[RBRC Seminar] "Sculpting gauge theories with measurements"

by Nathanan Tantivasadakarn (SBU)

Thursday 26 Feb 2026, 12:30 → 14:30 US/Eastern

2-160 (https://bnl.zoomgov.com/j/1600983728?pwd=RAD7OLcqre7Ycsp6JfFp6HAnpyLxex.1)

Quantum mechanics exhibits a stark dichotomy between unitary time-evolution and measurement. These aspects are further contrasted by the fact that traditional quantum field theory is developed solely based on unitary aspects. In this talk, I will explore a fruitful synergy that emerges from the interplay between quantum field theory and the non-equilibrium quantum dynamics that arises from measurements. In particular, I will show how measurements can be used to circumvent fundamental constraints imposed by unitary dynamics and efficiently prepare a large class of lattice gauge theories. In addition to discovering a new hierarchy of gauge theories unseen in the unitary setup and a surprising connection to the unsolvability of the quintic polynomial, our studies also yield practical protocols for quantum processors that led to the first unambiguous observation of non-Abelian anyons.