Robust finite-temperature many-body scarring on a quantum computer

Journal Article · 08 October 2024 · Physical Review A

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.110.042606 · OSTI ID:2461638

Desaules, Jean-Yves ; Gustafson, Erik J.; Li, Andy C. Y. ; Papić, Zlatko; Halimeh, Jad C.

Mechanisms for suppressing thermalization in disorder-free many-body systems, such as Hilbert space fragmentation and quantum many-body scars, have recently attracted much interest in foundations of quantum statistical physics and potential quantum information processing applications. However, their sensitivity to realistic effects such as finite temperature remains largely unexplored. Here, we have utilized IBM's Kolkata quantum processor to demonstrate an unexpected robustness of quantum many-body scars at finite temperatures when the system is prepared in a thermal Gibbs ensemble. We identify such robustness in the PXP model, which describes quantum many-body scars in experimental systems of Rydberg atom arrays and ultracold atoms in tilted Bose-Hubbard optical lattices. By contrast, other theoretical models which host exact quantum many-body scars are found to lack such robustness and their scarring properties quickly decay with temperature. Our study sheds light on the important differences between scarred models in terms of their algebraic structures, which impacts their resilience to finite temperature. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Leeds U., Math.; MCQST, Munich; Munich U., ASC; Munich, Max Planck Inst. Quantenopt.; NASA, Ames; Unlisted, US
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: 89243024CSC000002; AC02-07CH11359; AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 2461638
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-23-560-SQMS; 042606
• Journal Information: Physical Review A, Journal Name: Physical Review A Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 110; ISSN PLRAAN; ISSN 2469-9926
• Publisher: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English