Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1703.09435 · Journal of High Energy Physics

Out-of-time-order correlators in quantum mechanics

Koji Hashimoto, Keiju Murata, Ryosuke Yoshii

Published Oct 1, 2017• 249 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) is considered as a measure of quantum chaos. We formulate how to calculate the OTOC for quantum mechanics with a general Hamiltonian. We demonstrate explicit calculations of OTOCs for a harmonic oscillator, a particle in a one-dimensional box, a circle billiard and stadium billiards. For the first two cases, OTOCs are periodic in time because of their commensurable energy spectra. For the circle and stadium billiards, they are not recursive but saturate to constant values which are linear in temperature. Although the stadium billiard is a typical example of the classical chaos, an expected exponential growth of the OTOC is not found. We also discuss the classical limit of the OTOC. Analysis of a time evolution of a wavepacket in a box shows that the OTOC can deviate from its classical value at a time much earlier than the Ehrenfest time, which could be the reason of the difficulty for the numerical analyses to exhibit the exponential growth.

DOI
10.1007/jhep10(2017)138

Related papers

More on OTOCs and Chaos in Quantum Mechanics -- Magnetic Fields

Cameron Beetar, Jeff Murugan

We revisit thermal out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) in single-particle quantum systems, focusing on magnetic billiards. Using the stadium billiard as a testbed, we compute the thermal OTOC $C_T(t) = -\langle [x(t), p]^2 \rangle_β$ and extract Lyapunov-like exponents $λ_L$ that quantify early-time growth. We map out $λ_L(T, B)$, revealing a crossover from quantum chaos to magnetic rigidity. In parallel, we compute an alternative OTOC built from guiding-center operators, which exhibits qualitatively distinct dynamics and no exponential growth. Our results offer a controlled framework for probing scrambling, temperature dependence, and the interplay of geometry and magnetic fields in quantum systems.

hep-thCross-listedarXiv:2602.05322•Feb 6, 2026•0 citations

Perturbative OTOC and Quantum Chaos in Harmonic Oscillators : Second Quantization Method

Wung-Hong Huang

In this paper, the out-of-time-order correlators (OTOC) in quantum harmonic oscillators are calculated analytically by second quantization method in perturbative approximation. We consider the coupled harmonic oscillators and anharmonic (quartic) oscillators. The analytic formulas of microcanonical OTOC in the leading order of interaction are obtained. From these results we clearly see that the interactions can enhance the correlation to very large values over time and is proportional to the energy level. The growth of OTOC signatures the quantum chaos therein. The microcanonical OTOC which is an increasing oscillation becomes a simple increasing function in thermal OTOC after sum over all energy level, as different level oscillates with different frequency. The property that, at late time stage OTOC saturates to a constant value, however, does not show in the first-order perturbation studied in this paper.

arXiv:2306.03644•Jun 6, 2023•0 citations

Out-of-time-ordered-correlators for the pure inverted quartic oscillator: classical chaos meets quantum stability

Paul Romatschke

A bstract Out-of-time-ordered-correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to diagnose chaotic behavior in quantum mechanical systems. Recently, it was found that OTOCs display exponential growth for the inverted quantum harmonic oscillator, mirroring the fact that this system is classically and quantum mechanically unstable. In this work, I study OTOCs for the inverted anharmonic (pure quartic) oscillator in quantum mechanics, finding only oscillatory behavior despite the classically unstable nature of the system. For higher temperature, OTOCs seem to exhibit saturation consistent with a value of –2⟨ x 2 ⟩ T ⟨ p 2 ⟩ T at late times. I provide analytic evidence from the spectral zeta-function and the WKB method as well as direct numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation that the inverted quartic oscillator possesses a real and positive energy eigenspectrum, and normalizable wave-functions.

