In this paper a duality between the d=2 Wen-plaquette model in a transverse field and the d=1 Ising model in a transverse field is used to learn the nature of the quantum phase transition (QPT) between a spin-polarized phase and a topological ordered state with the string-net condensation. The QPT is not induced by spontaneous symmetry breaking and there are no conventional Landautype local order parameters. Instead the string-like non-local order parameters are introduced to describe the QPT. In particular, the duality character between the open-string and closed string for the QPT are explored.

In this paper we systematically study a simple class of translation-symmetry protected topological orders in quantum spin systems using slave-particle approach. The lattice spin systems are translation invariant, but may break any other symmetries. We consider topologically ordered ground states that do not spontaneously break any symmetry. Those states can be described by Z2A or Z2B projective symmetry group. We find that the Z2A translation symmetric topological orders can still be divided into 16 subclasses corresponding to 16 translationsymmetry protected topological orders. We introduced four Z2 topological indices k=0,1 at k=(0,0), (0,π),(π,0), and(π,π) to characterize those 16 topological orders on square lattice. We calculated the topological degeneracies and crystal momenta for those 16 topological phases on even-by-even, even-by-odd, odd-byeven, and odd-by-odd lattices, which allows us to physically measure such topological orders. We predict the appearance of gapless fermionic excitations at the quantum phase transitions between those symmetry protected topological orders. Our result can be generalized to any dimensions. We find 256 translation-symmetry protected Z2A topological orders for a system on three-dimensional cubic lattice.

In this paper, the degenerate ground states of Z2 topological order on a plane with holes (the so-called surface codes) are used as the protected code subspace to build a topological quantum computer by tuning their quantum tunneling e ect. Using a designer Hamiltonian-the Kitaev toric-code model as an example, we study quantum tunneling e ects of the surface codes and obtain its e ective theory. Finally, we show how to do topological quantum computation including the initialization, the unitary transformation and the measurement.

In this paper, we develop an effective mutual Chern-Simons Landau-Ginzburg MCSLG theory to describe the continuous topological quantum phase transition TQPT. In particular, we consider the TQPT etween a spin-polarized phase a state without topological order and a Z2 topologically ordered state. The TQPT is not induced by spontaneous symmetry breaking. Instead the Z2 topological order is broken down by the condensation of Z2 charged quasiparticles. By generalizing the hierarchy theory of fractional quantum Hall effect to Z2 topological order, we show that the TQPT belongs to the universal class of three-dimensional Ising phase transition. In the end, we applied the MCSLG theory to the toric code model.

We propose a model of coupled local moments and itinerant electrons to describe the iron-based superconductors. Here the spin-density-wave (SDW) order of the itinerant electrons is not driven by Fermi surface nesting but is induced by the Hund's rule coupling with the local moments. The superconducting pairing is of the same origin whose strength can reach strong coupling. The existence of the local moments is supported by various anomalous magnetic properties which are in quantitative agreement with experiments.