Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Traveling discontinuity at the quantum butterfly front

  Camille Aron, Éric Brunet, Aditi Mitra

  SciPost Phys. 15, 042 (2023) · published 2 August 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We formulate a kinetic theory of quantum information scrambling in the context of a paradigmatic model of interacting electrons in the vicinity of a superconducting phase transition. We carefully derive a set of coupled partial differential equations that effectively govern the dynamics of information spreading in generic dimensions. Their solutions show that scrambling propagates at the maximal speed set by the Fermi velocity. At early times, we find exponential growth at a rate set by the inelastic scattering. At late times, we find that scrambling is governed by shock-wave dynamics with traveling waves exhibiting a discontinuity at the boundary of the light cone. Notably, we find perfectly causal dynamics where the solutions do not spill outside of the light cone.

  1 citation

• Time rescaling of nonadiabatic transitions

  Takuya Hatomura

  SciPost Phys. 15, 036 (2023) · published 31 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Applying time-dependent driving is a basic way of quantum control. Driven systems show various dynamics as its time scale is changed due to the different amount of nonadiabatic transitions. The fast-forward scaling theory enables us to observe slow (or fast) time-scale dynamics during moderate time by applying additional driving. Here we discuss its application to nonadiabatic transitions. We derive mathematical expression of additional driving and also find a formula for calculating it. Moreover, we point out relation between the fast-forward scaling theory for nonadiabatic transitions and shortcuts to adiabaticity by counterdiabatic driving.

  1 citation

• Integrability and quench dynamics in the spin-1 central spin XX model

  Long-Hin Tang, David M. Long, Anatoli Polkovnikov, Anushya Chandran, Pieter W. Claeys

  SciPost Phys. 15, 030 (2023) · published 26 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Central spin models provide an idealized description of interactions between a central degree of freedom and a mesoscopic environment of surrounding spins. We show that the family of models with a spin-1 at the center and XX interactions of arbitrary strength with surrounding spins is integrable. Specifically, we derive an extensive set of conserved quantities and obtain the exact eigenstates using the Bethe ansatz. As in the homogenous limit, the states divide into two exponentially large classes: bright states, in which the spin-1 is entangled with its surroundings, and dark states, in which it is not. On resonance, the bright states further break up into two classes depending on their weight on states with central spin polarization zero. These classes are probed in quench dynamics wherein they prevent the central spin from reaching thermal equilibrium. In the single spin-flip sector we explicitly construct the bright states and show that the central spin exhibits oscillatory dynamics as a consequence of the semilocalization of these eigenstates. We relate the integrability to the closely related class of integrable Richardson-Gaudin models, and conjecture that the spin-$s$ central spin XX model is integrable for any $s$.

  4 citations

• Connected correlations in partitioning protocols: A case study and beyond

  Saverio Bocini

  SciPost Phys. 15, 027 (2023) · published 25 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The assumption of local relaxation in inhomogeneous quantum quenches allows to compute asymptotically the expectation value of local observables via hydrodynamic arguments known as generalized hydrodynamics (GHD). In this work we address formally the question of when an observable is local enough to be described by GHD using the playground of partitioning protocols and non-interacting time evolution. We show that any state evolving under a quadratic Hamiltonian can be described via a set of decoupled dynamical fields such that one of those fields can be identified with a space-time-dependent generalisation of the root density. By studying the contribution to a connected spin correlation of each of those fields independently, we derive the locality conditions under which an observable can be described using the root density only. That shows both the regime of validity for hydrodynamic approaches that aim at describing the asymptotic value of observables in term of the root density only, such as GHD, and the locality conditions necessary for Gaussianification to occur.

• Classicality with(out) decoherence: Concepts, relation to Markovianity, and a random matrix theory approach

  Philipp Strasberg

  SciPost Phys. 15, 024 (2023) · published 24 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Answers to the question how a classical world emerges from underlying quantum physics are revisited, connected and extended as follows. First, three distinct concepts are compared: decoherence in open quantum systems, consistent/decoherent histories and Kolmogorov consistency. Second, the crucial role of quantum Markovianity (defined rigorously) to connect these concepts is established. Third, using a random matrix theory model, quantum effects are shown to be exponentially suppressed in the measurement statistics of slow and coarse observables despite the presence of large amount of coherences. This is also numerically exemplified, and it highlights the potential and importance of non-integrability and chaos for the emergence of classicality.

