Novel Topological Phases and Self-Correcting Memories in Interacting Anyon Systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates interacting anyon systems and reveals that their topological order can persist at finite temperatures, supporting self-correcting quantum memories through a novel phase transition.

Contribution

It introduces a new understanding of topological phases in interacting anyon models and demonstrates their capacity for self-correction at finite temperature.

Findings

Topological order exists at finite temperature in these models.

A new topologically ordered phase is identified.

Memory lifetime scaling changes at the phase transition.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that topological models with interacting anyonic quasiparticles can be used as self-correcting quantum memories. Here we study the behaviour of these models at thermal equilibrium. It is found that the interactions allow topological order to exist at finite temperature, not only in an extension of the ground state phase but also in a novel form of topologically ordered phase. Both phases are found to support self-correction in all models considered, and the transition between them corresponds to a change in the scaling of memory lifetime with system size.