English

Topological edge modes without symmetry in quasiperiodically driven spin chains

Strongly Correlated Electrons 2022-03-22 v1 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks Quantum Gases Statistical Mechanics Quantum Physics

Abstract

We construct an example of a 1dd quasiperiodically driven spin chain whose edge states can coherently store quantum information, protected by a combination of localization, dynamics, and topology. Unlike analogous behavior in static and periodically driven (Floquet) spin chains, this model does not rely upon microscopic symmetry protection: Instead, the edge states are protected purely by emergent dynamical symmetries. We explore the dynamical signatures of this Emergent Dynamical Symmetry-Protected Topological (EDSPT) order through exact numerics, time evolving block decimation, and analytic high-frequency expansion, finding evidence that the EDSPT is a stable dynamical phase protected by bulk many-body localization up to (at least) stretched-exponentially long time scales, and possibly beyond. We argue that EDSPTs are special to the quasiperiodically driven setting, and cannot arise in Floquet systems. Moreover, we find evidence of a new type of boundary criticality, in which the edge spin dynamics transition from quasiperiodic to chaotic, leading to bulk thermalization.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2009.03314,
  title  = {Topological edge modes without symmetry in quasiperiodically driven spin chains},
  author = {Aaron J. Friedman and Brayden Ware and Romain Vasseur and Andrew C. Potter},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.03314},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

7+8 pages, 5 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-23T18:22:18.277Z