Unidirectional subsystem symmetry in a hole-doped honeycomb-lattice Ising magnet

Abstract

We study a model of a hole-doped collinear Ising antiferromagnet on the honeycomb lattice as a route toward the realization of subsystem symmetry. We find nearly exact conservation of dipole symmetry verified both numerically with exact diagonalization (ED) on finite clusters and analytically with perturbation theory. The emergent symmetry forbids the motion of single holes -- or fractons -- but allows hole pairs -- or dipoles -- to move freely along a one-dimensional line, the antiferromagnetic direction, of the system; in the transverse direction, both fractons and dipoles are completely localized. This presents a realization of a `unidirectional' subsystem symmetry. By studying interactions between dipoles, we argue that the subsystem symmetry is likely to continue to persist up to finite (but probably small) hole concentrations.