Local symmetric quantum circuits provide a simple framework to study the dynamics and phases of complex quantum systems with conserved charges. However, some of their basic properties have not yet been understood. Recently, it has been shown that such quantum circuits only generate a restricted subset of symmetric unitary transformations [I. Marvian, Nature Physics, 2022]. In this paper, we consider circuits with 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries acting on qudits, i.e., d-dimensional quantum systems. Our results reveal a significant distinction between the cases of d = 2 and d>2. For qubits with SU(2) symmetry, arbitrary global rotationally-invariant unitaries can be generated with 2-local ones, up to relative phases between the subspaces corresponding to inequivalent irreducible representations (irreps) of the symmetry, i.e., sectors with different angular momenta. On the other hand, for d>2, in addition to similar constraints on the relative phases between the irreps, locality also restricts the generated unitaries inside these conserved subspaces. These constraints impose conservation laws that hold for dynamics under 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries, but are violated under general SU(d)-invariant unitaries. Based on this result, we show that the distribution of unitaries generated by random 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries does not converge to the Haar measure over the group of all SU(d)-invariant unitaries, and in fact, for d>2, is not even a 2-design for the Haar distribution.
Local symmetric quantum circuits provide a simple framework to study the dynamics and phases of complex quantum systems with conserved charges. However, some of their basic properties have not yet been understood. Recently, it has been shown that such quantum circuits only generate a restricted subset of symmetric unitary transformations [I. Marvian, Nature Physics, 2022]. In this paper, we consider circuits with 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries acting on qudits, i.e., d-dimensional quantum systems. Our results reveal a significant distinction between the cases of d = 2 and d>2. For qubits with SU(2) symmetry, arbitrary global rotationally-invariant unitaries can be generated with 2-local ones, up to relative phases between the subspaces corresponding to inequivalent irreducible representations (irreps) of the symmetry, i.e., sectors with different angular momenta. On the other hand, for d>2, in addition to similar constraints on the relative phases between the irreps, locality also restricts the generated unitaries inside these conserved subspaces. These constraints impose conservation laws that hold for dynamics under 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries, but are violated under general SU(d)-invariant unitaries. Based on this result, we show that the distribution of unitaries generated by random 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries does not converge to the Haar measure over the group of all SU(d)-invariant unitaries, and in fact, for d>2, is not even a 2-design for the Haar distribution.
Local symmetric quantum circuits are those that contain only local unitaries that respect a certain symmetry. These circuits provide a simple framework to study the dynamics and phases of complex quantum systems with conserved charges; however, some of their basic properties have not yet been understood. Recently, it has been shown that such quantum circuits only generate a restricted subset of symmetric unitary transformations. In this paper, we consider circuits with 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries acting on qudits, i.e., d-dimensional quantum systems. Our results reveal a significant distinction between the cases of d=2 and d>=3. For qubits with SU(2) symmetry, arbitrary global rotationally-invariant unitaries can be generated with 2-local ones, up to relative phases between the subspaces corresponding to inequivalent irreducible representations (irreps) of the symmetry, i.e., sectors with different angular momenta. On the other hand, for d>=3, in addition to similar constraints on relative phases between the irreps, locality also restricts the generated unitaries inside these conserved subspaces. In particular, for certain irreps of SU(d), the dynamics under 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries can be mapped to the dynamics of a non-interacting (free) fermionic system, whereas for general 3-local ones, the corresponding fermionic model is interacting. Using this correspondence, we obtain new conservation laws for dynamics under 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries. Furthermore, we identify a Z2 symmetry related to the parity of permutations which imposes additional conservation laws for systems with n =3. Our results imply that the distribution of unitaries generated by random 2-local SU(d)-invariant unitaries does not converge to the Haar measure over the group of all SU(d)-invariant unitaries, and in fact, for d>=3, is not even a 2-design for the Haar distribution.
Quantum circuits with symmetry-respecting gates have attracted broad interest in quantum information science. While recent work has developed a theory for circuits with Abelian symmetries, revealing important distinctions between Abelian and non-Abelian cases, a comprehensive framework for non-Abelian symmetries has been lacking. In this work, we develop novel techniques and a powerful framework that is particularly useful for understanding circuits with non-Abelian symmetries. Using this framework we settle an open question on quantum circuits with SU(d) symmetry. We show that 3-qudit SU(d)-invariant gates are semi-universal, i.e., generate all SU(d)-invariant unitaries, up to certain constraints on the relative phases between sectors with inequivalent representation of symmetry. Furthermore, we prove that these gates achieve full universality when supplemented with 3 ancilla qudits. Interestingly, we find that studying circuits with 3-qudit gates is also useful for a better understanding of circuits with 2-qudit gates. In particular, we establish that even though 2-qudit SU(d)-invariant gates are not themselves semi-universal, they become universal with at most 11 ancilla qudits. Additionally, we investigate the statistical properties of circuits composed of random SU(d)-invariant gates. Our findings reveal that while circuits with 2-qudit gates do not form a 2-design for the Haar measure over SU(d)-invariant unitaries, circuits with 3-qudit gates generate a t-design, with t that is quadratic in the number of qudits.
