p_2$ is coprime with $n$. Otherwise, we predict a gapped ground state that necessarily has spontaneously broken symmetry if $p_1+p_2$ is not a multiple of $n$.

26 pages + 9 pages of appendices

References in corpus (1)

• SU(N) Coherent States and Irreducible Schwinger Bosons