We examine two proposals for marginally self-correcting quantum memory, the
cubic code by Haah and the welded code by Michnicki. In particular, we prove
explicitly that they are absent of topological order above zero temperature, as
their Gibbs ensembles can be prepared via a short-depth quantum circuit from
classical ensembles. Our proof technique naturally gives rise to the notion of
free energy associated with excitations. Further, we develop a framework for an
ergodic decomposition of Davies generators in CSS codes which enables formal
reduction to simpler classical memory problems. We then show that memory time
in the welded code is doubly exponential in inverse temperature via the Peierls
argument. These results introduce further connections between thermal
topological order and self-correction from the viewpoint of free energy and
quantum circuit depth.Comment: 19 pages, 18 figure
