arXiv:2603.26619

Entanglement and Quantum Coherence in Krylov Space Dynamics

Swati Choudhary, Sukrut Mondkar, Ujjwal Sen

quant-phSubmitted Mar 27, 2026• Announced Mar 30, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

The spreading of quantum states in Krylov space under unitary dynamics provides a natural framework for characterizing quantum complexity. Quantifiers of this spreading, such as the spread complexity and the inverse participation ratio, depend explicitly on both the Hamiltonian and the initial state, rendering their connection to fundamental quantum resources such as entanglement and quantum coherence subtle. We establish quantitative bounds relating Krylov-space spreading to the entanglement of the evolved state and to the quantum coherence of the initial state. For bipartite systems, we have shown that the entanglement of the evolved state is upper bounded in terms of the entanglement of the Krylov basis vectors and the spread complexity. In the case of multipartite systems, analogous bounds are obtained for the inverse participation ratio, a quantifier of the delocalization of a quantum state in the Krylov basis, in terms of the geometric measures. Furthermore, for qubit and qutrit systems, we derive relations between the quantum coherence of the initial state in the energy eigenbasis and the spread complexity, valid for arbitrary Hamiltonians. Our results provide quantitative constraints linking Krylov-space complexity growth to fundamental quantum resources.

Comments: 10 pages

Related papers

Dependence of Krylov complexity saturation on the initial operator and state

Sreeram PG, J. Bharathi Kannan, Ranjan Modak +1 more

Krylov complexity, a quantum complexity measure which uniquely characterizes the spread of a quantum state or an operator, has recently been studied in the context of quantum chaos. However, the definitiveness of this measure as a chaos quantifier is in question in light of its strong dependence on the initial condition. This article clarifies the connection between the Krylov complexity dynamics and the initial operator or state. We find that the saturation value of Krylov complexity depends monotonically on the inverse participation ratio (IPR) of the initial condition in the eigenbasis of the Hamiltonian. We explain the reversal of the complexity saturation levels observed in [Phys. Rev. E 107, 024217 (2023)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.107.024217] using the initial spread of the operator in the Hamiltonian eigenbasis. IPR dependence is present even in the fully chaotic regime, where popular quantifiers of chaos, such as out-of-time-ordered correlators and entanglement generation, show similar behavior regardless of the initial condition. Krylov complexity averaged over many initial conditions still does not characterize chaos.

arXiv:2503.03400Physical review. EAug 21, 20254 citations

Variations on a Theme of Krylov

Vijay Balasubramanian, Pawel Caputa, Joan Simón

Spread complexity uses the distribution of support of a time-evolving state in the Krylov basis to quantify dispersal across accessible dimensions of a Hilbert space. Here, we describe how variations in initial conditions, the Hamiltonian, and the dimension of the Hilbert space affect spread complexity and Krylov basis structure. We introduce Koherence, the entropy of coherence between perturbed and unperturbed Krylov bases, which can, e.g., quantify dynamical amplification of differences in initial conditions in chaos. To illustrate, we show that dynamics on SL(2,R), SU(2), and Heisenberg-Weyl group manifolds, often used as paradigmatic settings for contrasting chaotic and integrable (semi-)classical behavior, display distinctively different responses to variations of the initial state or Hamiltonian. We then describe a lattice model that displays linear growth of spread complexity, saturating for bounded lattices and continuing forever in a thermodynamic limit. The latter example illustrates a breakdown of continuum/classical effective descriptions of complexity growth in bounded quantum systems.

hep-thCross-listedarXiv:2511.03775Journal of High Energy PhysicsNov 7, 20257 citations

