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arXiv:2107.04411 · Journal of Mathematical Physics

Quantum double aspects of surface code models

Alexander Cowtan, Shahn Majid

Published Apr 1, 2022• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We revisit the Kitaev model for fault tolerant quantum computing on a square lattice with underlying quantum double D( G) symmetry, where G is a finite group. We provide projection operators for its quasiparticles content as irreducible representations of D( G) and combine this with D( G)-bimodule properties of open ribbon excitation spaces [Formula: see text] to show how open ribbons can be used to teleport information between their endpoints s0, s1. We give a self-contained account that builds on earlier work but emphasizes applications to quantum computing as surface code theory, including gates on D( S3). We show how the theory reduces to a simpler theory for toric codes in the case of [Formula: see text], including toric ribbon operators and their braiding. In the other direction, we show how our constructions generalize to D( H) models based on a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra H, including site actions of D( H) and partial results on ribbon equivariance even when the Hopf algebra is not semisimple.

DOI
10.1063/5.0063768

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•Aug 11, 2014•2 citations
We revisit the Kitaev model for fault tolerant quantum computing on a square lattice with underlying quantum double D( G) symmetry, where G is a finite group. We provide projection operators for its quasiparticles content as irreducible representations of D( G) and combine this with D( G)-bimodule properties of open ribbon excitation spaces [Formula: see text] to show how open ribbons can be used to teleport information between their endpoints s0, s1. We give a self-contained account that builds on earlier work but emphasizes applications to quantum computing as surface code theory, including gates on D( S3). We show how the theory reduces to a simpler theory for toric codes in the case of [Formula: see text], including toric ribbon operators and their braiding. In the other direction, we show how our constructions generalize to D( H) models based on a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra H, including site actions of D( H) and partial results on ribbon equivariance even when the Hopf algebra is not semisimple.
The construction of the topologically protected code space of Kitaev's model for fault-tolerant quantum computation is extended from complex semisimple to arbitrary finite-dimensional Hopf algebras admitting pairs in involution. One input of the model are ribbon graphs, that is, the combinatorial data of cellular decompositions of oriented closed surfaces. The other input are certain Hopf bimodules that are closely related to the coefficients in Hopf-cyclic homology. As in previous generalisations of the Kitaev model, a Yetter-Drinfeld module is constructed and shown to be a topological invariant of the surface with boundary that is obtained by "thickening" the graph. The generalisation of the protected space is defined using bitensor products of modules-comodules. Provided that the Hopf bimodule coefficients correspond to pairs in involution, this is shown to depend only on the genus of the graph. As examples, group algebras of finite groups and bosonisations of Nichols algebras are considered.
Abstract One generalization of the toric code is the so-called Kitaev Quantum Double model which realizes the Drinfeld double of a group. In this model edges of a lattice are directed and labeled with elements of a group G which then give us a planar diagram algebra. We consider mainly the “untwisted” case where the F-matrices (or equivalently 3-cocyles) are trivial. This generalizes the toric code where the group is Z2. Again we have vertex and plaquette operators, and a code space which satisfies both. As with the toric code, the ground state is topological although here (depending on the group G) the quasiparticles may be nonabelian. We turn to a continuum model for a more detailed analysis of the ground state space and the quasiparticles using the tube algebra, which, using some amount of group theory, is easily tractable. We discuss the so-called quasiparticle “ribbon operators” which generalize the error strings of the toric code. We relate the Kitaev quantum double model to lattice gauge theory and briefly discuss its generalization to higher dimensions.
Fault-tolerant quantum computation requires robust protection of encoded quantum information. In this work, we develop a representation-theoretic framework for constructing protected logical qudits in finite-group Kitaev quantum double models. By introducing ε\varepsilonε-stable irreducible representations, we establish a necessary and sufficient existence criterion and derive ribbon--projector commutation relations that yield a ddd-dimensional protected logical subspace. We apply this construction to symmetric and alternating groups, obtaining logical qubits for SnS_nSn​ (n≥3n\ge 3n≥3) and a logical qutrit for A4A_4A4​. Moreover, the family (Z2)d⋊Zd(\mathbb Z_2)^d\rtimes\mathbb Z_d(Z2​)d⋊Zd​ realizes protected logical qudits of arbitrary dimension d≥2d\ge 2d≥2. Finally, for D(A4)D(A_4)D(A4​), we describe a scheme for universal logical qutrit computation using ribbon-based logical operations.
