Controlling phase diagram of finite spin-$1\mathrm{/}2$ chains by tuning boundary interactions

Searching for simple models that possess non-trivial controlling properties is one of the central tasks in the field of quantum technologies. In this work, we construct a quantum spin-$1\mathrm{/}2$ chain of finite size, termed as controllable spin wire (CSW), in which we have ${\widehat{S}}^z{\widehat{S}}^z$ (Ising) interactions with a transverse field in the bulk, and ${\widehat{S}}^x{\widehat{S}}^z$ and ${\widehat{S}}^z{\widehat{S}}^z$ couplings with a canted field on the boundaries. The Hamiltonians on the boundaries, dubbed as tuning Hamiltonians (TH’s), bear the same form as the effective Hamiltonians emerging in the so-called quantum entanglement simulator' that is originally proposed for mimicking infinite models. We show that tuning the TH's (parametrized by $\alpha$) can trigger non-trivial controlling of the bulk properties, including the degeneracy of energy/entanglement spectra, and the response to the magnetic field $h_{bulk}$ in the bulk. A universal point dubbed as $\alpha^s$ emerges. For $\alpha > \alpha^s$, the ground-state diagram versus $h_{bulk}$ consists of three phases’, which are Ne'eL and polarized phases, and an emergent pseudo-magnet phase, distinguished by entanglement and magnetization. For $\alpha < \alpha^s$, the phase diagram changes completely, with no step-like behaviors to distinguish phases. Due to its controlling properties and simplicity, the CSW could potentially serve in future the experiments for developing quantum devices.