arXiv subjects

Tian-Gang Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Tian-Gang Zhou.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Three Hamiltonians are Sufficient for Unitary $k$-Design in Temporal Ensemble

Unitary $k$-designs are central to quantum information and quantum many-body physics, as they provide efficient proxies for Haar-random dynamics. We study how chaotic Hamiltonian evolution can generate unitary $k$-designs using the frame potential (FP). Unlike standard approaches based on independently sampled Hamiltonians or fine-tuned evolution times, we consider a quenched temporal ensemble in which the Hamiltonians are sampled once and then held fixed, while randomness enters only through the evolution times. We compare a two-step protocol (2SP), with evolution under two fixed Hamiltonians, to a three-step protocol (3SP) with one additional quench, with three evolution times sampled independently. Analytically and numerically, we show that the 2SP fails to realize general unitary $k$-designs, whereas the 3SP realizes them for arbitrary $k$. The random phases in the 3SP impose stronger index-matching constraints in the FP, eliminating the independent permutation degrees of freedom that still remain in the 2SP. Even with imperfect time averaging, the 3SP reaches a given accuracy within a parametrically shorter time window. These results hold universally across different symmetry classes and persist in both all-to-all and local models with random interactions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Solvable Random Unitary Dynamics in a Disordered Tomonaga-Luttinger Liquid

Disordered one-dimensional interacting systems have long been characterized via conventional correlation functions. A complementary quantum-information perspective quantifies the randomness of the unitary ensemble dynamics generated by a quantum system through the frame potential, which serves as a practical diagnostic for quantum algorithmic performance. However, no analytical treatment has yet been achieved for experimentally accessible interacting one-dimensional systems. In this Letter, we derive a closed-form expression for the frame potential of a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid with quenched Gaussian forward-scattering disorder. Exploiting the exactly quadratic structure of the disorder-averaged Keldysh action, we show that the frame potential decays as a power law at early times and saturates to a late-time plateau controlled by a single coupling parameter. Taking the random field XXZ spin chain as a specific microscopic realization, we show that the strongest randomness is achieved near the Heisenberg ferromagnetic point and can be exponentially enhanced through a multiple-quench protocol. We validate our results across the entire gapless phase, with direct implications for algorithm design in analog quantum simulation platforms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Error-resilient Reversal of Quantum Chaotic Dynamics Enabled by Scramblons

The emergence of the arrow of time in quantum many-body systems stems from the inherent tendency of Hamiltonian evolution to scramble quantum information and increase entanglement. While, in principle, one might counteract this temporal directionality by engineering a perfectly inverted Hamiltonian to reverse entanglement growth, such a scenario is fundamentally unstable because even minor imperfections in the backward evolution can be exponentially amplified, a hallmark of quantum many-body chaos. Therefore, successfully reversing quantum many-body dynamics demands a deep understanding of the underlying structure of quantum information scrambling and chaotic dynamics. In this letter, by using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance on a macroscopic ensemble of randomly interacting spins, we measure the out-of-time-ordered correlator (OTOC) and validate key predictions of scramblon theory, a universal theoretical framework for information scrambling. Crucially, this theory enables us to isolate and mitigate errors in the OTOC caused by imperfections in the backward evolution. As a result, this protocol uncovers the anticipated exponential behavior of quantum many-body chaos and extracts the quantum Lyapunov exponent in a many-body experimental system for the first time. Our results push the fundamental limits of dynamical reversibility of complex quantum systems, with implications for quantum simulation and metrology.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

The Magnetic Maze: A System With Tunable Scale Invariance

Random magnetic field configurations are ubiquitous in nature. Such fields lead to a variety of dynamical phenomena, including localization and glassy physics in some condensed matter systems and novel transport processes in astrophysical systems. Here we consider the physics of a charged quantum particle moving in a ``magnetic maze'': a high-dimensional space filled with a randomly chosen vector potential and a corresponding magnetic field. We derive a path integral description of the model by introducing appropriate collective variables and integrating out the random vector potential, and we solve for the dynamics in the limit of large dimensionality. We derive and analyze the equations of motion for Euclidean and real-time dynamics, and we calculate out-of-time-order correlators. We show that a special choice of vector potential correlations gives rise, in the low temperature limit, to a novel scale-invariant quantum theory with a tunable dynamical exponent. Moreover, we show that the theory is chaotic with a tunable chaos exponent which approaches the chaos bound at low temperature and strong coupling.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Efficient Classical Shadow Tomography through Many-body Localization Dynamics

