Protecting local and global symmetries in simulating (1+1)D non-Abelian gauge theories

Abstract

Efficient quantum simulation protocols for any quantum theories demand efficient protection protocols for its underlying symmetries. This task is nontrivial for gauge theories as it is involves local symmetry/invariance. For non-Abelian gauge theories, protecting all the symmetries generated by a set of mutually non-commuting generators, is particularly difficult. In this letter, a global symmetry-protection protocol is proposed. Using the novel loop-string-hadron formalism of non-Abelian lattice gauge theory, we numerically demonstrate that all of the local symmetries get protected even for large time by this global symmetry protection scheme. With suitable protection strength, the dynamics of a (1+1)-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory remains confined in the physical Hilbert space of the theory even in presence of explicit local symmetry violating terms in the Hamiltonian that may occur in both analog and digital simulation schemes as an error. The whole scheme holds for SU(3) gauge theory as well.