The generation of k -designs (pseudorandom distributions that emulate the Haar measure up to k moments) with local quantum circuit ensembles is a problem of fundamental importance in quantum information and physics. Despite the extensive understanding of this problem for ordinary random circuits, the crucial situations in which symmetries or conservation laws are in play are known to pose fundamental challenges and remain little understood. Here, we construct explicit local unitary ensembles that can achieve high-order unitary k -designs under transversal continuous symmetry, in the particularly important SU ( d ) case. Specifically, we define the convolutional quantum alternating (CQA) group generated by 4-local SU ( d ) -symmetric Hamiltonians as well as associated 4-local SU ( d ) -symmetric random unitary circuit ensembles and prove that they form and converge to SU ( d ) -symmetric k -designs, respectively, for all k < n ( n − 3 ) / 2 , with n being the number of qudits. A key technique that we employ to obtain the results is the Okounkov-Vershik approach to S n representation theory. To study the convergence time of the CQA ensemble, we develop a numerical method using the Young orthogonal form and the S n branching rule. We provide strong evidence for a subconstant spectral gap and certain convergence time scales of various important circuit architectures, which contrast with the symmetry-free case. We also provide comprehensive explanations of the difficulties and limitations in rigorously analyzing the convergence time using methods that have been effective for cases without symmetries, including Knabe’s local gap threshold and Nachtergaele’s martingale methods. This suggests that a novel approach is likely necessary for understanding the convergence time of SU ( d ) -symmetric local random circuits. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Quantum circuits with gates (local unitaries) respecting a global symmetry have broad applications in quantum information science and related fields, such as condensed-matter theory and quantum thermodynamics. However, despite their widespread use, fundamental properties of such circuits are not well understood. Recently, it was found that generic unitaries respecting a global symmetry cannot be realized, even approximately, using gates that respect the same symmetry. This observation raises important open questions: What unitary transformations can be realized with k -local gates that respect a global symmetry? In other words, in the presence of a global symmetry, how does the locality of interactions constrain the possible time evolution of a composite system? In this work, we address these questions for the case of Abelian (commutative) symmetries and develop constructive methods for synthesizing circuits with such symmetries. Remarkably, as a corollary, we find that, while the locality of interactions still imposes additional constraints on realizable unitaries, certain restrictions observed in the case of non-Abelian symmetries do not apply to circuits with Abelian symmetries. For instance, in circuits with a general non-Abelian symmetry such as SU ( d ) , the unitary realized in a subspace with one irreducible representation (charge) of the symmetry dictates the realized unitaries in multiple other sectors with inequivalent representations of the symmetry. Furthermore, in certain sectors, rather than all unitaries respecting the symmetry, the realizable unitaries are the symplectic or orthogonal subgroups of this group. We prove that none of these restrictions appears in the case of Abelian symmetries. This result suggests that global non-Abelian symmetries may affect the thermalization of quantum systems in ways not possible under Abelian symmetries. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
In this work, we study distributions of unitaries generated by random quantum circuits containing only symmetry-respecting gates. We develop a unified approach applicable to all symmetry groups and obtain an equation that determines the exact design properties of such distributions. It has been recently shown that the locality of gates imposes various constraints on realizable unitaries, which in general, significantly depend on the symmetry under consideration. These constraints typically include restrictions on the relative phases between sectors with inequivalent irreducible representations of the symmetry. We call a set of symmetric gates semi-universal if they realize all unitaries that respect the symmetry, up to such restrictions. For instance, while 2-qubit gates are semi-universal for Z2, U(1), and SU(2) symmetries in qubit systems, SU(d) symmetry with d≥3 requires 3-qudit gates for semi-universality. Failure of semi-universality precludes the distribution generated by the random circuits from being even a 2-design for the Haar distribution over symmetry-respecting unitaries. On the other hand, when semi-universality holds, under mild conditions, satisfied by U(1) and SU(2) for example, the distribution becomes a t-design for t growing polynomially with the number of qudits, where the degree is determined by the locality of gates. More generally, we present a simple linear equation that determines the maximum integer tmax for which the uniform distribution of unitaries generated by the circuits is a t-design for all t≤tmax. Notably, for U(1), SU(2) and cyclic groups, we determine the exact value of tmax as a function of the number of qubits and locality of the gates, and for SU(d), we determine the exact value of tmax for up to 4-qudit gates.
The efficiency of locally generating unitary designs, which capture statistical notions of quantum pseudorandomness, lies at the heart of wide-ranging areas in physics and quantum information technologies. While there are extensive potent methods and results for this problem, the evidently important setting where continuous symmetries or conservation laws (most notably U(1) and SU(d)) are involved is known to present fundamental difficulties. In particular, even the basic question of whether any local symmetric circuit can generate 2-designs efficiently (in time that grows at most polynomially in the system size) remains open with no circuit constructions provably known to do so, despite intensive efforts. In this work, we resolve this long-standing open problem for both U(1) and SU(d) symmetries by explicitly constructing local symmetric quantum circuits which we prove to converge to symmetric unitary 2-designs in polynomial time using a combination of representation theory, graph theory, and Markov chain methods. As a direct application, our constructions can be used to efficiently generate near-optimal covariant quantum error-correcting codes, confirming a conjecture in [PRX Quantum 3, 020314 (2022)].