Classical shadow tomography serves as a potent tool for extracting numerous properties from quantum many-body systems with minimal measurements. Nevertheless, prevailing methods yielding optimal performance for few-body operators necessitate the application of random two-qubit gates, a task that can prove challenging on specific quantum simulators such as ultracold atomic gases. In this work, we introduce an alternative approach founded on the dynamics of many-body localization, a phenomenon extensively demonstrated in optical lattices. Through an exploration of the shadow norm -- both analytically, employing a phenomenological model, and numerically, utilizing the TEBD algorithm -- we demonstrate that our scheme achieves remarkable efficiency comparable to shallow circuits or measurement-induced criticality, resulting in a significant improvement in the exponential exponent compared to the previous classical shadow protocol. Our findings are corroborated through direct numerical simulations encompassing the entire sampling and reconstruction processes. Consequently, our results present a compelling methodology for analyzing the output states of quantum simulators.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Universal Aspects of High-Temperature Relaxation Dynamics in Random Spin Models

Universality is a crucial concept in modern physics, allowing us to capture the essential features of a system's behavior using a small set of parameters. In this work, we unveil universal spin relaxation dynamics in anisotropic random Heisenberg models with infinite-range interactions at high temperatures. Starting from a polarized state, the total magnetization can relax monotonically or decay with long-lived oscillations, determined by the sign of a universal single function $A=-ξ_1^2+ξ_2^2-4ξ_2ξ_3+ξ_3^2$. Here $(ξ_1,ξ_3,ξ_3)$ characterizes the anisotropy of the Heisenberg interaction. Furthermore, the oscillation shows up only for $A>0$, with frequency $Ω\propto \sqrt{A}$. To validate our theory, we compare it to numerical simulations by solving the Kadanoff-Baym (KB) equation with a melon diagram approximation and the exact diagonalization (ED). The results show our theoretical prediction works in both cases, regardless of a small system size $N=8$ in ED simulations. Our study sheds light on the universal aspect of quantum many-body dynamics beyond low energy limit.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Emergent Universal Quench Dynamics in Randomly Interacting Spin Models

Universality often emerges in low-energy equilibrium physics of quantum many-body systems, despite their microscopic complexity and variety. Recently, there has been a growing interest in studying far-from-equilibrium dynamics of quantum many-body systems. Such dynamics usually involves highly excited states beyond the traditional low-energy theory description. Whether universal behaviors can also emerge in such non-equilibrium dynamics is a central issue at the frontier of quantum dynamics. Here we report the experimental observation of universal dynamics by monitoring the spin depolarization process in a solid-state NMR system described by an ensemble of randomly interacting spins. The spin depolarization can be related to temporal spin-spin correlation functions at high temperatures. We discover a remarkable phenomenon that these correlation functions obey a universal functional form. This experimental fact helps us identify the dominant interacting processes in the spin depolarization dynamics that lead to this universality. Our observation demonstrates the existence of universality even in non-equilibrium dynamics at high temperatures, thereby complementing the well-established universality in low-energy physics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Size Winding Mechanism beyond Maximal Chaos

The concept of information scrambling elucidates the dispersion of local information in quantum many-body systems, offering insights into various physical phenomena such as wormhole teleportation. This phenomenon has spurred extensive theoretical and experimental investigations. Among these, the size-winding mechanism emerges as a valuable diagnostic tool for optimizing signal detection. In this work, we establish a computational framework for determining the winding size distribution in large-$N$ quantum systems with all-to-all interactions, utilizing the scramblon effective theory. We obtain the winding size distribution for the large-$q$ SYK model across the entire time domain. Notably, we unveil that the manifestation of size winding results from a universal phase factor in the scramblon propagator, highlighting the significance of the Lyapunov exponent. These findings contribute to a sharp and precise connection between operator dynamics and the phenomenon of wormhole teleportation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Distinguishing Quantum Phases through Cusps in Full Counting Statistics

