Dissipation-Enhanced Localization in a Disorder-Free $\mathbb{Z}_2$ Lattice Gauge System

Abstract: The $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge model, as the simplest realization of a lattice gauge theory, exhibits rich and unconventional physics. One of its most remarkable features is disorder-free localization, where localization emerges not from explicit quenched disorder but from static background $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge charges, leading to persistent memory of the initial state. In this work, we investigate the dissipative dynamics of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge model by coupling it to a Markovian environment. We find that quantum dissipation can enhance localization: memory of the initial state is retained more robustly under dissipative evolution than under unitary dynamics. This dissipation-induced enhancement of localization persists across a variety of initial states, indicating that the effect is not limited to fine-tuned configurations. Our results demonstrate that dissipation, often associated with decoherence and thermalization, can in fact serve as a powerful tool for stabilizing non-ergodic behavior in gauge-constrained quantum systems.