Analog quantum simulation of paraparticle statistics

Abstract

Bosonic and fermionic quantum statistics describe all known elementary and emergent particles in three dimensions, although many attempts have been made to discover other valid quantum statistical frameworks. One recent formulation proposes "$R$-paraparticles," indistinguishable particles with nonlocal internal degrees of freedom governed by generalized exchange rules [Wang and Hazzard, Nature 637, 314 (2025)]. Here, we emulate a species of paraparticle that exhibits a generalized Pauli exclusion principle using a superconducting qubit lattice. We confirm its unique quantum statistics by measuring a $180^\circ$ phase shift under paraparticle exchange, observing antibunching independent of internal degrees of freedom under two-particle interference at a beamsplitter, and finding a thermal occupation inconsistent with both Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics. These results demonstrate that parastatistics are observable on quantum simulation platforms, further motivating their use to explore theorized new phases of matter.