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arXiv:2604.12316

The Quantum Kicked Rotor: A Paradigm of Quantum Chaos. Foundational aspects and new perspectives

Giuliano Benenti, Giulio Casati, Jiangbin Gong, Zhixing Zou

quant-phcond-mat.stat-mechnlin.CDSubmitted Apr 14, 2026• Announced Apr 15, 2026• 0 citations
v1 · Apr 14, 2026v2 · Apr 22, 2026
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Abstract

The kicked rotor provides a simple yet powerful model for introducing many of the central concepts of classical and quantum chaos. Despite its apparent simplicity, it exhibits rich dynamical behavior and has found applications across a wide range of fields, including atomic and optical physics, condensed matter physics, and emerging quantum technologies. This chapter begins by exploring foundational ideas using the kicked rotor as a unifying framework. We first discuss the transition from regular to chaotic motion in the classical system, and then introduce key quantum phenomena such as dynamical localization and quantum resonances. Special attention is devoted to the emergence of characteristic time scales and their role in the quantum-classical correspondence. To make these ideas more concrete, we also provide a brief overview of experimental realizations of the kicked rotor and its variants, illustrating how theoretical concepts are implemented in practice. In the second part of the chapter, we guide the reader toward more recent and advanced developments. Topics include near-resonant dynamics, topological features of kicked systems, the emergence of quantum dynamical phases inferred from classical transport properties, and extensions to non-Hermitian physics. We conclude with a discussion of open problems and future perspectives, outlining directions in which the kicked rotor continues to offer valuable insights.

Comments
Chapter for the Quantum Chaos volume in 'Comprehensive Quantum Mechanics', to be published by Elsevier (Main editor: R.B. Mann; volume editors: S. Gnutzmann and K. {Ż}yczkowski)

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The kicked rotor and the kicked top are two paradigms of quantum chaos. The notions of quantum resonance and the pseudoclassical limit, developed in the study of the kicked rotor, have revealed an intriguing and unconventional aspect of classical-quantum correspondence. Here, we show that, by extending these notions to the kicked top, its rich dynamical behavior can be appreciated more thoroughly; of special interest is the entanglement entropy. In particular, the periodic synchronization between systems subject to different kicking strength can be conveniently understood and elaborated from the pseudoclassical perspective. The applicability of the suggested general pseudoclassical theory to the kicked rotor is also discussed.

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The Heisenberg spin-chain and the Quantum Kicked Rotor (QKR) are key models in condensed matter and quantum chaos respectively. The former, consisting of a line of qubits that interact with their neighbours through an exchange interaction, has recently received much attention in the context of quantum information and communication. In particular, it has been shown that a Heisenberg chain can be used as a channel for the transfer quantum states and the sharing of entanglement. The QKR, on the other hand, is a paradigm of quantum chaos. It is one of a valuable collection of quantum systems with a well de�ned classical limit that shows both regular and chaotic dynamics. This thesis investigates the dynamics of a Heisenberg chain subjected to periodic ±-kicks from a parabolic magnetic �eld. It will be shown that, when perturbed in this way, spin-chains can provide realizations of QKR systems. Using this connection, well-known features of the dynamics of kicked rotors can be used to manipulate the evolution of excitations and entanglement in the spin-chain. Conversely, results from the spin-chain analysis can inform our knowledge of the kicked rotor systems. The focus of the �rst part of this thesis is the dynamics of singly excited chains. In this case, the kicked Heisenberg chain is shown to be dynamically equivalent to a QKR. Similar correspondences can be found. Two examples, spin-chain realizations of the Double-Kicked Rotor and a double-well kicked rotor, are explored. Later sections are concerned with the dynamics of multiple excitations. These excitations interact - scattering or forming bound states of inverted spins. The kicked chain now corresponds to a system of coupled kicked rotors. It will be shown that by tuning the parameters it is possible to control the time-evolution of correlations in the chain.

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Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this research was to experimentally study quantum dynamics of systems whose classical dynamics are chaotic. Quantum delta-kicked systems such as kicked rotor and kicked accelerator were used. The cold non condensed atoms were kicked first to realize the kicked accelerator. Among the objectives were the realization of resonances of the kicked accelerator and associated phenomena of quantum accelerator modes using a Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC). One of the major achievements of the work in this thesis was the creation of the quantum delta-kicked rotor and its associated resonances to realize a quantum ratchet. The properties of the ratchet were studied in detail.

