Robust Chiral Edge Dynamics of a Kitaev Honeycomb on a Trapped Ion Processor

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2507.08939v1
• Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:01:05 GMT
• Title: Robust Chiral Edge Dynamics of a Kitaev Honeycomb on a Trapped Ion Processor
• Authors: Ammar Ali, Joe Gibbs, Keerthi Kumaran, Varadharajan Muruganandam, Bo Xiao, Paul Kairys, Gábor Halász, Arnab Banerjee, Phillip C. Lotshaw,
• Abstract summary: We report quantum simulations of a 22-site Kitaev honeycomb lattice on a trapped-ion quantum processor.<n>We observe chiral edge dynamics consistent with a nonzero Chern number.<n>Our work demonstrates a viable route for probing dynamical signatures of topological order in quantum spin liquids.
• Score: 1.8128207476952005
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: Kitaev's honeycomb model is a paradigmatic exactly solvable system hosting a quantum spin liquid with non-Abelian anyons and topologically protected edge modes, offering a platform for fault-tolerant quantum computation. However, real candidate Kitaev materials invariably include complex secondary interactions that obscure the realization of spin-liquid behavior and demand novel quantum computational approaches for efficient simulation. Here we report quantum simulations of a 22-site Kitaev honeycomb lattice on a trapped-ion quantum processor, without and with non-integrable Heisenberg interactions that are present in real materials. We develop efficient quantum circuits for ground-state preparation, then apply controlled perturbations and measure time-dependent spin correlations along the system's edge. In the non-Abelian phase, we observe chiral edge dynamics consistent with a nonzero Chern number -- a hallmark of topological order -- which vanishes upon transition to the Abelian toric code phase. Extending to the non-integrable Kitaev-Heisenberg model, we find that weak Heisenberg interactions preserve chiral edge dynamics, while stronger couplings suppress them, signaling the breakdown of topological protection. Our work demonstrates a viable route for probing dynamical signatures of topological order in quantum spin liquids using programmable quantum hardware, opening new pathways for quantum simulation of strongly correlated materials.

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