Abstract Kitaev’s quantum double model is a family of exactly solvable lattice models that realize two dimensional topological phases of matter. The model was originally based on finite groups, and was later generalized to semi-simple Hopf algebras. We rigorously define and study ribbon operators in the generalized quantum double model. These ribbon operators are important tools to understand quasi-particle excitations. It turns out that there are some subtleties in defining the operators in contrast to what one would naively think of. In particular, one has to distinguish two classes of ribbons which we call locally clockwise and locally counterclockwise ribbons. Moreover, we point out that the issue already exists in the original model based on finite non-abelian groups, but it seems to not have been noticed in the literature. We show how certain common properties would fail even in the original model if we were not to distinguish these two classes of ribbons. Perhaps not surprisingly, under the new definitions ribbon operators satisfy all properties that are expected. For instance, they create quasi-particle excitations only at the end of the ribbon, and the types of the quasi-particles correspond to irreducible representations of the Drinfeld double of the input Hopf algebra. However, the proofs of these properties are much more complicated than those in the case of finite groups. This is partly due to the complications in dealing with general Hopf algebras rather than group algebras.
We provide a systematic treatment of boundaries based on subgroups K ⊆ G for the Kitaev quantum double D(G) model in the bulk. The boundary sites are representations of a *-subalgebra Ξ ⊆ D(G) and we explicate its structure as a quasi-Hopf *-algebra dependent on a choice of transversal R. We provide decomposition formulae for irreducible representations of D(G) pulled back to Ξ. As an application of our treatment, we study patches with boundaries based on K = G horizontally and K = {e} vertically and show how these could be used in a quantum computer using the technique of lattice surgery. More abstractly, we also provide explicitly the monoidal equivalence of the category of Ξ-modules and the category of G-graded K-bimodules and use this to prove that different choices of R are related by Drinfeld cochain twists. Examples include Sn−1 ⊂ Sn and an example related to the octonions where Ξ is also a Hopf quasigroup.
We construct two dimensional lattice models from transfer matrices of lattice gauge theories with discrete gauge groups. These transfer matrices are built out of local operators acting on links, vertices and plaquettes and are parametrized by the center of the gauge group algebra and its dual. They contain the familiar 2D quantum double models for a particular choice of parameters, which includes the well studied example of the toric code. However for more general choices of parameters the transfer matrix contains operators acting on links which can also be thought of as perturbations to the quantum double model driving it out of its topological phase towards a paramagnetic phase. These perturbations can be thought of as magnetic fields added to the system which destroy the exact solvability of the quantum double model. Nevertheless from the same transfer matrix with perturbations we exhibit exactly solvable models which remain in a quantum phase, thus nullifying the effect of the perturbation. The Abelian cases are shown to be in the quantum double phase whereas the non-Abelian phases are shown to be in a modified phase of the corresponding quantum double phase. This is shown by working with the groups Zn and S3 for the Abelian and non-Abelian cases respectively. The quantum phases are found by studying the excitations of these systems. The fusion rules and the statistics of these anyons indicate the quantum phases of these models. The implementation of these models can possibly improve the use of quantum double models for fault tolerant quantum computation. We then construct theories which arise from transfer matrices that are not the transfer matrices of lattice gauge theories. In particular we show that for the Z2 case this contains the double semion model. More generally for other discrete groups these transfer matrices contain the twisted quantum double models. These transfer matrices can be thought of as being obtained by introducing extra parameters into the transfer matrix of lattice gauge theories. These parameters are central elements belonging to the tensor products of the algebra and its dual and are associated to vertices and volumes of the three dimensional lattice. As in the case of the lattice gauge theories we construct the operators creating the excitations in this case and study their braiding and fusion properties.