Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere

The recently introduced “fuzzy-sphere” method has enabled accurate numerical regularizations of certain three-dimensional (3D) conformal field theories (CFTs). The regularization is provided by the noncommutative geometry of the lowest Landau level filled by electrons, such that the charge is trivia...

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Main Authors: Cristian Voinea, Ruihua Fan, Nicolas Regnault, Zlatko Papić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-07-01
Series:Physical Review X
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/bf4k-phl9
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author Cristian Voinea
Ruihua Fan
Nicolas Regnault
Zlatko Papić
author_facet Cristian Voinea
Ruihua Fan
Nicolas Regnault
Zlatko Papić
author_sort Cristian Voinea
collection DOAJ
description The recently introduced “fuzzy-sphere” method has enabled accurate numerical regularizations of certain three-dimensional (3D) conformal field theories (CFTs). The regularization is provided by the noncommutative geometry of the lowest Landau level filled by electrons, such that the charge is trivially gapped due to the Pauli exclusion principle at filling factor ν=1, while the electron spins encode the desired CFT. Successful applications of the fuzzy sphere to paradigmatic CFTs, such as the 3D Ising model, raise an important question: How finely tuned does the underlying electron system need to be? Here, we show that the 3D Ising CFT can also be realized at fractional electron fillings. In such cases, the CFT spectrum is intertwined with the charge-neutral spectrum of the underlying fractional quantum Hall state—a feature that is trivially absent in the previously studied ν=1 case. Remarkably, we show that the mixing between the CFT spectrum and the fractional quantum Hall spectrum is strongly suppressed within the numerically accessible system sizes. Moreover, we demonstrate that the CFT critical point is unaffected by the exchange statistics of the particles and by the nature of topological order in the charge sector. Our results set the stage for the fuzzy-sphere exploration of conformal critical points between topologically ordered states.
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spelling doaj-art-7ccb82783f6a4256a8db76d90ee17cfe2025-07-07T14:31:21ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082025-07-0115303100710.1103/bf4k-phl9Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy SphereCristian VoineaRuihua FanNicolas RegnaultZlatko PapićThe recently introduced “fuzzy-sphere” method has enabled accurate numerical regularizations of certain three-dimensional (3D) conformal field theories (CFTs). The regularization is provided by the noncommutative geometry of the lowest Landau level filled by electrons, such that the charge is trivially gapped due to the Pauli exclusion principle at filling factor ν=1, while the electron spins encode the desired CFT. Successful applications of the fuzzy sphere to paradigmatic CFTs, such as the 3D Ising model, raise an important question: How finely tuned does the underlying electron system need to be? Here, we show that the 3D Ising CFT can also be realized at fractional electron fillings. In such cases, the CFT spectrum is intertwined with the charge-neutral spectrum of the underlying fractional quantum Hall state—a feature that is trivially absent in the previously studied ν=1 case. Remarkably, we show that the mixing between the CFT spectrum and the fractional quantum Hall spectrum is strongly suppressed within the numerically accessible system sizes. Moreover, we demonstrate that the CFT critical point is unaffected by the exchange statistics of the particles and by the nature of topological order in the charge sector. Our results set the stage for the fuzzy-sphere exploration of conformal critical points between topologically ordered states.http://doi.org/10.1103/bf4k-phl9
spellingShingle Cristian Voinea
Ruihua Fan
Nicolas Regnault
Zlatko Papić
Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
Physical Review X
title Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
title_full Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
title_fullStr Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
title_full_unstemmed Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
title_short Regularizing 3D Conformal Field Theories via Anyons on the Fuzzy Sphere
title_sort regularizing 3d conformal field theories via anyons on the fuzzy sphere
url http://doi.org/10.1103/bf4k-phl9
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