Abstract
Symmetry plays a fundamental role in understanding quantum phases of matter. In quantum theories, symmetries can be spontaneously broken or can be anomalous. The former mechanism is the essential ingredient of the Landau paradigm, while the latter mechanism provides an approach to understanding the symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases. In this talk, we discuss various types of quantum anomalies and the anomaly inflow mechanism, which gives insight into the bulk-boundary correspondence. A classification scheme of SPT phases naturally emerges from this perspective. We then try to generalize these ideas to phases protected by crystalline symmetries. This is a plausible way to study interaction effects in crystalline systems, which goes beyond the topological band theory.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend.