The problem ``what is the quantum signature of a classically chaotic system'' is studied for the periodically kicked top. We find that the quantum variances initially grow exponentially if the corresponding classical description is chaotic. The rate of growth is connected to the corresponding classical Jacobi matrix and, thereby, to the local, classical, transient expansion rate. These connections were recently established in an analysis of the kicked pendulum for the correspondence between quantum Husimi-O'Connell-Wigner distributions and classical Gaussian ensembles. Here, we present closely related results for the kicked top by using generalized coherent states. An explanation is given for why this quantum signature of classical chaos was missed in earlier studies of the kicked top.
Noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computers provide a new experimental platform for investigating the behaviour of complex quantum systems. We show that currently available NISQ devices can be used for versatile quantum simulations of chaotic systems. We introduce a classical-quantum hybrid approach for exploring the dynamics of the chaotic quantum kicked top (QKT) on a quantum computer. The programmability of this approach allows us to experimentally explore a broad range of QKT chaoticity parameter regimes inaccessible to previous studies. Furthermore, the number of gates in our simulation does not increase with the number of kicks, thus making it possible to study the QKT evolution for arbitrary number of kicks without fidelity loss. Using a publicly accessible NISQ computer (IBMQ), we observe periodicities in the evolution of the 2-qubit QKT, as well as signatures of chaos in the time-averaged 2-qubit entanglement. We also demonstrate a connection between entanglement and delocalization in the 2-qubit QKT, confirming theoretical predictions.
The quantum kicked top (QKT) is one of the most widely studied models in quantum chaos, providing a minimal yet powerful framework for exploring the relationship between classical nonlinear dynamics and quantum behavior. Unlike many chaotic systems with infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, the QKT possesses a finite-dimensional Hilbert space, making it analytically and numerically controllable while still showing a rich dynamical phenomena. In this chapter, we present a comprehensive introduction to the QKT as a paradigmatic model of quantum chaos. Starting from the classical kicked top, we derive the discrete nonlinear map governing the dynamics on the unit sphere and analyze its phase space structure through fixed points, stability analysis, bifurcations and Lyapunov exponents. We then discuss the role of symmetries, including rotational and time-reversal symmetry, and how their breaking modifies the dynamics. The quantum description is developed using Floquet theory, where the periodically driven spin system is represented by a unitary Floquet operator acting on a
(2j+1)-dimensional Hilbert space. Within this framework, signatures of quantum chaos such as spectral statistics, entanglement generation and recurrences are discussed. The model also admits an interpretation as a system of interacting qubits, enabling explicit few-qubit realizations and direct connections with quantum information measures through reduced density matrices and entanglement entropy. By linking classical phase space structures with quantum dynamical indicators, the QKT provides a clear setting to investigate the emergence of chaotic behavior in the semiclassical limit. The chapter, therefore, highlights the quantum kicked top as a bridge between nonlinear classical dynamics, quantum chaos and modern quantum information science.