Programmable spectral symmetries in an anisotropic quantum Rabi simulator

Abstract

The quantum Rabi model captures fundamental aspects of light--matter interaction, where symmetry dictates both spectra and dynamics. Over the past years, experiments have explored many of its nonperturbative properties, but have mostly focused on the isotropic limit, where rotating and counterrotating processes are locked together, leaving the broader symmetry landscape largely unexplored. Here we realize a programmable anisotropic quantum Rabi model in a superconducting processor, with independent control of the rotating and counterrotating couplings $(g_1,g_2)$ and of a transverse bias $\varepsilon$. Continuous anisotropy tuning, combined with a duality mapping, gives access to the full parameter space from the Jaynes-Cummings to the anti-Jaynes-Cummings limits. In the deep-strong-coupling regime, we show that anisotropy reconstructs the spectrum and turns complete collapse-revival dynamics into incomplete revivals even near degeneracy. With adiabatic state preparation and joint tomography, we resolve an anisotropy-induced ground-state parity switch, a crossing that has no analogue in the isotropic model. We further observe selective tunnelling associated with hidden symmetry in biased Rabi models and track its anisotropic displacement within the same device. These results establish a controllable route to engineering nonperturbative light--matter Hamiltonians, where symmetry, spectrum, and dynamics can be programmed independently.