IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

Abstract: Classifying phases of matter is a central program in modern condensed matter physics. A highly successful paradigm defines gapped phases as equivalence classes of Hamiltonians connected by quasi-adiabatic, gapped paths. This framework has enabled systematic identification of exotic phases—such as intrinsic or symmetry-protected topological phases—that are difficult to characterize within conventional approaches based on symmetry breaking.

In this talk, I will explore a new class of gapped quantum phases of matter inspired by computational properties. Our starting point is the observation that, in adiabatic quantum computation, any nontrivial computational task necessarily entails a closing of the spectral gap along the adiabatic path. This suggests a refined notion of phase equivalence, in which distinct phases are separated by unavoidable gap closings protected by the nontriviality of the computation itself. I will introduce and formalize the concept of computation-protected phases of matter, supported by analytic results, exactly solvable models, and numerical simulations. We will draw the connection between our results and modern condensed matter theory topics such as higher form symmetries and mixed-state phases.

Following the talk, lunch will be provided on the lawn outside East Bridge.