Edge theories in projected entangled pair state models

Abstract

We analyze the low energy excitations of spin lattice systems in two dimensions at zero temperature within the framework of projected entangled pair state models. Perturbations in the bulk give rise to physical excitations located at the edge. We identify the corresponding degrees of freedom, give a procedure to derive the edge Hamiltonian, and illustrate that it can exhibit a rich phase diagram. For topological models, the edge Hamiltonian is constrained by the topological order in the bulk, which gives rise to one-dimensional edge models with unconventional properties; for instance, a topologically ordered bulk can protect a ferromagnetic Ising chain at the edge against spontaneous symmetry breaking. © 2014 American Physical Society.