Dynamics in Systems with Modulated Symmetries

Abstract

We extend the notions of multipole and subsystem symmetries to more general {\it spatially modulated} symmetries. We uncover two instances with exponential and (quasi)-periodic modulations, and provide simple microscopic models in one, two and three dimensions. Seeking to understand their effect in the long-time dynamics, we numerically study a stochastic cellular automaton evolution that obeys such symmetries. We prove that in one dimension, the periodically modulated symmetries lead to a diffusive scaling of correlations modulated by a finite microscopic momentum. In higher dimensions, these symmetries take the form of lines and surfaces of conserved momenta. These give rise to exotic forms of sub-diffusive behavior with a rich spatial structure influenced by lattice-scale features. Exponential modulation, on the other hand, can lead to correlations that are infinitely long-lived at the boundary, while decaying exponentially in the bulk.