Universal chaotic dynamics from Krylov space

Johanna Erdmenger B, Shao-Kai Jian, Zhuo-Yu Xian

Abstract Krylov complexity measures the spread of the wavefunction in the Krylov basis, which is constructed using the Hamiltonian and an initial state. We investigate the evolution of the maximally entangled state in the Krylov basis for both chaotic and non-chaotic systems. For this purpose, we derive an Ehrenfest theorem for the Krylov complexity, which reveals its close relation to the spectrum. Our findings suggest that neither the linear growth nor the saturation of Krylov complexity is necessarily associated with chaos. However, for chaotic systems, we observe a universal rise-slope-ramp-plateau behavior in the transition probability from the initial state to one of the Krylov basis states. Moreover, a long ramp in the transition probability is a signal for spectral rigidity, characterizing quantum chaos. Also, this ramp is directly responsible for the late-time peak of Krylov complexity observed in the literature. On the other hand, for non-chaotic systems, this long ramp is absent. Therefore, our results help to clarify which features of the wave function time evolution in Krylov space characterize chaos. We exemplify this by considering the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model with two-body or four-body interactions.

arXiv:2303.12151Journal of High Energy PhysicsAug 28, 2023112 citations

Krylov's State Complexity and Information Geometry in Qubit Dynamics

Carlo Cafaro, Emma Clements, Vishnu Vardhan Anuboyina

We compare Krylov's state complexity with an information-geometric (IG) measure of complexity for the quantum evolution of two-level systems. Focusing on qubit dynamics on the Bloch sphere, we analyze evolutions generated by stationary and nonstationary Hamiltonians, corresponding to geodesic and nongeodesic trajectories. We formulate Krylov complexity in geometric terms, both instantaneously and in a time-averaged sense, and contrast it with an IG complexity of quantum evolutions characterized in terms of efficiency and curvature. We show that the two measures reflect fundamentally different aspects of quantum dynamics: Krylov's state complexity quantifies the directional spread of the evolving state relative to the initial state, whereas the IG complexity captures the effective volume explored along the trajectory on the Bloch sphere. This geometric distinction explains their inequivalent behavior and highlights the complementary nature of state-based and information-geometric notions of complexity in quantum systems.

quant-pharXiv:2601.18941Jan 28, 20260 citations

Krylov complexity and dynamical phase transition in the quenched Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model

Pedro H. S. Bento, Adolfo del Campo, Lucas C. Céleri

Investigating the time evolution of complexity in quantum systems entails evaluating the spreading of the system's state across a defined basis in its corresponding Hilbert space. Recently, the Krylov basis has been identified as the one that minimizes this spreading. In this study, we develop a numerical exploration of the Krylov complexity in quantum states following a quench in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Our results reveal that the long-term averaged Krylov complexity acts as an order parameter for this model. It effectively discriminates between the two dynamic phases induced by the quench, sharing a critical point with the conventional order parameter. Additionally, we examine the inverse participation ratio and the Shannon entropy in both the Krylov basis and the energy basis. A matching dynamic behavior is observed in both bases when the initial state possesses a specific symmetry. This behavior is analytically explained by establishing the equivalence between the Krylov basis and the prequench energy eigenbasis.

arXiv:2312.05321Physical review. B./Physical review. BJun 11, 202425 citations

On Minimizing Krylov Complexity Using Higher-Order Generators

Saud Čindrak, Kathy Lüdge

Krylov complexity provides a powerful framework for characterizing the dynamical evolution of quantum systems through the spreading of states in Krylov space. The motivation for this is rooted in the optimality of the Krylov basis for the analyzed cost function. In this work, we reinterpret the motivation for the Krylov basis from a dynamical perspective and show that it corresponds to a first-order approximation of the time-evolution operator. We extend this framework to higher-order generators and analytically disprove the optimality assumption by showing that an infinite-order generator can be constructed to exhibit smaller spread for arbitrary times. We propose a natural time scale for the construction of these higher-order generators and discuss results for matrices sampled from Gaussian Unitary Ensembles, demonstrating smaller Krylov complexity at all higher orders. These results extend the framework of Krylov complexity beyond the conventional Krylov basis by disproving the widely held assumption of optimality, extending the construction to higher-order generators, and introducing a physically motivated method for their construction. Our findings therefore suggest that previous statements and results concerning Krylov complexity may need to be reconsidered.

quant-pharXiv:2603.07183Mar 10, 20260 citations