Title: Exact matrix product states for the quantum Hall effect - from conformal block wave functions to tensor networks

Abstract:

A large class of model wavefunctions, such as the Laughlin and AKLT states, can be understood as the correlation function of a lower dimensional field theory. I'll first explain why wavefunctions of this form are in the same variational space as "tensor networks." This observation can be put to use in order to obtain the exact matrix product state (MPS) representation of the quantum Hall trial wavefunctions. The MPS construction gives an elegant perspective on many familiar topological properties, allows observables, Berry phases and entanglement spectra to be computed numerically, and is a promising technique for testing the screening properties of more exotic trial states.