Geometric-Symmetry Logical Gate and Local-Probe Selectivity in the Three-Leg AKLT Ladder

Abstract

Symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases provide a platform for encoding quantum information in protected boundary degrees of freedom. Here we study the three-leg Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) ladder as an exactly solvable SPT system with on-site symmetry $SO(3)\times \mathbb{Z}_2$. Using an exact matrix product state construction, we characterize the symmetry action on the edge encoding space and the accessibility of this space by local operators. We find that the continuous $SO(3)$ symmetry induces boundary rotations, while the leg-exchange symmetry generates a geometry-dependent logical permutation of edge qubits. Furthermore, by introducing a distinguishability measure motivated by the Knill--Laflamme condition, we derive a symmetry-resolved decay law for local accessibility. The decay is controlled by a selection rule raised from the Wigner--Eckart theorem, whereby a rank-$\ell$ local operator couples only to the $\mathcal L=\ell$ transfer-matrix sector, with a decay length determined by the corresponding correlation length. We further identify a finite-size channel that is independent of the probe operator position. These results establish a quantitative connection between SPT symmetry, lattice geometry, and the protection of boundary-encoded quantum information.