Observation of renormalization group invariance in symmetry-restored nuclear lattice effective field theory

Abstract

Renormalization group (RG) invariance implies that the predictions of effective field theory are independent of the momentum cutoffs introduced during regularization. Here we report the first systematic verification of RG invariance for realistic nuclear few-body systems within nuclear lattice effective field theory. To restore broken continuum rotational and Galilean symmetries, we employ Galilean-invariance-restoration counterterms and use a soft momentum regulator. We calibrate the two- and three-body next-to-next-to leading order (N$^2$LO) chiral forces using $A\leq 3$ observables and perform precision quantum Monte Carlo calculations to compute the $^4$He binding energy. The predicted energy remains constant across cutoffs from $250$~MeV to $400$~MeV and agrees well with the experimental value, with discrepancies of order 100 keV. Our results demonstrate the capability of extracting accurate, cutoff-independent predictions within lattice-regulated \textit{ab initio} nuclear theory.