Nonlocal probes for strongly-correlated quantum phases

In this talk, we propose non-local probes to study correlations in lattice bosons. We argue that these probes can be used as an alternative to characterize quantum phases. We use Path-Integral Monte-Carlo and define the proposed probes in terms of the geometric braiding in world-line configurations. We show that these probes can be used as alternatives to local order-parameters in certain known phase transitions. Further, we describe a framework which links these probes (based on braiding properties of in world-line configurations) to entanglement in hardcore lattice bosons.