Demonstrating anyonic fractional statistics with a six-qubit quantum simulator

TL;DR

This paper experimentally demonstrates the fractional statistics of anyons in a Kitaev spin lattice model using a six-qubit photonic quantum simulator, confirming theoretical predictions of their unique braiding phase.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental realization of anyonic braiding and fusion operations in a photonic quantum simulator based on the Kitaev model.

Findings

Observed a phase shift of π confirming fractional statistics

Successfully created ground and excited states of the Kitaev model

Demonstrated anyonic braiding and fusion operations

Abstract

Anyons are exotic quasiparticles living in two dimensions that do not fit into the usual categories of fermions and bosons, but obey a new form of fractional statistics. Following a recent proposal [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 150404 (2007)], we present an experimental demonstration of the fractional statistics of anyons in the Kitaev spin lattice model using a photonic quantum simulator. We dynamically create the ground state and excited states (which are six-qubit graph states) of the Kitaev model Hamiltonian, and implement the anyonic braiding and fusion operations by single-qubit rotations. A phase shift of $\pi$ related to the anyon braiding is observed, confirming the prediction of the fractional statistics of Abelian 1/2-anyons.