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arXiv:1107.6035 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Subsystem dynamics under random Hamiltonian evolution

Vinayak, Marko Žnidarič

Published Mar 13, 2012• 75 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study time evolution of a subsystem's density matrix under unitary evolution, generated by a sufficiently complex, say quantum chaotic, Hamiltonian, modeled by a random matrix. We exactly calculate all coherences, purity and fluctuations. We show that the reduced density matrix can be described in terms of a noncentral correlated Wishart ensemble for which we are able to perform analytical calculations of the eigenvalue density. Our description accounts for a transition from an arbitrary initial state towards a random state at large times, enabling us to determine the convergence time after which random states are reached. We identify and describe a number of other interesting features, like a series of collisions between the largest eigenvalue and the bulk, accompanied by a phase transition in its distribution function.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8113/45/12/125204

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We study time evolution of a subsystem's density matrix under unitary evolution, generated by a sufficiently complex, say quantum chaotic, Hamiltonian, modeled by a random matrix. We exactly calculate all coherences, purity and fluctuations. We show that the reduced density matrix can be described in terms of a noncentral correlated Wishart ensemble for which we are able to perform analytical calculations of the eigenvalue density. Our description accounts for a transition from an arbitrary initial state towards a random state at large times, enabling us to determine the convergence time after which random states are reached. We identify and describe a number of other interesting features, like a series of collisions between the largest eigenvalue and the bulk, accompanied by a phase transition in its distribution function.
In this work, we consider a model of a subsystem interacting with a reservoir and study dynamics of entanglement assuming that the overall time-evolution is governed by non-integrable Hamiltonians. We also compare to an ensemble of Integrable Hamiltonians. To do this, we make use of unitary invariant ensembles of random matrices with either Wigner-Dyson or Poissonian distributions of energy. Using the theory of Weingarten functions, we derive universal average time evolution of the reduced density matrix and the purity and compare these results with several physical Hamiltonians: randomized versions of the transverse field Ising and XXZ models, Spin Glass and, Central Spin and SYK model. The theory excels at describing the latter two. Along the way, we find general expressions for exponential n-point correlation functions in the gas of GUE eigenvalues.
For chaotic quantum dynamics modeled by random unitary circuits, we study the complexity of reduced density matrices of subsystems as a function of evolution time where the initial global state is a product pure state. The state complexity is defined as the minimum number of local quantum channels to generate a given state from a product state to a good approximation. In 1+1 1 + 1 d, we prove that the complexity of subsystems of length \ell ℓ smaller than half grows linearly in time T T at least up to T = \ell / 4 T = ℓ / 4 but becomes zero after time T = \ell /2 T = ℓ / 2 in the limit of a large local dimension, while the complexity of the complementary subsystem of length larger than half grows linearly in time up to exponentially late times. Using holographic correspondence, we give some evidence that the state complexity of the smaller subsystem should actually grow linearly up to time T = \ell/2 T = ℓ / 2 and then abruptly decay to zero.
We investigate the appearance of quantum chaos in a single many-body wave function by analyzing the statistical properties of the eigenvalues of its reduced density matrix ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{A}$ of a spatial subsystem AAA. We find that (i): the spectrum of the density matrix is described by so-called Wishart random matrix theory, which (ii): exhibits besides level repulsion, spectral rigidity, and universal spectral correlations between eigenvalues separated by distances ranging from one up to many mean level spacings, which we investigate. We use these universal spectral characteristics of the reduced density matrix as a definition of chaos in the wave function. A simple and precise characterization of such universal correlations in a spectrum is a segment of strictly linear growth at sufficiently long times, recently called the ``ramp,'' of the spectral form factor which is the Fourier transform of the correlation function between a pair of eigenvalues. It turns out that Wishart and standard random matrix theory have the same universal ``ramp.'' Specifically, here numerical results for the spectral form factor of the density matrix of generic nonintegrable many-body systems, such as one-dimensional quantum Ising and Floquet spin models, are found to exhibit a universal ``ramp'' identical to that appearing for a ``random pure state'' (``Page state,'' or ``Haar state''). The density matrix of the latter is precisely the Wishart random matrix, the reduced density matrix of a completely random wave function. In addition, we study the development of chaos in the wave function by letting an initial direct product state evolve under the unitary time evolution. We find that the universal spectral correlations as manifested by the ``ramp'' set in as soon as the entanglement entropy begins to grow, and first develop for the eigenvalues at the top of the spectrum of the density matrix ${\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}}_{A}$, subsequently spreading over the entire spectrum at later times. Finally, we study a prethermalized regime described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble, which develops in a rapidly driven Floquet model at intermediate times. We find that the prethermalized regime exhibits no chaos, as evidenced by the absence of a ``ramp'' in the spectral form factor of the density matrix, while the universal spectral correlations start to develop when the prethermalized regime finally relaxes at late times to the fully thermalized (infinite temperature) chaotic regime.
Abstract We study the time dynamics of random density matrices generated by evolving the same pure state using a Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE) of Hamiltonians. We show that the spectral statistics of the resulting mixed state is well described by random matrix theory (RMT) and undergoes a crossover from the GOE to the Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE) for short and large times respectively. Using a semi-analytical treatment relying on a power series of the density matrix as a function of time, we find that the crossover occurs in a characteristic time that scales as the inverse of the Hilbert space dimension. The RMT results are contrasted with a paradigmatic model of many-body localization in the chaotic regime, where the GUE statistics is reached at large times, while for short times the statistics strongly depends on the peculiarity of the considered subspace.
Chaos and complexity entail an entropic and computational obstruction to describing a system, and thus are intrinsically difficult to characterize. In this paper, we consider time evolution by Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE) Hamiltonians and analytically compute out-of-time-ordered correlation functions (OTOCs) and frame potentials to quantify scrambling, Haar-randomness, and circuit complexity. While our random matrix analysis gives a qualitatively correct prediction of the late-time behavior of chaotic systems, we find unphysical behavior at early times including an O(1) scrambling time and the apparent breakdown of spatial and temporal locality. The salient feature of GUE Hamiltonians which gives us computational traction is the Haar-invariance of the ensemble, meaning that the ensemble-averaged dynamics look the same in any basis. Motivated by this property of the GUE, we introduce k-invariance as a precise definition of what it means for the dynamics of a quantum system to be described by random matrix theory. Here,we envision that the dynamical onset of approximate k-invariance will be a useful tool for capturing the transition from early-time chaos, as seen by OTOCs, to late-time chaos, as seen by random matrix theory.
A bstract Chaos and complexity entail an entropic and computational obstruction to describing a system, and thus are intrinsically difficult to characterize. In this paper, we consider time evolution by Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE) Hamiltonians and analytically compute out-of-time-ordered correlation functions (OTOCs) and frame potentials to quantify scrambling, Haar-randomness, and circuit complexity. While our random matrix analysis gives a qualitatively correct prediction of the late-time behavior of chaotic systems, we find unphysical behavior at early times including an O(1) \mathcal{O}(1) O(1) O 1 scrambling time and the apparent breakdown of spatial and temporal locality. The salient feature of GUE Hamiltonians which gives us computational traction is the Haar-invariance of the ensemble, meaning that the ensemble-averaged dynamics look the same in any basis. Motivated by this property of the GUE, we introduce k -invariance as a precise definition of what it means for the dynamics of a quantum system to be described by random matrix theory. We envision that the dynamical onset of approximate k -invariance will be a useful tool for capturing the transition from early-time chaos, as seen by OTOCs, to late-time chaos, as seen by random matrix theory.