Topological prethermal strong zero modes on superconducting processors

Feitong Jin, Si Jiang, Xuhao Zhu, Zehang Bao, Fanhao Shen, Ke Wang, Zitian Zhu, Shibo Xu, Zixuan Song, Jiachen Chen, Ziqi Tan, Yaozu Wu, Chuanyu Zhang, Yu Gao, Ning Wang, Yiren Zou, Aosai Zhang, Tingting Li, Jiarun Zhong, Zhengyi Cui, Yihang Han, Yiyang He, Han Wang, Jia-Nan Yang, Yanzhe Wang, Jiayuan Shen, Gongyu Liu, Jinfeng Deng, Hang Dong, Pengfei Zhang, Weikang Li, Dong Yuan, Zhide Lu, Zheng-Zhi Sun, Hekang Li, Junxiang Zhang, Chao Song, Zhen Wang, Qiujiang Guo (), Francisco Machado, Jack Kemp, Thomas Iadecola, Norman Y. Yao, H. Wang () and Dong-Ling Deng ()
Additional contact information
Feitong Jin: Zhejiang University
Si Jiang: Tsinghua University
Xuhao Zhu: Zhejiang University
Zehang Bao: Zhejiang University
Fanhao Shen: Zhejiang University
Ke Wang: Zhejiang University
Zitian Zhu: Zhejiang University
Shibo Xu: Zhejiang University
Zixuan Song: Zhejiang University
Jiachen Chen: Zhejiang University
Ziqi Tan: Zhejiang University
Yaozu Wu: Zhejiang University
Chuanyu Zhang: Zhejiang University
Yu Gao: Zhejiang University
Ning Wang: Zhejiang University
Yiren Zou: Zhejiang University
Aosai Zhang: Zhejiang University
Tingting Li: Zhejiang University
Jiarun Zhong: Zhejiang University
Zhengyi Cui: Zhejiang University
Yihang Han: Zhejiang University
Yiyang He: Zhejiang University
Han Wang: Zhejiang University
Jia-Nan Yang: Zhejiang University
Yanzhe Wang: Zhejiang University
Jiayuan Shen: Zhejiang University
Gongyu Liu: Zhejiang University
Jinfeng Deng: Zhejiang University
Hang Dong: Zhejiang University
Pengfei Zhang: Zhejiang University
Weikang Li: Tsinghua University
Dong Yuan: Tsinghua University
Zhide Lu: Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute
Zheng-Zhi Sun: Tsinghua University
Hekang Li: Zhejiang University
Junxiang Zhang: Zhejiang University
Chao Song: Zhejiang University
Zhen Wang: Zhejiang University
Qiujiang Guo: Zhejiang University
Francisco Machado: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Jack Kemp: Harvard University
Thomas Iadecola: Iowa State University
Norman Y. Yao: Harvard University
H. Wang: Zhejiang University
Dong-Ling Deng: Tsinghua University

Nature, 2025, vol. 645, issue 8081, 626-632

Abstract: Abstract Symmetry-protected topological phases1–4 cannot be described by any local order parameter and are beyond the conventional symmetry-breaking model5. They are characterized by topological boundary modes that remain stable under symmetry respecting perturbations1–4,6–8. In clean, gapped systems without disorder, the stability of these edge modes is restricted to the zero-temperature manifold; at finite temperatures, interactions with mobile thermal excitations lead to their decay9–11. Here we report the observation of a distinct type of topological edge mode12–14, which is protected by emergent symmetries and persists across the entire spectrum, in an array of 100 programmable superconducting qubits. Through digital quantum simulation of a one-dimensional disorder-free stabilizer Hamiltonian, we observe robust long-lived topological edge modes over up to 30 cycles for a wide range of initial states. We show that the interaction between these edge modes and bulk excitations can be suppressed by dimerizing the stabilizer strength, leading to an emergent U(1) × U(1) symmetry in the prethermal regime of the system. Furthermore, we exploit these topological edge modes as logical qubits and prepare a logical Bell state, which exhibits persistent coherence, despite the system being disorder-free and at finite temperature. Our results establish a viable digital simulation approach15–18 to experimentally study topological matter at finite temperature and demonstrate a potential route to construct long-lived, robust boundary qubits in disorder-free systems.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09476-z

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