Prediction of Toric Code Topological Order from Rydberg Blockade

The physical realization of Z2 topological order as encountered in the paradigmatic toric code has proven to be an elusive goal. In this talk, I will show that this phase of matter can be created in a two-dimensional array of strongly interacting Rydberg atoms on a ruby lattice. A Rydberg "PXP" blockade model effectively realizes a monomer-dimer model on the kagome lattice with a single-site kinetic term, for which we observe a Z2 spin liquid using the numerical density matrix renormalization group method. This phase is shown to persist upon including realistic, algebraically-decaying van der Waals interactions. Moreover, one can directly access the topological loop operators of this model, which can be measured experimentally using a dynamic protocol, providing a smoking gun experimental signature of the topological phase. The trapping of an emergent anyon and the realization of different topological boundary conditions show that this set-up could be used for exploring fault-tolerant quantum memories.