Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
07:46
Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
Published on: November 15, 2013
9.0K
Emergence of Supersymmetric Quantum Electrodynamics
Shao-Kai Jian1, Chien-Hung Lin2, Joseph Maciejko2,3,4
1Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Physical Review Letters
|May 6, 2017
Summary
A novel supersymmetric gauge theory emerges from a quantum phase transition on topological insulator surfaces. This finding offers a new avenue for exploring supersymmetry in condensed matter physics and may be experimentally verified.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Particle physics
- Quantum field theory
Background:
- Supersymmetric (SUSY) gauge theories are crucial in particle physics but lack experimental verification.
- Topological insulators, like SmB6, host unique surface states with potential for novel quantum phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the natural emergence of a SUSY gauge theory at a quantum phase transition.
- To explore the properties of emergent supersymmetry in condensed matter systems.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a pair-density-wave (PDW) quantum phase transition on the surface of a topological insulator with three Dirac cones.
- Identification of emergent massless bosonic Cooper pair fields as superpartners to massless Dirac fermions.
Main Results:
- A SUSY gauge theory, specifically the supersymmetric XYZ model, emerges at the quantum tricritical point.
- This emergent theory is dual to N=2 supersymmetric quantum electrodynamics in 2+1 dimensions.
- Exact determination of critical exponents and optical conductivity at the strongly coupled tricritical point.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first example of an emergent supersymmetric gauge theory in condensed matter.
- The findings open possibilities for experimental verification of supersymmetry in material systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Symmetry in Maxwell's Equations
4.3K
Once the fields have been calculated using Maxwell's four equations, the Lorentz force equation gives the force that the fields exert on a charged particle moving with a certain velocity. The Lorentz force equation combines the force of the electric field and of the magnetic field on the moving charge. Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force law together encompass all the laws of electricity and magnetism. The symmetry that Maxwell introduced into his mathematical framework may not be...
4.3K
02:39Emission Spectra
77.0K
When solids, liquids, or condensed gases are heated sufficiently, they radiate some of the excess energy as light. Photons produced in this manner have a range of energies, and thereby produce a continuous spectrum in which an unbroken series of wavelengths is present.
77.0K
01:29Maxwell's Equation Of Electromagnetism
4.1K
James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) was one of the major contributors to physics in the nineteenth century. Although he died young, he made major contributions to the development of the kinetic theory of gases, to the understanding of color vision, and to understanding the nature of Saturn's rings. He is probably best known for having combined existing knowledge on the laws of electricity and magnetism with his insights into a complete overarching electromagnetic theory, which is...
4.1K
01:10Dual Nature of Electromagnetic (EM) Radiation
4.5K
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation consists of electric and magnetic field components oscillating in planes perpendicular to each other and mutually perpendicular to radiation propagation through space. EM radiation can be classified as a wave, characterized by the properties of waves such as wavelength (denoted as λ) and frequency (represented by ν).
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks (the highest point) or troughs (the lowest point) in the wave. Frequency is the number of...
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks (the highest point) or troughs (the lowest point) in the wave. Frequency is the number of...
4.5K
01:16Second Uniqueness Theorem
2.7K
Consider a region consisting of several individual conductors with a definite charge density in the region between these conductors. The second uniqueness theorem states that if the total charge on each conductor and the charge density in the in-between region are known, then the electric field can be uniquely determined.
In contrast, consider that the electric field is non-unique and apply Gauss's law in divergence form in the region between the conductors and the integral form to the surface...
In contrast, consider that the electric field is non-unique and apply Gauss's law in divergence form in the region between the conductors and the integral form to the surface...
2.7K
01:30Electromagnetic Waves
11.7K
James Clerk Maxwell formulated a single theory combining all the electric and magnetic effects scientists knew during that time, calling the phenomena his theory predicted “Electromagnetic waves”. He brought together all the work that had been done by brilliant physicists such as Oersted, Coulomb, Gauss, and Faraday and added his own insights to develop the overarching theory of electromagnetism. Maxwell’s equations, combined with the Lorentz force law, encompass all the laws...
11.7K