Stabilizer Scars

Quantum many-body scars are eigenstates in non-integrable isolated quantum systems that defy typical thermalization paradigms, violating the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis and quantum ergodicity. We identify exact analytic scar solutions in a 2+1 dimensional lattice gauge theory in a quasi-1d limit as zero-magic stabilizer states. We propose a protocol for their experimental preparation, presenting an opportunity to demonstrate a quantum over classical advantage via simulating the non-equilibrium dynamics of a strongly coupled system. Our results also highlight the importance of magic for gauge theory thermalization, revealing a connection between computational complexity and quantum ergodicity.

This work is supported by the DOE, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, IQuS, via the program on Quantum Horizons: QIS Research and Innovation for Nuclear Science under Award DE-SC0020970, and by the National Science Foundation, NSF DMR-2300172.