Gauge Invariant Autoregressive Neural Networks for Quantum Lattice Models

Gauge invariance plays a crucial role in quantum mechanics from condensed matter physics to high energy physics. We develop an approach to constructing gauge invariant autoregressive neural networks for quantum lattice models. These networks can be efficiently sampled and explicitly obey gauge symmetries. We variationally optimize our gauge invariant autoregressive neural networks for ground states as well as real-time dynamics for a variety of models. We exactly represent the ground and excited states of the 2D and 3D toric codes, and the X-cube fracton model. We simulate the dynamics of the quantum link model of $\text{U(1)}$ lattice gauge theory, obtain the phase diagram for the 2D $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge theory, determine the phase transition and the central charge of the $\text{SU(2)}_3$ anyonic chain, and also compute the ground state energy of the $\text{SU(2)}$ invariant Heisenberg spin chain. Our approach provides powerful tools for exploring condensed matter physics, high energy physics and quantum information science.