Continuum limit of a qubit-regularized SU(3) lattice gauge theory on a plaquette chain
This study investigates a simple qubit-regularized SU(3) lattice gauge theory mapped to a quantum clock model. It demonstrates that this theory has a massive continuum limit with excitations analogous to glueballs, providing a minimal model of strong interactions without quarks. The system exhibits quantum critical behavior related to confinement transitions.