arXiv subjects

Lea F. Santos

Publications and source records attributed to Lea F. Santos.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Slow relaxation of out-of-time-ordered correlators in interacting integrable and nonintegrable spin-1/2 XYZ chains

Out-of-time ordered correlators (OTOCs) help characterize the scrambling of quantum information and are usually studied in the context of nonintegrable systems. In this work, we compare the relaxation dynamics of OTOCs in interacting integrable and nonintegrable spin-1/2 XYZ chains in regimes without a classical counterpart. In both kinds of chains, using the presence of symmetries such as $U(1)$ and supersymmetry, we consider regimes in which the OTOC operators overlap or not with the Hamiltonian. We show that the relaxation of the OTOCs is slow (fast) when there is (there is not) an overlap, independently of whether the chain is integrable or nonintegrable. When slow, we show that the OTOC dynamics follows closely that of the two-point correlators. We study the dynamics of OTOCs using numerical calculations, and gain analytical insights from the properties of the diagonal and of the off-diagonal matrix elements of the corresponding local operators in the energy eigenbasis.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Quantum tunneling and level crossings in the squeeze-driven Kerr oscillator

The quasi-energy spectrum recently measured in experiments with a squeeze-driven superconducting Kerr oscillator showed good agreement with the energy spectrum of its corresponding static effective Hamiltonian. The experiments also demonstrated that the dynamics of low-energy states can be explained with the same emergent static effective model. The spectrum exhibits real (avoided) level crossings for specific values of the Hamiltonian parameters, which can then be chosen to suppress (enhance) quantum tunneling. Here, we analyze the spectrum and the dynamics of the effective model up to high energies, which should soon be within experimental reach. We show that the parameters values for the crossings, which can be obtained from a semiclassical approach, can also be identified directly from the dynamics. Our analysis of quantum tunneling is done with the effective flux of the Husimi volume of the evolved states between different regions of the phase space. Both initial coherent states and quench dynamics are considered. We argue that the level crossings and their consequences to the dynamics are typical to any quantum system with one degree of freedom, whose density of states presents a local logarithmic divergence and a local step discontinuity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Generalized Survival Probability

The survival probability measures the probability that a system taken out of equilibrium has not yet moved out from its initial state. Inspired by the generalized entropies used to analyze nonergodic states, we introduce a generalized version of the survival probability, and discuss how it can assist studies of the structure of the eigenstates and ergodicity.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Chaos and Thermalization in the Spin-Boson Dicke Model

We present a detailed analysis of the connection between chaos and the onset of thermalization in the spin-boson Dicke model. This system has a well-defined classical limit with two degrees of freedom, and it presents both regular and chaotic regions. Our studies of the eigenstate expectation values and the distributions of the off-diagonal elements of the number of photons and the number of excited atoms validate the diagonal and off-diagonal eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) in the chaotic region, thus ensuring thermalization. The validity of the ETH reflects the chaotic structure of the eigenstates, which we corroborate using the von Neumann entanglement entropy and the Shannon entropy. Our results for the Shannon entropy also make evident the advantages of the so-called "efficient basis" over the widespread employed Fock basis when investigating the unbounded spectrum of the Dicke model. The efficient basis gives us access to a larger number of converged states than what can be reached with the Fock basis.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Ground-state energy distribution of disordered many-body quantum systems

Extreme-value distributions are studied in the context of a broad range of problems, from the equilibrium properties of low-temperature disordered systems to the occurrence of natural disasters. Our focus here is on the ground-state energy distribution of disordered many-body quantum systems. We derive an analytical expression that, upon tuning a parameter, reproduces with high accuracy the ground-state energy distribution of the systems that we consider. For some models, it agrees with the Tracy-Widom distribution obtained from Gaussian random matrices. They include transverse Ising models, the Sachdev-Ye model, and a randomized version of the PXP model. For other systems, such as Bose-Hubbard models with random couplings and the disordered spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain used to investigate many-body localization, the shapes are at odds with the Tracy-Widom distribution. Our analytical expression captures all of these distributions, thus playing a role to the lowest energy level similar to that played by the Brody distribution to the bulk of the spectrum.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2022

