{
  "id": "oai:papers.qnfo.org:fault-tolerant-quantum-memory-as-a-thermodynamic-phase-in-a-4-d-topological-phot",
  "slug": "fault-tolerant-quantum-memory-as-a-thermodynamic-phase-in-a-4-d-topological-phot",
  "title": "Fault‑Tolerant Quantum Memory as a Thermodynamic Phase in a 4‑D Topological Photonic Lattice",
  "authors": [
    "Rowan Brad Quni-Gudzinas"
  ],
  "abstract": "Passive protection of quantum information can be achieved when a material phase possesses a bulk energy gap that exceeds the ambient thermal energy. Existing self‑correcting memory proposals rely on many‑body Hamiltonians that are difficult to engineer. We propose a concrete photonic implementation of a four‑dimensional Harper–Hofstadter model in a silicon‑nitride/lithium‑niobate lattice driven by a terahertz Floquet field. Synthetic dimensions are provided by frequency and orbital‑angular‑momentum (OAM) modes, designed to yield a second Chern number C₂=1 and a target topological mass gap Δ_target≈14.5 meV; the gap derived from the stated drive parameters is much smaller (Section 3.4). At an operating temperature of 80 K the thermal energy is k_BT≈6.9 meV; assuming the target gap Δ_target, the Boltzmann suppression factor would be exp(-Δ_target/k_BT)≈1.2×10^-1. Detailed analysis shows that achieving excitation probabilities of 10^-3 or memory lifetimes of 1 s would require Δ≥47.6 meV at 80 K or operation below 24 K at the proposed gap. The Floquet drive must satisfy ℏω>2Δ, implying a drive frequency >7 THz. These quantitative targets define falsifiable engineering milestones and suggest that, if realized, the approach could replace active syndrome decoding with hardware‑intrinsic protection, reducing energy consumption and control complexity in scalable quantum processors.",
  "abstract_markdown": "Passive protection of quantum information can be achieved when a material phase possesses a bulk energy gap that exceeds the ambient thermal energy. Existing self‑correcting memory proposals rely on many‑body Hamiltonians that are difficult to engineer. We propose a concrete photonic implementation of a four‑dimensional Harper–Hofstadter model in a silicon‑nitride/lithium‑niobate lattice driven by a terahertz Floquet field. Synthetic dimensions are provided by frequency and orbital‑angular‑momentum (OAM) modes, designed to yield a second Chern number $C_{2}=1$ and a target topological mass gap $\\Delta_{\\text{target}}\\approx14.5\\;\\text{meV}$; the gap derived from the stated drive parameters is much smaller (Section 3.4). At an operating temperature of $80\\;\\text{K}$ the thermal energy is $k_{B}T\\approx6.9\\;\\text{meV}$; assuming the target gap $\\Delta_{\\text{target}}$, the Boltzmann suppression factor would be $\\exp(-\\Delta_{\\text{target}}/k_{B}T)\\approx1.2\\times10^{-1}$. Detailed analysis shows that achieving excitation probabilities of $10^{-3}$ or memory lifetimes of $1\\;\\text{s}$ would require $\\Delta\\ge47.6\\;\\text{meV}$ at $80\\;\\text{K}$ or operation below $24\\;\\text{K}$ at the proposed gap. The Floquet drive must satisfy $\\hbar\\omega>2\\Delta$, implying a drive frequency $>7\\;\\text{THz}$. These quantitative targets define falsifiable engineering milestones and suggest that, if realized, the approach could replace active syndrome decoding with hardware‑intrinsic protection, reducing energy consumption and control complexity in scalable quantum processors.",
  "date": "2026-10-26",
  "first_published": "2026-10-26",
  "last_revised": "2026-10-26T00:00:00Z",
  "modified": "2026-10-26T00:00:00Z",
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  "url": "https://papers.qnfo.org/papers/fault-tolerant-quantum-memory-as-a-thermodynamic-phase-in-a-4-d-topological-phot",
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    "creators": [
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        "name": "Rowan Brad Quni-Gudzinas",
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    "titles": [
      {
        "title": "Fault‑Tolerant Quantum Memory as a Thermodynamic Phase in a 4‑D Topological Photonic Lattice"
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        "description": "Passive protection of quantum information can be achieved when a material phase possesses a bulk energy gap that exceeds the ambient thermal energy. Existing self‑correcting memory proposals rely on many‑body Hamiltonians that are difficult to engineer. We propose a concrete photonic implementation of a four‑dimensional Harper–Hofstadter model in a silicon‑nitride/lithium‑niobate lattice driven by a terahertz Floquet field. Synthetic dimensions are provided by frequency and orbital‑angular‑momentum (OAM) modes, designed to yield a second Chern number C₂=1 and a target topological mass gap Δ_target≈14.5 meV; the gap derived from the stated drive parameters is much smaller (Section 3.4). At an operating temperature of 80 K the thermal energy is k_BT≈6.9 meV; assuming the target gap Δ_target, the Boltzmann suppression factor would be exp(-Δ_target/k_BT)≈1.2×10^-1. Detailed analysis shows that achieving excitation probabilities of 10^-3 or memory lifetimes of 1 s would require Δ≥47.6 meV at 80 K or operation below 24 K at the proposed gap. The Floquet drive must satisfy ℏω>2Δ, implying a drive frequency >7 THz. These quantitative targets define falsifiable engineering milestones and suggest that, if realized, the approach could replace active syndrome decoding with hardware‑intrinsic protection, reducing energy consumption and control complexity in scalable quantum processors.",
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