Preserving topology while breaking chirality: from chiral orthogonal to anti-symmetric Hermitian ensemble

Abstract

We consider a parameter dependent ensemble of two real random matrices with Gaussian distribution. It describes the transition between the symmetry class of the chiral Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (Cartan class B|DI) and the ensemble of antisymmetric Hermitian random matrices (Cartan class B|D). It enjoys the special feature that, depending on the matrix dimension N , it has exactly ν = 0 (1) zero-mode for N even (odd), throughout the symmetry transition. This "topological protection" is reminiscent of properties of topological insulators. We show that our ensemble represents a Pfaffian point process which is typical for such transition ensembles. On a technical level, our results follow from the applicability of the Harish-Chandra integral over the orthogonal group. The matrixvalued kernel determining all eigenvalue correlation functions is explicitly constructed in terms of skeworthogonal polynomials, depending on the topological index ν = 0, 1. These polynomials interpolate between Laguerre and even (odd) Hermite polynomials for ν = 0 (1), in terms of which the two limiting symmetry classes can be solved. Numerical simulations illustrate our analytical results for the spectral density and an expansion for the distribution of the smallest eigenvalue at finite N .

Universal broadening of zero modes: A general framework and identification

“…Especially, we recover the critical scaling of α found in lattice QCD with Wilson fermions [38][39][40]42] and in the RMT-models for Majorana modes in disordered quantum wires [31,64].…”

“…Technically, we send the dimension N of the Hilbert space to infinity, but the dimension is proportional to the volume of the system, N ∝ V . This is true in QCD [41,[60][61][62] and is expected to hold in condensed matter systems [31,64] too. Usually, other quantities like the number of colours and the representation of the gauge group or the size of the spins and the number of particles enter into N as well.…”

“…It has been necessary to extend the random matrix models to two-matrix models, see e.g. [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] or even many matrix models like products and sums, e.g. [32][33][34][35][36][37] and references therein.…”