Quantum-classical correspondence of strongly chaotic many-body spin models

We study the quantum-classical correspondence for systems with interacting spin-particles that are strongly chaotic in the classical limit. This is done in the presence of constants of motion associated with the fixed angular momenta of individual spins. Our analysis of the Lyapunov spectra reveals that the largest Lyapunov exponent agrees with the Lyapunov exponent that determines the local instability of each individual spin moving under the influence of all other spins. Within this picture, we introduce a rigorous and simple test of ergodicity for the spin motion, and use it to identify when classical chaos is both strong and global in phase space. In the quantum domain, our analysis of the Hamiltonian matrix in a proper representation allows us to obtain the conditions for the onset of quantum chaos as a function of the model parameters. From the comparison between the quantum and classical domains, we demonstrate that quantum quantities, such as the local density of states (LDOS) and the shape of the chaotic eigenfunctions written in the non-interacting many-body basis, have well-defined classical counterparts. Another central finding is the relationship between the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy and the width of the LDOS, which is useful for studies of many-body dynamics.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Chaos enhancement in large-spin chains

We study the chaotic properties of a large-spin XXZ chain with onsite disorder and a small number of excitations above the fully polarized state. We show that while the classical limit, which is reached for large spins, is chaotic, enlarging the spin suppresses quantum chaos features. We attribute this suppression to the occurrence of large and slow clusters of onsite excitations, and propose a way to facilitate their fragmentation by introducing additional decay channels. We numerically verify that the introduction of such relaxation channels restores chaoticity for large spins, so that only three excitations are required to achieve strong level repulsion and ergodic eigenstates.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2022

Identification of quantum scars via phase-space localization measures

There is no unique way to quantify the degree of delocalization of quantum states in unbounded continuous spaces. In this work, we explore a recently introduced localization measure that quantifies the portion of the classical phase space occupied by a quantum state. The measure is based on the $α$-moments of the Husimi function and is known as the Rényi occupation of order $α$. With this quantity and random pure states, we find a general expression to identify states that are maximally delocalized in phase space. Using this expression and the Dicke model, which is an interacting spin-boson model with an unbounded four-dimensional phase space, we show that the Rényi occupations with $α>1$ are highly effective at revealing quantum scars. Furthermore, by analyzing the high moments ($α>1$) of the Husimi function, we are able to identify qualitatively and quantitatively the unstable periodic orbits that scar some of the eigenstates of the model.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Interacting bosons in a triple well: Preface of many-body quantum chaos

Systems of interacting bosons in triple-well potentials are of significant theoretical and experimental interest. They are explored in contexts that range from quantum phase transitions and quantum dynamics to semiclassical analysis. Here, we systematically investigate the onset of quantum chaos in a triple-well model that moves away from integrability as its potential gets tilted. Even in its deepest chaotic regime, the system presents features reminiscent of integrability. Our studies are based on level spacing distribution and spectral form factor, structure of the eigenstates, diagonal and off-diagonal elements of observables in relationship to the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis. With only three sites, the system's eigenstates are at the brink of becoming fully chaotic and thus show distributions other than Gaussian, which resonates with the results for the observables.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

Topological Gaps in Quasi-Periodic Spin Chains: A Numerical and K-Theoretic Analysis

Topological phases supported by quasi-periodic spin-chain models and their bulk-boundary principles are investigated by numerical and K-theoretic methods. We show that, for both the un-correlated and correlated phases, the operator algebras that generate the Hamiltonians are non-commutative tori, hence the quasi-periodic chains display physics akin to the quantum Hall effect in two and higher dimensions. The robust topological edge modes are found to be strongly shaped by the interaction and, generically, they have hybrid edge-localized and chain-delocalized structures. Our findings lay the foundations for topological spin pumping using the phason of a quasi-periodic pattern as an adiabatic parameter, where selectively chosen quantized bits of magnetization can be transferred from one edge of the chain to the other.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2021

Suppression of heating by long-range interactions in periodically driven spin chains

We propose a mechanism to suppress heating in periodically driven many-body quantum systems by employing sufficiently long-range interactions and experimentally relevant initial conditions. The mechanism is robust to local perturbations and does \emph{not} rely on disorder or high driving frequencies. Instead, it makes use of an approximate fragmentation of the many-body spectrum of the non-driven system into bands, with band gaps that grow with the system size. We show that when these systems are driven, there is a regime where \emph{decreasing} the driving frequency \emph{decreases} heating and entanglement build-up. This is demonstrated numerically for a prototypical system of spins in one dimension, but the results can be readily generalized to higher dimensions.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2021

Quantum-classical correspondence of a system of interacting bosons in a triple-well potential

We study the quantum-classical correspondence of an experimentally accessible system of interacting bosons in a tilted triple-well potential. With the semiclassical analysis, we get a better understanding of the different phases of the quantum system and how they could be used for quantum information science. In the integrable limits, our analysis of the stationary points of the semiclassical Hamiltonian reveals critical points associated with second-order quantum phase transitions. In the nonintegrable domain, the system exhibits crossovers. Depending on the parameters and quantities, the quantum-classical correspondence holds for very few bosons. In some parameter regions, the ground state is robust (highly sensitive) to changes in the interaction strength (tilt amplitude), which may be of use for quantum information protocols (quantum sensing).

