title: Classical height models with topological order.
abstract: I discuss a family of statistical-mechanics models in which (some classes of) elements of a finite group G occupy the (directed) edges of a lattice; the product around any plaquette is constrained to be the group identity e. Such a model may possess topological order, i.e. its equilibrium ensemble has distinct, symmetry-related thermodynamic components that cannot be distinguished by any local order parameter. In particular, if G is a non-Abelian group, the topological order may be non-Abelian. Criteria are given for the viability of particular models, in particular for Monte Carlo updates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2501, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Henley
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods*