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arXiv:2606.12527

Statistical Mechanics and Symmetries of Non-Abelian Anyon Proliferation: From Deformation to Decoherence

Avi Vadali, Robijn Vanhove, Ruben Verresen, Jason Alicea, Pablo Sala

quant-phcond-mat.stat-mechcond-mat.str-elSubmitted Jun 10, 2026• Announced Jun 12, 2026• 0 citations
v1 · Jun 10, 2026v2 · Aug 14, 2026
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Abstract

Topological quantum computation relies on braiding non-Abelian anyons, but requires the underlying topological order to survive imperfect state preparation and environmental noise. We show that the instability of topological order to wavefunction deformations and to decoherence, with the latter probed by syndrome distributions, are generically captured by stat-mech models whose symmetries naturally expose the corrupting anyonic excitations. As an example, we combine this framework with Monte-Carlo simulations to resolve the stability of $D_4$ topological order under deformations and quantum channels that proliferate multiple non-Abelian anyon species that individually are unable to condense. We show that beyond a finite threshold, proliferation of two non-Abelian anyon species parasitically condenses a shared Abelian-anyon fusion outcome, destroying the topological order. Our symmetry-based approach sharply differentiates the resulting trivial phase from that obtained by condensing all Abelian charges; in other words, the trivial phase "remembers" which anyons condensed. This framework provides a first step into identifying the relevant symmetry for optimal decoders, conditioned on syndrome measurements, of non-Abelian topological order.

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Topological quantum computation relies on braiding non-Abelian anyons, but requires the underlying topological order to survive imperfect state preparation and environmental noise. We show that the instability of topological order to wavefunction deformations and to decoherence, with the latter probed by syndrome distributions, are generically captured by stat-mech models whose symmetries naturally expose the corrupting anyonic excitations. As an example, we combine this framework with Monte-Carlo simulations to resolve the stability of D4D_4D4​ topological order under deformations and quantum channels that proliferate multiple non-Abelian anyon species that individually are unable to condense. We show that beyond a finite threshold, proliferation of two non-Abelian anyon species parasitically condenses a shared Abelian-anyon fusion outcome, destroying the topological order. Our symmetry-based approach sharply differentiates the resulting trivial phase from that obtained by condensing all Abelian charges; in other words, the trivial phase "remembers" which anyons condensed. This framework provides a first step into identifying the relevant symmetry for optimal decoders, conditioned on syndrome measurements, of non-Abelian topological order.
The effect of decoherence on topological order (TO) has been most deeply understood for the toric code, the paragon of Abelian TOs. We show that certain non-Abelian TOs can be analyzed and understood to a similar degree, despite being significantly richer. We consider both wave-function deformations and quantum channels acting on D 4 TO, which has recently been realized on a quantum processor. By identifying the corresponding local statistical mechanical spin or rotor model with D 4 symmetry, we find a remarkable stability against proliferating non-Abelian anyons. This is shown by leveraging a reformulation in terms of the tractable O(2) loop model in the pure state case and n coupled O(2) loop models for Rényi- n quantities in the decoherence case—corresponding to worldlines of the proliferating anyon with quantum dimension 2. In particular, we find that the purity ( n = 2 ) remains deep in the D 4 TO for any decoherence strength, while the n → ∞ limit becomes critical upon maximally decohering a particular anyon type, similar to our wave-function deformation result. The information-theoretic threshold ( n → 1 ) appears to be controlled by a disordered version of these statistical mechanical models, akin to the toric code case although significantly more robust. We furthermore use Monte Carlo simulations to explore the phase diagrams when multiple anyon types proliferate at the same time, leading to a continued stability of the D 4 TO in addition to critical phases with emergent U(1) symmetry. Instead of loop models, these are now described by net models corresponding to different anyon types coupled together according to fusion rules. This opens up the exploration of statistical mechanical models for decohered non-Abelian TO, which can inform optimal decoders and which in an ungauged formulation provides examples of non-Abelian strong-to-weak symmetry breaking.
Transitions out of non-Abelian topological order are difficult to describe in microscopic quantum models with numerical methods that remain tractable at large scales. We develop a sign-free path-integral framework for Kitaev quantum doubles D(G)\mathcal D(G)D(G) by organizing single-link perturbations in terms of non-invertible electric and magnetic 1-form symmetries that proliferate distinct anyon species. For any finite group GGG, an exact matterization\textit{matterization}matterization isometry introduces vertex degrees of freedom and maps the link-only model onto a GGG gauge--Higgs theory. Furthermore, the 1-form symmetries of the fixed point allow us to define generalized Fredenhagen--Marcu order parameters that become finite when the corresponding anyons condense. For G=S3G = S_3G=S3​, quantum Monte Carlo simulations show that proliferating a non-Abelian electric anyon drives a first-order transition in which all nontrivial electric anyons condense. In the purely magnetic limit, the model reduces to a (2+1)(2+1)(2+1)D pure GGG gauge theory; for G=S3G=S_3G=S3​, it exhibits a first-order confinement transition, diagnosed by the onset of a Wilson-loop area law and the restoration of an emergent magnetic 1-form symmetry. These results provide a unified numerical framework for non-Abelian anyon condensation, confinement, and generalized symmetry breaking.
Decohering topological order (TO) is central to the many-body physics of open quantum matter and decoding transitions. We identify statistical mechanical models for decohering non-Abelian TOs, which have been crucial for understanding the error threshold of Abelian stabilizer codes. The decohered density matrix can be described by loop models, whose topological loop weight N is the quantum dimension of the decohering anyon-reducing to the Ising model if N=1. In particular, the Rényi-n moments correspond to n coupled O(N) loop models. Moreover, by diagonalizing the density matrix at maximal error rate, we connect the fidelity between two logically distinct ground states to random O(N) loop and spin models. We find a remarkable stability to quantum channels which proliferate non-Abelian anyons with large quantum dimension, with the possibility of critical phases for smaller dimensions. Intuitively, this stability is due to non-Abelian anyons not admitting finite-depth string operators. We confirm our framework with exact results for Kitaev quantum double models, and with numerical simulations for the non-Abelian phase of the Kitaev honeycomb model. Our work opens up the possibility of non-Abelian TO being robust against maximally proliferating certain anyons, which can inform error-correction studies of these topological memories.
We construct phase transitions that proliferate condensable anyons in general 2+1d topological orders, including non-abelian ones. The central tool that provides a systematic approach to this question is the Symmetry Topological Field Theory (SymTFT). For a given topological order, we identify the relevant symmetry from the transparent lines generated by the condensable anyons, and thereby realize the topological order in terms of a 3+1d SymTFT sandwich. The proliferation phase transition is realized by coupling scalar fields to the anyons purely on the symmetry boundary of the SymTFT. We illustrate the construction for abelian theories, as well as non-abelian ones, D(S3)D(S_3)D(S3​) and SU(2)kSU(2)_kSU(2)k​ Chern-Simons theories, and extend it to anomalous anyons.
Topological order (TO) provides a natural platform for storing and manipulating quantum information. However, its stability to noise has only been systematically understood for Abelian TOs. In this Letter, we exploit the nondeterministic fusion of non-Abelian anyons to inform active error-correction and design decoders where the fusion products, instead of flag qubits, herald the noise. This intrinsic heralding offers improved thresholds over those of Abelian counterparts. Furthermore, we use Bayesian inference to obtain a statistical mechanics model for fixed-point non-Abelian TOs with perfect measurements under any noise model, which yields the optimal threshold conditioned on measuring anyon syndromes. We numerically illustrate these results for D_{4}≅Z_{4}⋊Z_{2} TO. In particular, for non-Abelian charge noise and perfect syndrome measurement, we find a conditioned optimal threshold p_{c}=0.218(1), whereas an intrinsically heralded minimum-weight perfect matching (MWPM) decoder already gives p_{c}=0.208 42(2), outperforming standard honeycomb-lattice MWPM with p_{c}=0.158 60(1). Our Letter highlights how non-Abelian properties can enhance stability, rather than reduce it, and discusses potential generalizations for achieving fault tolerance.
Exactly solvable models of topologically ordered phases with non-abelian anyons typically require complicated many-body interactions which do not naturally appear in nature. This motivates the "inverse problem" of quantum many-body physics: given microscopic systems with experimentally realistic two-body interactions, how to design a Hamiltonian that realizes a desired topological phase? Here we solve this problem on a platform motivated by Rydberg atoms, where elementary two-level systems couple via simple blockade interactions. Within this framework, we construct Hamiltonians that realize topological orders described by non-abelian quantum double models. We analytically prove the existence of topological order in the ground state, and present efficient schemes to prepare these states. We also introduce protocols for the controlled adiabatic braiding of anyonic excitations to probe their non-abelian statistics. Our construction is generic and applies to quantum doubles D(G)\mathcal{D}(G)D(G) for arbitrary finite groups GGG. We illustrate braiding for the simplest non-abelian quantum double D(S3)\mathcal{D}(S_3)D(S3​).