Ungauging quantum error-correcting codes

May 4, 2018
33 pages
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20182020202220242025051015
Abstract: (arXiv)
We develop the procedures of gauging and ungauging, reveal their operational meaning and propose their generalization in a systematic manner within the framework of quantum error-correcting codes. We demonstrate with an example of the subsystem Bacon-Shor code that the ungauging procedure can result in models with unusual symmetry operators constrained to live on lower-dimensional structures. We apply our formalism to the three-dimensional gauge color code (GCC) and show that its codeword space is equivalent to the Hilbert space of six copies of Z2\mathbb{Z}_2 lattice gauge theory with 11-form symmetries. We find that three different stabilizer Hamiltonians associated with the GCC correspond to distinct thermal symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases in the presence of the stabilizer symmetries of the GCC. One of the considered Hamiltonians describes the Raussendorf-Bravyi-Harrington model, which is universal for measurement-based quantum computation at non-zero temperature. We also propose a general procedure of creating DD-dimensional SPT Hamiltonians from (D+1)(D+1)-dimensional CSS stabilizer Hamiltonians by exploiting a relation between gapped domain walls and transversal logical gates. As a result, we find an explicit two-dimensional realization of a non-trivial fracton SPT phase protected by fractal-like symmetries.
Note:
  • 32 pages, 8 figures
  • operator: constraint
  • Hamiltonian
  • stability
  • quantum error correction
  • Hilbert space
  • domain wall
  • topological
  • lattice field theory
  • thermal
  • gate