Stabilizer Scars

Hartse, Jeremy [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)]; Fidkowski, Lukasz [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)]; Mueller, Niklas [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)]

doi:10.1103/n5hb-l5p5

DOE OSTI · 2893955

Stabilizer Scars

Hartse, Jeremy [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)]·Fidkowski, Lukasz [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)]·Mueller, Niklas [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)]

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Quantum many-body scars are eigenstates in nonintegrable isolated quantum systems that defy typical thermalization paradigms, violating the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis and quantum ergodicity. Here, we identify exact analytic scar solutions in a 2+1 dimensional lattice gauge theory in a quasi-1D limit as zero-magic resource stabilizer states. Our results also highlight the importance of magic resources for gauge theory thermalization, revealing a connection between computational complexity and quantum ergodicity.

Explore related subjects

eigenstate thermalization lattice gauge theory quantum many-body systems quantum scars

Keep this discovery

BibTeX RIS

Hartse, Jeremy [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)], Fidkowski, Lukasz [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)], Mueller, Niklas [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)]. 2025-08-06. Stabilizer Scars. https://doi.org/10.1103/n5hb-l5p5

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

Discover connections

eigenstate thermalization subject lattice gauge theory subject

Connections use source metadata and explicit phrase matches, not verified experimental comparisons.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related discoveries

DOE OSTI2025

Entanglement properties of SU(2) gauge theory

Understanding how isolated quantum systems thermalize is central to both fundamental physics and the development of quantum technologies. In this Perspective, we present recent and new results on thermalization in nonabelian gauge theory from exact real-time simulations of two-dimensional lattice models. We discuss tests of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, entanglement entropy dynamics, the absence of persistent non-thermal states, spectral signatures, and measures of quantum complexity. Our new results include a two-step thermalization process in localized regions and the role of higher gauge field representations. These findings suggest that thermalization in gauge theories may offer a test case for quantum advantage.

information theory and computation↗

DOE OSTI2025

Strong Kitaev Interaction in BaCo 2⁢ (AsO 4 ) 2

The inelastic neutron scattering results and their analysis unequivocally point to a dominant Kitaev interaction in the honeycomb-lattice cobaltate BaCo 2 ⁢(AsO 4 ) 2 . Our anisotropic-exchange model closely describes all available neutron scattering data in the material’s field-polarized phase. Furthermore, the density-matrix renormalization group results for our model are in close accord with the unusual double-zigzag magnetic order and the low in-plane saturation field of BaCo 2 ⁢(AsO 4 ) 2 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2026

Electronic glasses from a broken gauge symmetry in disorder-free systems

Glass phases can be stabilized by quenched disorders, as in most spin-glass materials, or self-generated through kinetic freezing in disorder-free systems. A canonical example of the latter is structural glasses, which have been extensively studied for many decades. Yet, how the rugged energy landscape of a glass phase is spontaneously generated in disorder-free systems remains one of the key questions in glass physics. Here, in this work, we present a general electronic mechanism for the emergence of glassy phase using the example of itinerant electrons coupled to XY spins on a lattice. This model can also be viewed as the mean-field theory of a superconducting system with attractive density-density interactions. Intriguingly, the electron gauge symmetry in the strong pairing limit gives rise to a macroscopic degeneracy of XY spins. In the presence of electron hopping that breaks the gauge symmetry, the lifting of the extensive degeneracy leads to a glass phase with disordered pairings. Our findings highlight a scenario in which a glassy state originates from the breaking of quantum gauge symmetry without quenched disorders.

XY model↗