Quantum emulation of a spin system with topologically protected ground states using superconducting quantum circuits

Abstract

Using superconducting quantum circuit elements, we propose an approach to experimentally construct a Kitaev lattice, which is an anisotropic spin model on a honeycomb lattice with three types of nearest-neighbor interactions and having topologically protected ground states. We study two particular parameter regimes to demonstrate both vortex and bond-state excitations. Our proposal outlines an experimentally realizable artificial many-body system that exhibits exotic topological properties.

12 pages, 3 figures; an enlarged version of arXiv: 0809.0051v1. Phys. Rev. B (in press)