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Equilibration time in many-body quantum systems

Isolated many-body quantum systems quenched far from equilibrium can eventually equilibrate, but it is not yet clear how long they take to do so. To answer this question, we use exact numerical methods and analyze the entire evolution, from perturbation to equilibration, of a paradigmatic disordered many-body quantum system in the chaotic regime. We investigate how the equilibration time depends on the system size and observables. We show that if dynamical manifestations of spectral correlations in the form of the correlation hole ("ramp") are taken into account, the time for equilibration scales exponentially with system size, while if they are neglected, the scaling is better described by a power law with system size, though with an exponent larger than what is expected for diffusive transport.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2021

Probing the edge between integrability and quantum chaos in interacting few-atom systems

Interacting quantum systems in the chaotic domain are at the core of various ongoing studies of many-body physics, ranging from the scrambling of quantum information to the onset of thermalization. We propose a minimum model for chaos that can be experimentally realized with cold atoms trapped in one-dimensional multi-well potentials. We explore the emergence of chaos as the number of particles is increased, starting with as few as two, and as the number of wells is increased, ranging from a double well to a multi-well Kronig-Penney-like system. In this way, we illuminate the narrow boundary between integrability and chaos in a highly tunable few-body system. We show that the competition between the particle interactions and the periodic structure of the confining potential reveals subtle indications of quantum chaos for 3 particles, while for 4 particles stronger signatures are seen. The analysis is performed for bosonic particles and could also be extended to distinguishable fermions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Quantum scarring in a spin-boson system: fundamental families of periodic orbits

As the name indicates, a periodic orbit is a solution for a dynamical system that repeats itself in time. In the regular regime, periodic orbits are stable, while in the chaotic regime, they become unstable. The presence of unstable periodic orbits is directly associated with the phenomenon of quantum scarring, which restricts the degree of delocalization of the eigenstates and leads to revivals in the dynamics. Here, we study the Dicke model in the superradiant phase and identify two sets of fundamental periodic orbits. This experimentally realizable atom-photon model is regular at low energies and chaotic at high energies. We study the effects of the periodic orbits in the structure of the eigenstates in both regular and chaotic regimes and obtain their quantized energies. We also introduce a measure to quantify how much scarred an eigenstate gets by each family of periodic orbits and compare the dynamics of initial coherent states close and away from those orbits.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

How many particles make up a chaotic many-body quantum system?

We numerically investigate the minimum number of interacting particles, which is required for the onset of strong chaos in quantum systems on a one-dimensional lattice with short-range and long-range interactions. We consider multiple system sizes which are at least three times larger than the number of particles and find that robust signatures of quantum chaos emerge for as few as 4 particles in the case of short-range interactions and as few as 3 particles for long-range interactions, and without any apparent dependence on the size of the system.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

Ubiquitous quantum scarring does not prevent ergodicity

In a classically chaotic system that is ergodic, any trajectory will be arbitrarily close to any point of the available phase space after a long time, filling it uniformly. Using Born's rules to connect quantum states with probabilities, one might then expect that all quantum states in the chaotic regime should be uniformly distributed in phase space. This simplified picture was shaken by the discovery of quantum scarring, where some eigenstates are concentrated along unstable periodic orbits. Despite of that, it is widely accepted that most eigenstates of chaotic models are indeed ergodic. Our results show instead that all eigenstates of the chaotic Dicke model are actually scarred. They also show that even the most random states of this interacting atom-photon system never occupy more than half of the available phase space. Quantum ergodicity is achievable only as an ensemble property, after temporal averages are performed.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2021

Multifractality and self-averaging at the many-body localization transition

Finite-size effects have been a major and justifiable source of concern for studies of many-body localization, and several works have been dedicated to the subject. In this paper, however, we discuss yet another crucial problem that has received much less attention, that of the lack of self-averaging and the consequent danger of reducing the number of random realizations as the system size increases. By taking this into account and considering ensembles with a large number of samples for all system sizes analyzed, we find that the generalized dimensions of the eigenstates of the disordered Heisenberg spin-1/2 chain close to the transition point to localization are described remarkably well by an exact analytical expression derived for the non-interacting Fibonacci lattice, thus providing an additional tool for studies of many-body localization.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