Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Certain BCS wavefunctions are quantum many-body scars

    Kiryl Pakrouski1 and Zimo Sun2

    • 1Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
    • 2Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

    Phys. Rev. B 113, 174509 – Published 14 May, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/63z8-zk6h

    Abstract

    We construct many-body scar states in multiflavor fermionic lattice models that possess strong magnetic or superconducting correlations of a given type specified by a unitary matrix A. One of the states maximizes the one-point correlations over the full Hilbert space and has the form of the BCS wavefunction. It may always be made the ground state by adding the correlations as a “pairing potential” to any Hamiltonian supporting group-invariant scars. In our single-flavor, spinful fermion example we consider a superconducting A. The BCS scar ground state is a linear combination of the well-known η-pairing states. In the multiorbital fermion example the BCS ground state maximizes unconventional magnetic correlations. The broad class of eligible Hamiltonians includes many conventional condensed matter interactions. The part of the Hamiltonian that governs the exact dynamics of the scar subspace coincides with the BCS mean-field Hamiltonian. We therefore show that its eigenstates are many-body scars that are decoupled from the rest of the Hilbert space and thereby protected from thermalization. Our results point out a connection between the fields of superconductivity and weak ergodicity breaking (many-body scars) and will hopefully encourage further investigations. They also provide the first feasible protocol to initialize a fermionic system to a scar state in (a quantum simulator) experiment.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation