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Probing antiferromagnetic hysteresis on programmable quantum annealers

Elijah Pelofske1,2,3,*, Pratik Sathe2,4, Cristiano Nisoli2,3,4,5, and Frank Barrows2,3,5

  • *Contact author: epelofske@lanl.gov
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Phys. Rev. B 114, 214425 – Published 21 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mcz4-xh6z

Abstract

Using programmable analog quantum annealing processors, we implement a sampling-based magnetic hysteresis protocol to probe the counterintuitive notion of magnetic memory in antiferromagnetic models. A key component of this protocol responsible for the hysteresis is a transverse field, which enables state transitions, while the longitudinal magnetic field sweep is done via a longitudinal control field. We observe intriguing nonmonotonic magnetization, alongside full saturation and reversal of the hysteresis curve, Barkhausen-like noise, as well as emergent magnetic domains mediated by quantum fluctuations that give rise to the magnetic memory effect in antiferromagnets.

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Phys. Rev. B 114, 214425– Published 21 October, 2026
  • Received 3 December 2025
  • Accepted 30 September 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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