# Observation of Inelastic Meson Scattering in a Floquet System using a Digital Quantum Simulator

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the experimental observation of inelastic meson scattering and confinement phenomena in a Floquet lattice gauge theory using a superconducting quantum processor, showcasing the potential of quantum simulators for non-perturbative physics.

## Contribution

First experimental realization of meson scattering and confinement in a digital quantum simulator of a Floquet lattice gauge theory.

## Key findings

- Observation of Bloch oscillations of kinks indicating confinement
- Detection of string breaking through meson fragmentation
- Direct evidence of inelastic meson scattering processes

## Abstract

Lattice gauge theories provide a non-perturbative framework for understanding confinement and hadronic physics, but their real-time dynamics remain challenging for classical computations. However, quantum simulators offer a promising alternative for exploring such dynamics beyond classical capabilities. Here, we experimentally investigate meson scattering using a superconducting quantum processor. Employing a digital protocol, we realize a Floquet spin chain equivalent to a one-dimensional Floquet $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge theory. We observe Bloch oscillations of single kinks and strong binding between adjacent kinks, signaling confinement and the formation of stable mesons in this Floquet system. Using full-system joint readout, we resolve meson populations by string length, enabling identification of meson scattering channels. Our results reveal the fragmentation of a long-string meson into multiple short-string mesons, which is also an experimental signature of string breaking. Moreover, we directly observe inelastic meson scattering, where two short-string mesons can merge into a longer one. Our results pave the way for studying interacting gauge particles and composite excitations on digital quantum simulators.