Journal of High Energy Physics•Oct 17, 2024•6 citations

Quantum mechanical out-of-time-ordered-correlators for the anharmonic (quartic) oscillator

Paul Romatschke

Out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to study quantum chaotic behavior in various systems. In this work, I calculate OTOCs for the quantum mechanical anharmonic oscillator with quartic potential, which is classically integrable and has a Poisson-like energy-level distribution. For low temperature, OTOCs are periodic in time, similar to results for the harmonic oscillator and the particle in a box. For high temperature, OTOCs exhibit a rapid (but power-like) rise at early times, followed by saturation consistent with 2 < x2 >T < p2 > T at late times. At high temperature, the spectral form factor decreases at early times, bounces back and then reaches a plateau with strong fluctuations.

•Jul 3, 2023•14 citations

Out-Of-Time-Ordered-Correlators for the Pure Inverted Quartic Oscillator: Classical Chaos meets Quantum Stability

Paul Romatschke

Out-of-time-ordered-correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to diagnose chaotic behavior in quantum mechanical systems. Recently, it was found that OTOCs display exponential growth for the inverted quantum harmonic oscillator, mirroring the fact that this system is classically and quantum mechanically unstable. In this work, I study OTOCs for the inverted anharmonic (pure quartic) oscillator in quantum mechanics, finding only oscillatory behavior despite the classically unstable nature of the system. For higher temperature, OTOCs seem to exhibit saturation consistent with a value of $-2 \langle x^2 \rangle_T \langle p^2 \rangle_T$ at late times. I provide analytic evidence from the spectral zeta-function and the WKB method as well as direct numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation that the inverted quartic oscillator possesses a real and positive energy eigenspectrum, and normalizable wave-functions.

arXiv:2408.12643•Aug 22, 2024•0 citations

Out-of-time-order Correlators and Chaos in Quantum Billiards

Tasnim Anzum Ador, Farid, Nayeem, Tibra Ali

We examine three billiard systems -- the cardioid, diamond (Superman), and Sinai billiards -- all of which are known to be classically chaotic. We compute their classical Lyapunov exponents, and using out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) in the semi-classical regime, we also derive their quantum Lyapunov exponents. We observe that the classical and quantum Lyapunov exponents are in agreement, strengthening the role of OTOCs as a diagnostic for quantum chaos in billiard systems. At very low temperatures, the OTOC of the Sinai billiard shows sharp growth, a phenomenon absent in the other two billiards. We identify the source of this anomalous behaviour in the geometry of the ground state wave function of the Sinai billiard, which is more sensitive to the curvature of the billiard compared to the other billiards. We also remark on the late-time behaviour of the OTOCs and how the scrambling/Ehrenfest time is related to the temperature of quantum billiards.