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Despite the periodic kicks, a linear kicked rotor (LKR) is an integrable and exactly solvable model in which the kinetic energy term is linear in momentum. It was recently shown that spatially interacting LKRs are also integrable, and results in dynamical localization in the corresponding quantum regime. Similar localized phases exist in other nonintegrable models such as the coupled relativistic kicked rotors. This work, using a two-body LKR, demonstrates two main results; first, it is shown that chaos can be induced in the integrable linear kicked rotor through interactions between the momenta of rotors. An analytical estimate of its Lyapunov exponent is obtained. Second, the quantum dynamics of this chaotic model, upon variation of kicking and interaction strengths, is shown to exhibit a variety of phases: classically induced localization, dynamical localization, subdiffusive, and diffusive phases. We point out the signatures of these phases from the perspective of entanglement production in this system. By defining an effective Hilbert space dimension, the entanglement growth rate can be understood using appropriate random matrix averages.

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Quantum chaos and disorder: Simulating quantum disorder with cold atoms

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Quantum simulation is one of the most active trends in ultracold-atom physics. A quantum simulator is a system that mimics the dynamics of another system; the advantage being that the quantum simulator is simpler than the original, either from the experimental or the theoretical point of view (or both).The Anderson model is a paradigm for quantum disorder, originally introduced in the helm of solid-state physics; however, quantum solid-state disordered systems are very difficult to study experimentally, and even numerically (except in the one-dimensional case). The kicked rotor is a paradigm for classical and quantum Hamiltonian chaos, essentially because it is very easy to simulate it in a computer. Its quantum realization with ultracold atoms is also relatively simple, and is a “clean” (e.g. from decoherence) and controllable system. Amazingly, the quantum kicked rotor can be mathematically mapped onto the Anderson model. It is thus a quite subtle quantum simulator of the physics of disordered systems. In this talk I will describe a series of experiments we have performed in Lille taking advantage of the correspondence between disordered condensed matter systems and the atomic kicked rotor to investigate experimentally in great detail the Anderson metal-insulator transition. I will discuss the new possibilities opened by evolutions of this system, in particular by introducing nonlinearity via atom-atom interactions.