  3 citations

• Entropy of causal diamond ensembles

  Ted Jacobson, Manus R. Visser

  SciPost Phys. 15, 023 (2023) · published 24 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We define a canonical ensemble for a gravitational causal diamond by introducing an artificial York boundary inside the diamond with a fixed induced metric and temperature, and evaluate the partition function using a saddle point approximation. For Einstein gravity with zero cosmological constant there is no exact saddle with a horizon, however the portion of the Euclidean diamond enclosed by the boundary arises as an approximate saddle in the high-temperature regime, in which the saddle horizon approaches the boundary. This high-temperature partition function provides a statistical interpretation of the recent calculation of Banks, Draper and Farkas, in which the entropy of causal diamonds is recovered from a boundary term in the on-shell Euclidean action. In contrast, with a positive cosmological constant, as well as in Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity with or without a cosmological constant, an exact saddle exists with a finite boundary temperature, but in these cases the causal diamond is determined by the saddle rather than being selected a priori.

  5 citations

• Accelerating equilibrium spin-glass simulations using quantum annealers via generative deep learning

  Giuseppe Scriva, Emanuele Costa, Benjamin McNaughton, Sebastiano Pilati

  SciPost Phys. 15, 018 (2023) · published 20 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Adiabatic quantum computers, such as the quantum annealers commercialized by D-Wave Systems Inc., are routinely used to tackle combinatorial optimization problems. In this article, we show how to exploit them to accelerate equilibrium Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations of computationally challenging spin-glass models at low but finite temperatures. This is achieved by training generative neural networks on data produced by a D-Wave quantum annealer, and then using them to generate smart proposals for the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. In particular, we explore hybrid schemes by combining single spin-flip and neural proposals, as well as D-Wave and classical Monte Carlo training data. The hybrid algorithm outperforms the single spin-flip Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. It is competitive with parallel tempering in terms of correlation times, with the significant benefit of a much shorter equilibration time.

  1 citation

• Higher-form subsystem symmetry breaking: Subdimensional criticality and fracton phase transitions

  Brandon C. Rayhaun, Dominic J. Williamson

  SciPost Phys. 15, 017 (2023) · published 19 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Subsystem symmetry has emerged as a powerful organizing principle for unconventional quantum phases of matter, most prominently fracton topological orders. Here, we focus on a special subclass of such symmetries, known as higher-form subsystem symmetries, which allow us to adapt tools from the study of conventional topological phases to the fracton setting. We demonstrate that certain transitions out of familiar fracton phases, including the X-cube model, can be understood in terms of the spontaneous breaking of higher-form subsystem symmetries. We find simple pictures for these seemingly complicated fracton topological phase transitions by relating them in an exact manner, via gauging, to spontaneous higher-form subsystem symmetry breaking phase transitions of decoupled stacks of lower-dimensional models. We harness this perspective to construct a sequence of unconventional subdimensional critical points in two and three spatial dimensions based on the stacking and gauging of canonical models with higher-form symmetry. Through numerous examples, we illustrate the ubiquity of coupled layer constructions in theories with higher-form subsystem symmetries.

  5 citations

• Exceptional points in the Baxter-Fendley free parafermion model

  Robert A. Henry, Murray T. Batchelor

  SciPost Phys. 15, 016 (2023) · published 19 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Certain spin chains, such as the quantum Ising chain, have free fermion spectra which can be expressed as the sum of decoupled two-level fermionic systems. Free parafermions are a generalisation of this idea to $\mathbb{Z}_N$-symmetric clock models. In 1989 Baxter discovered a non-Hermitian but $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric model directly generalising the Ising chain, which was later described by Fendley as a free parafermion spectrum. By extending the model's magnetic field parameter to the complex plane, it is shown that a series of exceptional points emerges, where the quasienergies defining the free spectrum become degenerate. An analytic expression for the locations of these points is derived, and various numerical investigations are performed. These exceptional points also exist in the Ising chain with a complex transverse field. Although the model is not in general $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric at these exceptional points, their proximity can have a profound impact on the model on the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric real line. Furthermore, in certain cases an exceptional point may appear on the real line (with negative field).

  2 citations

• Measurement phase transitions in the no-click limit as quantum phase transitions of a non-hermitean vacuum

  Caterina Zerba, Alessandro Silva

  SciPost Phys. Core 6, 051 (2023) · published 18 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study dynamical phase transitions occurring in the stationary state of the dynamics of integrable many-body non-hermitian Hamiltonians, which can be either realized as a no-click limit of a stochastic Schrödinger equation or using spacetime duality of quantum circuits. In two specific models, the Transverse Field Ising Chain and the Long Range Kitaev Chain, we observe that the entanglement phase transitions occurring in the stationary state have the same nature as that occurring in the vacuum of the non-hermitian Hamiltonian: bounded entanglement entropy when the imaginary part of the quasi-particle spectrum is gapped and a logarithmic growth for gapless imaginary spectrum. This observation suggests the possibility to generalize the area-law theorem to non-Hermitian Hamiltonians.

  6 citations