Higgs and Nambu-Goldstone modes in condensed matter physics

Abstract

Collective dynamics of many particle systems is tightly linked to their underlying symmetry and phase transitions. Higgs and Nambu-Goldstone modes are, respectively, collective amplitude and phase modes of the order parameter that are widely observed in various physical systems at different energy scales, ranging from magnets, superfluids, superconductors to our universe. The Higgs mode is a massive excitation, which is a condensed-matter analog of Higgs particle in high-energy physics, while the Nambu-Goldstone mode is a massless excitation that appears when a continuous symmetry is spontaneously broken. They provide important information on the fundamental aspects of many particle systems, such as symmetry, phases, dynamics, response to external fields, and so on. In this article, we review the physics of Higgs and Nambu-Goldstone modes in condensed matter physics. Especially, we focus on the development on the study of collective modes in superconductors and cold-atom systems.