Measuring physical observables requires averaging experimental outcomes over numerous identical measurements. The complete distribution function of possible outcomes or its Fourier transform, known as the full counting statistics, provides a more detailed description. This method captures the fundamental quantum fluctuations in many-body systems and has gained significant attention in quantum transport research. In this letter, we propose that cusp singularities in the full counting statistics are a novel tool for distinguishing between ordered and disordered phases. As a specific example, we focus on the superfluid-to-Mott transition in the Bose-Hubbard model and introduce $Z_A(α)=\langle \exp({iα\sum_{i\in A}(\hat{n}_i}-\overline{n}))\rangle $ with $\overline{n}=\langle n_i \rangle$. Through both analytical analysis and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that $\partial_α\log Z_A(α)$ exhibits a discontinuity near $α=π$ in the superfluid phase when the subsystem size is sufficiently large, while it remains smooth in the Mott phase. This discontinuity can be interpreted as a first-order transition between different semi-classical configurations of vortices. We anticipate that our discoveries can be readily tested using state-of-the-art ultracold atom and superconducting qubit platforms.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2023

Full Counting Statistics across the Entanglement Phase Transition of Non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with Charge Conservations

Performing quantum measurements produces not only the expectation value of a physical observable $O$ but also the probability distribution $P(o)$ of all possible outcomes $o$. The full counting statistics (FCS) $Z(ϕ, O)\equiv \sum_o e^{iϕo}P(o)$, a Fourier transform of this distribution, contains the complete information of the measurement outcome. In this work, we study the FCS of $Q_A$, the charge operator in subsystem $A$, for 1D systems described by non-Hermitian SYK-like models, which are solvable in the large-$N$ limit. In both the volume-law entangled phase for interacting systems and the critical phase for non-interacting systems, the conformal symmetry emerges, which gives $F(ϕ, Q_A)\equiv \log Z(ϕ, Q_A)\sim ϕ^2\log |A|$. In short-range entangled phases, the FCS shows area-law behavior which can be approximated as $F(ϕ, Q_A)\sim (1-\cosϕ) |\partial A|$ for $ζ\gg J$, regardless of the presence of interactions. Our results suggest the FCS is a universal probe of entanglement phase transitions in non-Hermitian systems with conserved charges, which does not require the introduction of multiple replicas. We also discuss the consequence of discrete symmetry, long-range hopping, and generalizations to higher dimensions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Universal Properties of the Spectral Form Factor in Open Quantum Systems

The spectral form factor (SFF) can probe the eigenvalue statistic at different energy scales as its time variable varies. In closed quantum chaotic systems, the SFF exhibits a universal dip-ramp-plateau behavior, which reflects the spectrum rigidity of the Hamiltonian. In this work, we explore the universal properties of SFF in open quantum systems. We find that in open systems the SFF first decays exponentially, followed by a linear increase at some intermediate time scale, and finally decreases to a saturated plateau value. We derive universal relations between (1) the early-time decay exponent and Lindblad operators; (2) the long-time plateau value and the number of steady states. We also explain the effective field theory perspective of universal behaviors. We verify our theoretical predictions by numerically simulating the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, random matrix theory (RMT), and the Bose-Hubbard model.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2023

Attenuating Dynamics of Strongly Interacting Fermionic Superfluids in SYK Solvable Models

Quench dynamics of fermionic superfluids are an active topic both experimentally and theoretically. Using the BCS theory, such non-equilibrium problems can be reduced to nearly independent spin dynamics, only with a time-dependent mean-field pairing term. This results in persisting oscillations of the pairing strength in certain parameter regimes. However, experiments have observed that the oscillations decay rapidly when the interaction becomes strong, such as in the unitary Fermi gas. Theoretical analysis on this matter is still absent. In this work, we construct an SYK-like model to analyze the effect of strong interactions in a one-dimensional BCS system. We employ the large-$N$ approximation and a Green's function-based technique to solve the equilibrium problem and quench dynamics. Our findings reveal that a strong SYK interaction suppresses the pairing order. Additionally, we verify that the system quickly thermalizes with SYK interactions, whether it involves intrinsic pairing order or proximity effect, resulting in a rapid decay of the oscillation strength. The decay rates exhibit different scaling laws against SYK interaction, which can be understood in terms of the Boltzmann equation. This work represents a first step towards understanding the attenuating dynamics of strongly interacting fermionic superfluids.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2023

