Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits

We prove that quantum information encoded in some topological excitations, including certain Majorana zero modes, is protected in closed systems for a time scale exponentially long in system parameters. This protection holds even at infinite temperature. At lower temperatures, the decay time becomes...

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Main Authors: Else, D, Fendley, P, Kemp, J, Nayak, C
Format: Journal article
Published: American Physical Society 2017
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author Else, D
Fendley, P
Kemp, J
Nayak, C
author_facet Else, D
Fendley, P
Kemp, J
Nayak, C
author_sort Else, D
collection OXFORD
description We prove that quantum information encoded in some topological excitations, including certain Majorana zero modes, is protected in closed systems for a time scale exponentially long in system parameters. This protection holds even at infinite temperature. At lower temperatures, the decay time becomes even longer, with a temperature dependence controlled by an effective gap that is parametrically larger than the actual energy gap of the system. This nonequilibrium dynamical phenomenon is a form of prethermalization and occurs because of obstructions to the equilibration of edge or defect degrees of freedom with the bulk. We analyze the ramifications for ordered and topological phases in one, two, and three dimensions, with examples including Majorana and parafermionic zero modes in interacting spin chains. Our results are based on a nonperturbative analysis valid in any dimension, and they are illustrated by numerical simulations in one dimension. We discuss the implications for experiments on quantum-dot chains tuned into a regime supporting end Majorana zero modes and on trapped ion chains.
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spelling oxford-uuid:33d9f1c0-fc86-42ba-a7a4-3aa203141e992022-03-26T13:22:38ZPrethermal strong zero modes and topological qubitsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:33d9f1c0-fc86-42ba-a7a4-3aa203141e99Symplectic Elements at OxfordAmerican Physical Society2017Else, DFendley, PKemp, JNayak, CWe prove that quantum information encoded in some topological excitations, including certain Majorana zero modes, is protected in closed systems for a time scale exponentially long in system parameters. This protection holds even at infinite temperature. At lower temperatures, the decay time becomes even longer, with a temperature dependence controlled by an effective gap that is parametrically larger than the actual energy gap of the system. This nonequilibrium dynamical phenomenon is a form of prethermalization and occurs because of obstructions to the equilibration of edge or defect degrees of freedom with the bulk. We analyze the ramifications for ordered and topological phases in one, two, and three dimensions, with examples including Majorana and parafermionic zero modes in interacting spin chains. Our results are based on a nonperturbative analysis valid in any dimension, and they are illustrated by numerical simulations in one dimension. We discuss the implications for experiments on quantum-dot chains tuned into a regime supporting end Majorana zero modes and on trapped ion chains.
spellingShingle Else, D
Fendley, P
Kemp, J
Nayak, C
Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title_full Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title_fullStr Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title_full_unstemmed Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title_short Prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
title_sort prethermal strong zero modes and topological qubits
work_keys_str_mv AT elsed prethermalstrongzeromodesandtopologicalqubits
AT fendleyp prethermalstrongzeromodesandtopologicalqubits
AT kempj prethermalstrongzeromodesandtopologicalqubits
AT nayakc prethermalstrongzeromodesandtopologicalqubits