Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Floquet topological order (FTO) extends topology beyond equilibrium, giving rise to phenomena, such as the dynamical transmutation of anyons. Here, we realize $\mathbb{Z}_N$ FTO in a generalized Kitaev honeycomb model with clock degrees of freedom using a three-step periodic drive. The driven system admits an emergent description in terms of constrained parafermions coupled to conserved $\mathbb{Z}_N$ gauge fields. At the boundary, the drive generates chiral parafermionic Floquet edge modes. We resolve their propagation through correlation functions, characterize their fractional quantum-information transport through the radical chiral unitary index, and use their dynamics to probe exchange statistics. In the bulk, we explore the dynamical anyon transmutation with a non-equilibrium loop order parameter. At a Floquet sweet spot, where the drive becomes Clifford, these phenomena can be accessed using stabilizer simulations. Short-time matrix-product-state simulations away from this point show that the chiral edge response persists at accessible times. Our results establish $\mathbb{Z}_N$ Kitaev models as a setting for exploring intrinsically non-equilibrium topological phenomena on qudit-based quantum processors.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Will, Melissa, Schmid, Harald, Egger, Jan, Gammon-Smith, Adam, Knap, Michael, Pollmann, Frank
Language: English
Topic: Quantum many-body systems
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1520943153, G1768993395, FOR 5522: Quantenthermalisierung, Lokalisierung und eingeschränkte Dynamik mit wechselwirkenden ultrakalten Atomen, G2809294039, G5588812021, G6033383381, G734228467, TRR 360: Eingeschränkte Quantenmaterie, G756970498, EXC 2111: Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), G925999877
OpenAlex ID: W7220982177