arXiv:2408.04052•Aug 7, 2024•0 citations
The out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) is considered as a measure of quantum chaos. We formulate how to calculate the OTOC for quantum mechanics with a general Hamiltonian. We demonstrate explicit calculations of OTOCs for a harmonic oscillator, a particle in a one-dimensional box, a circle billiard and stadium billiards. For the first two cases, OTOCs are periodic in time because of their commensurable energy spectra. For the circle and stadium billiards, they are not recursive but saturate to constant values which are linear in temperature. Although the stadium billiard is a typical example of the classical chaos, an expected exponential growth of the OTOC is not found. We also discuss the classical limit of the OTOC. Analysis of a time evolution of a wavepacket in a box shows that the OTOC can deviate from its classical value at a time much earlier than the Ehrenfest time, which could be the reason of the difficulty for the numerical analyses to exhibit the exponential growth.
We revisit thermal out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) in single-particle quantum systems, focusing on magnetic billiards. Using the stadium billiard as a testbed, we compute the thermal OTOC CT(t)=−⟨[x(t),p]2⟩βC_T(t) = -\langle [x(t), p]^2 \rangle_βCT​(t)=−⟨[x(t),p]2⟩β​ and extract Lyapunov-like exponents λLλ_LλL​ that quantify early-time growth. We map out λL(T,B)λ_L(T, B)λL​(T,B), revealing a crossover from quantum chaos to magnetic rigidity. In parallel, we compute an alternative OTOC built from guiding-center operators, which exhibits qualitatively distinct dynamics and no exponential growth. Our results offer a controlled framework for probing scrambling, temperature dependence, and the interplay of geometry and magnetic fields in quantum systems.
In this paper, the out-of-time-order correlators (OTOC) in quantum harmonic oscillators are calculated analytically by second quantization method in perturbative approximation. We consider the coupled harmonic oscillators and anharmonic (quartic) oscillators. The analytic formulas of microcanonical OTOC in the leading order of interaction are obtained. From these results we clearly see that the interactions can enhance the correlation to very large values over time and is proportional to the energy level. The growth of OTOC signatures the quantum chaos therein. The microcanonical OTOC which is an increasing oscillation becomes a simple increasing function in thermal OTOC after sum over all energy level, as different level oscillates with different frequency. The property that, at late time stage OTOC saturates to a constant value, however, does not show in the first-order perturbation studied in this paper.
A bstract Out-of-time-ordered-correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to diagnose chaotic behavior in quantum mechanical systems. Recently, it was found that OTOCs display exponential growth for the inverted quantum harmonic oscillator, mirroring the fact that this system is classically and quantum mechanically unstable. In this work, I study OTOCs for the inverted anharmonic (pure quartic) oscillator in quantum mechanics, finding only oscillatory behavior despite the classically unstable nature of the system. For higher temperature, OTOCs seem to exhibit saturation consistent with a value of –2⟨ x 2 ⟩ T ⟨ p 2 ⟩ T at late times. I provide analytic evidence from the spectral zeta-function and the WKB method as well as direct numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation that the inverted quartic oscillator possesses a real and positive energy eigenspectrum, and normalizable wave-functions.
Out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to study quantum chaotic behavior in various systems. In this work, I calculate OTOCs for the quantum mechanical anharmonic oscillator with quartic potential, which is classically integrable and has a Poisson-like energy-level distribution. For low temperature, OTOCs are periodic in time, similar to results for the harmonic oscillator and the particle in a box. For high temperature, OTOCs exhibit a rapid (but power-like) rise at early times, followed by saturation consistent with 2 < x2 >T < p2 > T at late times. At high temperature, the spectral form factor decreases at early times, bounces back and then reaches a plateau with strong fluctuations.
Out-of-time-ordered-correlators (OTOCs) have been suggested as a means to diagnose chaotic behavior in quantum mechanical systems. Recently, it was found that OTOCs display exponential growth for the inverted quantum harmonic oscillator, mirroring the fact that this system is classically and quantum mechanically unstable. In this work, I study OTOCs for the inverted anharmonic (pure quartic) oscillator in quantum mechanics, finding only oscillatory behavior despite the classically unstable nature of the system. For higher temperature, OTOCs seem to exhibit saturation consistent with a value of −2⟨x2⟩T⟨p2⟩T-2 \langle x^2 \rangle_T \langle p^2 \rangle_T−2⟨x2⟩T​⟨p2⟩T​ at late times. I provide analytic evidence from the spectral zeta-function and the WKB method as well as direct numerical solutions of the Schrödinger equation that the inverted quartic oscillator possesses a real and positive energy eigenspectrum, and normalizable wave-functions.
We examine three billiard systems -- the cardioid, diamond (Superman), and Sinai billiards -- all of which are known to be classically chaotic. We compute their classical Lyapunov exponents, and using out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) in the semi-classical regime, we also derive their quantum Lyapunov exponents. We observe that the classical and quantum Lyapunov exponents are in agreement, strengthening the role of OTOCs as a diagnostic for quantum chaos in billiard systems. At very low temperatures, the OTOC of the Sinai billiard shows sharp growth, a phenomenon absent in the other two billiards. We identify the source of this anomalous behaviour in the geometry of the ground state wave function of the Sinai billiard, which is more sensitive to the curvature of the billiard compared to the other billiards. We also remark on the late-time behaviour of the OTOCs and how the scrambling/Ehrenfest time is related to the temperature of quantum billiards.