Professor Ruben Verresen
University of Chicago
Decohering Topological Order
Location: 1080 Physics Research Building
Faculty Host: Yuan-Ming Lu
Abstract: Topological order (TO) is characterized by the emergence of anyonic quasiparticles, with potential applications for quantum computation. An open question of conceptual and practical importance is the effect of decoherence on TO. Thus far, the resulting mixed states have mostly been studied for the simplest TO, such as the toric code with its celebrated error threshold. In this talk, we will generalize to the broader landscape of TO, which is generically non-Abelian. Remarkably, despite being richer, we find that decohering with non-Abelian anyons leads to enhanced stability, compared to the Abelian counterpart. Our general framework is based on effective stat-mech loop models involving the quantum dimension of the anyons. Specific examples include decoherence of the Kitaev honeycomb model, as well as D4 TO which has recently been experimentally realized in quantum processors. Based on works with Pablo Sala and Jason Alicea [arXiv:2409.12948 and arXiv:2409.12230].