Operator growth in random quantum circuits with symmetry

Abstract: We study random quantum circuits with symmetry, where the local 2-site unitaries are drawn from a quotient or subgroup of the full unitary group $U(d)$. Random quantum circuits are minimal models of local quantum chaotic dynamics and can be used to study operator growth and the emergence of diffusive hydrodynamics. We derive the transition probabilities for the stochastic process governing the growth of operators in four classes of symmetric random circuits. We then compute the butterfly velocities and diffusion constants for a spreading operator by solving a simple random walk in each class of circuits.