Entanglement is known to serve as an order parameter for true topological order in two-dimensional systems. We show how entanglement of disconnected partitions defines topological invariants for one-dimensional topological superconductors. These order parameters quantitatively capture the entanglement that is possible to distill from the ground state manifold, and are thus quantized to 0 or log 2. Their quantization property is inferred from the underlying lattice gauge theory description of topological superconductors, and is corroborated via exact solutions and numerical simulations. Transitions between topologically trivial and non-trivial phases are accompanied by scaling behavior, a hallmark of genuine order parameters, captured by entanglement critical exponents. These order parameters are experimentally measurable utilizing state-of-the-art techniques. Panel b): quadripartite von Neumann entropy S D as a function of µ/t, U/t, at fixed ∆ = 1 and LA = LB = 12. Black lines as from Ref. [22]. The colour plot is obtained via interpolation on a 6 x 8 grid.-that can be distilled from the ground state manifold; (ii) display scaling behavior when approaching quantum phase transitions, and thus allow for the definition of entanglement critical exponents that describe the build-up of non-local quantum correlations across such transitions; (iii) are experimentally measurable in-and out-of-equilibrium utilizing recently introduced [14,15] and demonstrated [25] techniques based on arXiv:1909.04035v1 [cond-mat.supr-con]

We study the disconnected entanglement entropy, S^\mathrm{D}SD, of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. S^\mathrm{D}SD is a combination of both connected and disconnected bipartite entanglement entropies that removes all area and volume law contributions and is thus only sensitive to the non-local entanglement stored within the ground state manifold. Using analytical and numerical computations, we show that S^\mathrm{D}SD behaves like a topological invariant, i.e., it is quantized to either 00 or 2\log(2)2log(2) in the topologically trivial and non-trivial phases, respectively. These results also hold in the presence of symmetry-preserving disorder. At the second-order phase transition separating the two phases, S^\mathrm{D}SD displays a finite-size scaling behavior akin to those of conventional order parameters, that allows us to compute entanglement critical exponents. To corroborate the topological origin of the quantized values of S^\mathrm{D}SD, we show how the latter remain quantized after applying unitary time evolution in the form of a quantum quench, a characteristic feature of topological invariants associated with particle-hole symmetry.

Every general relativity textbook emphasizes that coordinates have no physical meaning. Nevertheless, a coordinate choice must be made in order to carry out real calculations, and that choice can make the difference between a calculation that is simple and one that is a mess. We give a concrete illustration of the maxim that "coordinates matter" using the exact Schwarzschild solution for a vacuum, static spherical spacetime. We review the standard textbook derivation, Schwarzschild's original 1916 derivation, and a derivation using the Landau-Lifshitz formulation of the Einstein field equations. The last derivation is much more complicated, has one aspect for which we have been unable to find a solution, and gives an explicit illustration of the fact that the Schwarzschild geometry can be described in infinitely many coordinate systems.