•Sep 22, 2015•0 citations
The kicked rotor provides a simple yet powerful model for introducing many of the central concepts of classical and quantum chaos. Despite its apparent simplicity, it exhibits rich dynamical behavior and has found applications across a wide range of fields, including atomic and optical physics, condensed matter physics, and emerging quantum technologies. This chapter begins by exploring foundational ideas using the kicked rotor as a unifying framework. We first discuss the transition from regular to chaotic motion in the classical system, and then introduce key quantum phenomena such as dynamical localization and quantum resonances. Special attention is devoted to the emergence of characteristic time scales and their role in the quantum-classical correspondence. To make these ideas more concrete, we also provide a brief overview of experimental realizations of the kicked rotor and its variants, illustrating how theoretical concepts are implemented in practice. In the second part of the chapter, we guide the reader toward more recent and advanced developments. Topics include near-resonant dynamics, topological features of kicked systems, the emergence of quantum dynamical phases inferred from classical transport properties, and extensions to non-Hermitian physics. We conclude with a discussion of open problems and future perspectives, outlining directions in which the kicked rotor continues to offer valuable insights.
The kicked rotor and the kicked top are two paradigms of quantum chaos. The notions of quantum resonance and the pseudoclassical limit, developed in the study of the kicked rotor, have revealed an intriguing and unconventional aspect of classical-quantum correspondence. Here, we show that, by extending these notions to the kicked top, its rich dynamical behavior can be appreciated more thoroughly; of special interest is the entanglement entropy. In particular, the periodic synchronization between systems subject to different kicking strength can be conveniently understood and elaborated from the pseudoclassical perspective. The applicability of the suggested general pseudoclassical theory to the kicked rotor is also discussed.
The Heisenberg spin-chain and the Quantum Kicked Rotor (QKR) are key models in condensed matter and quantum chaos respectively. The former, consisting of a line of qubits that interact with their neighbours through an exchange interaction, has recently received much attention in the context of quantum information and communication. In particular, it has been shown that a Heisenberg chain can be used as a channel for the transfer quantum states and the sharing of entanglement. The QKR, on the other hand, is a paradigm of quantum chaos. It is one of a valuable collection of quantum systems with a well de�ned classical limit that shows both regular and chaotic dynamics. This thesis investigates the dynamics of a Heisenberg chain subjected to periodic ±-kicks from a parabolic magnetic �eld. It will be shown that, when perturbed in this way, spin-chains can provide realizations of QKR systems. Using this connection, well-known features of the dynamics of kicked rotors can be used to manipulate the evolution of excitations and entanglement in the spin-chain. Conversely, results from the spin-chain analysis can inform our knowledge of the kicked rotor systems. The focus of the �rst part of this thesis is the dynamics of singly excited chains. In this case, the kicked Heisenberg chain is shown to be dynamically equivalent to a QKR. Similar correspondences can be found. Two examples, spin-chain realizations of the Double-Kicked Rotor and a double-well kicked rotor, are explored. Later sections are concerned with the dynamics of multiple excitations. These excitations interact - scattering or forming bound states of inverted spins. The kicked chain now corresponds to a system of coupled kicked rotors. It will be shown that by tuning the parameters it is possible to control the time-evolution of correlations in the chain.
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)(2j+1)(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.
Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this research was to experimentally study quantum dynamics of systems whose classical dynamics are chaotic. Quantum delta-kicked systems such as kicked rotor and kicked accelerator were used. The cold non condensed atoms were kicked first to realize the kicked accelerator. Among the objectives were the realization of resonances of the kicked accelerator and associated phenomena of quantum accelerator modes using a Bose-Einstein Condensation (BEC). One of the major achievements of the work in this thesis was the creation of the quantum delta-kicked rotor and its associated resonances to realize a quantum ratchet. The properties of the ratchet were studied in detail.
Despite the periodic kicks, a linear kicked rotor (LKR) is an integrable and exactly solvable model in which the kinetic energy term is linear in momentum. It was recently shown that spatially interacting LKRs are also integrable, and results in dynamical localization in the corresponding quantum regime. Similar localized phases exist in other nonintegrable models such as the coupled relativistic kicked rotors. This work, using a two-body LKR, demonstrates two main results; first, it is shown that chaos can be induced in the integrable linear kicked rotor through interactions between the momenta of rotors. An analytical estimate of its Lyapunov exponent is obtained. Second, the quantum dynamics of this chaotic model, upon variation of kicking and interaction strengths, is shown to exhibit a variety of phases: classically induced localization, dynamical localization, subdiffusive, and diffusive phases. We point out the signatures of these phases from the perspective of entanglement production in this system. By defining an effective Hilbert space dimension, the entanglement growth rate can be understood using appropriate random matrix averages.
Quantum simulation is one of the most active trends in ultracold-atom physics. A quantum simulator is a system that mimics the dynamics of another system; the advantage being that the quantum simulator is simpler than the original, either from the experimental or the theoretical point of view (or both).The Anderson model is a paradigm for quantum disorder, originally introduced in the helm of solid-state physics; however, quantum solid-state disordered systems are very difficult to study experimentally, and even numerically (except in the one-dimensional case). The kicked rotor is a paradigm for classical and quantum Hamiltonian chaos, essentially because it is very easy to simulate it in a computer. Its quantum realization with ultracold atoms is also relatively simple, and is a “clean” (e.g. from decoherence) and controllable system. Amazingly, the quantum kicked rotor can be mathematically mapped onto the Anderson model. It is thus a quite subtle quantum simulator of the physics of disordered systems. In this talk I will describe a series of experiments we have performed in Lille taking advantage of the correspondence between disordered condensed matter systems and the atomic kicked rotor to investigate experimentally in great detail the Anderson metal-insulator transition. I will discuss the new possibilities opened by evolutions of this system, in particular by introducing nonlinearity via atom-atom interactions.