Probing quantum many-body correlations by universal ramping dynamics

Ramping a physical parameter is one of the most common experimental protocols in studying a quantum system, and ramping dynamics has been widely used in preparing a quantum state and probing physical properties. Here, we present a novel method of probing quantum many-body correlation by ramping dynamics. We ramp a Hamiltonian parameter to the same target value from different initial values and with different velocities, and we show that the first-order correction on the finite ramping velocity is universal and path-independent, revealing a novel quantum many-body correlation function of the equilibrium phases at the target values. We term this method as the non-adiabatic linear response since this is the leading order correction beyond the adiabatic limit. We demonstrate this method experimentally by studying the Bose-Hubbard model with ultracold atoms in three-dimensional optical lattices. Unlike the conventional linear response that reveals whether the quasi-particle dispersion of a quantum phase is gapped or gapless, this probe is more sensitive to whether the quasi-particle lifetime is long enough such that the quantum phase possesses a well-defined quasi-particle description. In the Bose-Hubbard model, this non-adiabatic linear response is significant in the quantum critical regime where well-defined quasi-particles are absent. And in contrast, this response is vanishingly small in both superfluid and Mott insulators which possess well-defined quasi-particles. Because our proposal uses the most common experimental protocol, we envision that our method can find broad applications in probing various quantum systems.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Space-Time Duality between Quantum Chaos and Non-Hermitian Boundary Effect

Quantum chaos in hermitian systems concerns the sensitivity of long-time dynamical evolution to initial conditions. The skin effect discovered recently in non-hermitian systems reveals the sensitivity to the spatial boundary condition even deeply in bulk. In this letter, we show that these two seemingly different phenomena can be unified through space-time duality. The intuition is that the space-time duality maps unitary dynamics to non-unitary dynamics and exchanges the temporal direction and spatial direction. Therefore, the space-time duality can establish the connection between the sensitivity to the initial condition in the temporal direction and the sensitivity to the boundary condition in the spatial direction. Here we demonstrate this connection by studying the space-time duality of the out-of-time-ordered commutator in a concrete chaotic hermitian model. We show that the out-of-time-ordered commutator is mapped to a special two-point correlator in a non-hermitian system in the dual picture. For comparison, we show that this sensitivity disappears when the non-hermiticity is removed in the dual picture.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Tunneling through an Eternal Traversable Wormhole

The Maldacena-Qi model describes two copies of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model coupled with an additional coupling, and is dual to the Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity which exhibits an eternal traversable wormhole in the low-temperature limit. In this work, we study an experimental consequence of the existence of the traversable wormhole by considering the tunneling spectroscopy for the Maldacena-Qi model. Comparing to the high-temperature black hole phase where the bulk geometry is disconnected, we find that both the tunneling probability and the differential conductance in the low-temperature wormhole phase show non-trivial oscillation, which directly provides an unambiguous signature of the underlying $\operatorname{SL}(2)$ symmetry of the bulk geometry. We also perform bulk calculations in both high and low-temperature phases, which match the results from the boundary quantum theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Disconnecting a Traversable Wormhole: Universal Quench Dynamics in Random Spin Models

Understanding strongly interacting quantum matter and quantum gravity are both important open issues in theoretical physics, and the holographic duality between quantum field theory and gravity theory nicely brings these two topics together. Nevertheless, direct connections between gravity physics and experimental observations in quantum matter are still rare. Here we utilize the gravity physics picture to understand quench dynamics experimentally observed in a class of random spin models realized in several different quantum systems, where the dynamics of magnetization are measured after the external polarization field is suddenly turned off. Two universal features of the magnetization dynamics, namely, a slow decay described by a stretched exponential function and an oscillatory behavior, are respectively found in different parameter regimes across different systems. This work addresses the issues of generic conditions under which these two universal features can occur, and we find that a natural answer to this question emerges in the gravity picture. By the holographic duality bridged by a model proposed by Maldacena and Qi, the quench dynamics after suddenly turning off the external polarization field is mapped to disconnecting an eternal traversable wormhole. Our studies show that insight from gravity physics can help unifying different experiments in quantum systems.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