An exact spacetime polymer gas for finite-temperature ${\mathbb{Z}}_N$ homological quantum code

Abstract

We study finite-temperature $P$-form ${\mathbb{Z}}_N$ homological codes via an exact finite-Trotter quantum-to-classical map to a $(d+1)$-dimensional spacetime model with electric and magnetic topological background charges. The resulting background-resolved partition functions admit an exact reformulation in terms of closed magnetic and electric defect polymers, with opposite-species interactions governed by linking phases. By bounding this complex polymer gas by positive same-species hard-core majorant gases, we obtain an explicit low-activity criterion under which all background-dependent partition functions are uniformly controlled and homologically nontrivial polymers are exponentially suppressed on the scale of the spacetime systole. We also derive an exact higher-form Kramers-Wannier duality exchanging electric and magnetic backgrounds, Wilson and 't Hooft operators, and $P$-form and $(d-P)$-form theories. Finally, for prime $N$, we identify an exact source-free gauge-theory specialization coupled to the plaquette random-cluster model, which imports sharp phase-transition results on special geometries into the spacetime framework.

32 pages + appendix