From gauging to duality in one-dimensional quantum lattice models

Abstract

Gauging and duality transformations, two of the most useful tools in many-body physics, are shown to be equivalent up to constant depth quantum circuits in the case of one-dimensional quantum lattice models. This is demonstrated by making use of matrix product operators, which provide the lattice representation theory for global (categorical) symmetries as well as a classification of duality transformations. Our construction makes the symmetries of the gauged theory manifest and clarifies how to deal with static background fields when gauging generalised symmetries.