We review our approach to time and quantum dynamics based on non-critical string theory, developing its relationship to previous work on non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics and the microscopic arrow of time. We exhibit specific non-factorizing contributions to the ${\nd S}$ matrix associated with topological defects on the world sheet, explaining the rôle that the leakage of ${W_{\infty}}$ charges plays in the loss of quantum coherence. We stress the analogy with the quantum Hall effect, discuss the violation of $CPT$, and also apply our approach to cosmology.
We review our approach to time and quantum dynamics based on non-critical string theory, developing its relationship to previous work on non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics and the microscopic arrow of time. We exhibit specific non-factorizing contributions to the \ndS matrix associated with topological defects on the world sheet, explaining the rôle that the leakage of W∞ charges plays in the loss of quantum coherence. We stress the analogy with the quantum Hall effect, discuss the violation of CPT, and also apply our approach to cosmology.
During recent years the interest to dynamics of quantum systems has grown considerably. Quantum many body systems out of equilibrium often manifest behavior, different from the one predicted by standard statistical mechanics and thermodynamics in equilibrium. Since the dynamics of a many-body quantum system typically involve many excited eigenstates, with a non-thermal distribution, the time evolution of such a system provides an unique way for investigation of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. Last decade such new subjects like quantum quenches, thermalization, pre-thermalization, equilibration, generalized Gibbs ensemble, etc. are among the most attractive topics of investigation in modern quantum physics. One of the most interesting themes in the study of dynamics of quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium is connected with the recently proposed important concept of dynamical quantum phase transitions. During the last few years a great progress has been achieved in studying of those singularities in the time dependence of characteristics of quantum mechanical systems, in particular, in understanding how the quantum critical points of equilibrium thermodynamics affect their dynamical properties. Dynamical quantum phase transitions reveal universality, scaling, connection to the topology, and many other interesting features. Here we review the recent achievements of this quickly developing part of low-temperature quantum physics. The study of dynamical quantum phase transitions is especially important in context of their connection to the problem of the modern theory of quantum information, where namely non-equilibrium dynamics of many-body quantum system plays the major role.
Many condensed matter experiments explore the finite temperature dynamics of systems near quantum critical points. Often, there are no well-defined quasiparticle excitations, and so quantum kinetic equations do not describe the transport properties completely. The theory shows that the transport coefficients are not proportional to a mean free scattering time (as is the case in the Boltzmann theory of quasiparticles), but are completely determined by the absolute temperature and by equilibrium thermodynamic observables. Recently, explicit solutions of this quantum critical dynamics have become possible via the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory duality discovered in string theory. This shows that the quantum critical theory provides a holographic description of the quantum theory of black holes in a negatively curved anti-de Sitter space, and relates its transport coefficients to properties of the Hawking radiation from the black hole. We review how insights from this connection have led to new results for experimental systems: (i) the vicinity of the superfluid-insulator transition in the presence of an applied magnetic field, and its possible application to measurements of the Nernst effect in the cuprates, (ii) the magnetohydrodynamics of the plasma of Dirac electrons in graphene and the prediction of a hydrodynamic cyclotron resonance.
During recent years the interest to dynamics of quantum systems has grown considerably. Quantum many body systems out of equilibrium often manifest behavior, different from the one predicted by standard statistical mechanics and thermodynamics in equilibrium. Since the dynamics of a many body quantum system typically involve many excited eigenstates, with a non-thermal distribution, the time evolution of such a system provides an unique way for investigation of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics. Last decade such new subjects like quantum quenches, thermalization, pre-thermalization, equilibration, generalized Gibbs ensemble, etc. are among the most attractive topics of investigation in modern quantum physics. One of the most interesting themes in the study of dynamics of quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium is connected with the recently proposed important concept of dynamical quantum phase transitions. During the last few years a great progress has been achieved in studying of those singularities in the time dependence of characteristics of quantum mechanical systems, in particular, in understanding how the quantum critical points of equilibrium thermodynamics affect their dynamical properties. Dynamical quantum phase transitions reveal universality, scaling, connection to the topology, and many other interesting features. Here we review the recent achievements of this quickly developing part of low temperature quantum physics. The study of dynamical quantum phase transitions is especially important in context of their connection to the problem of the modern theory of quantum information, where namely non-equilibrium dynamics of many-body quantum system plays the major role.
This work explores the hypothesis that time is an emergent phenomenon arising from underlying quantum informational processes. By integrating principles from quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and general relativity, we develop a comprehensive framework that elucidates the relationship between quantum complexity, entanglement, and the nature of time. We investigate the role of quantum complexity in the evolution of quantum states and demonstrate how the increase in entanglement entropy provides a microscopic basis for the arrow of time. Using the AdS/CFT correspondence and the holographic principle, we establish connections between spacetime geometry and quantum informational measures like entanglement entropy. We address the black hole information paradox within this context, arguing that information is preserved in a highly scrambled form. Additionally, we propose an experimental design using black hole analogues to empirically validate our theoretical predictions, focusing on fast scrambling and the growth of quantum complexity. Our findings suggest that quantum informational dynamics govern the emergence of time and spacetime geometry. This work bridges quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, information theory, and general relativity, offering potential applications in quantum technologies and new insights into the fundamental nature of reality.
We review the recently established relationships between black hole entropy in string theory and the quantum entanglement of qubits and qutrits in quantum information theory. The first example is provided by the measure of the tripartite entanglement of three qubits (Alice, Bob and Charlie), known as the 3-tangle, and the entropy of the 8-charge ST U black hole of N = 2 supergravity, both of which are given by the [SL(2)] 3 invariant hyperdeterminant, a quantity first introduced by Cayley in 1845. Moreover the classification of three-qubit entanglements is related to the classification of N = 2 supersymmetric ST U black holes. There are further relationships between the attractor mechanism and local distillation protocols and between supersymmetry and the suppression of bit flip errors. At the microscopic level, the black holes are described by intersecting D3-branes whose wrapping around the six compact dimensions T 6 provides the string-theoretic interpretation of the charges and we associate the three-qubit basis vectors, |ABC〉 (A, B, C = 0 or 1), with the corresponding 8 wrapping cycles. The black hole/qubit correspondence extends to the 56 charge N = 8 black holes and the tripartite entanglement of seven qubits where the measure is provided by Cartan’s E7 ⊃ [SL(2)] 7 invariant. The qubits are naturally described by the seven vertices ABCDEF G of the Fano plane, which provides the multiplication table of the seven imaginary octonions,
We first propose and study a quantum toy model of black hole dynamics. The model is unitary, displays quantum thermalization, and the Hamiltonian couples every oscillator with every other, a feature intended to emulate the color sector physics of large- N matrix models. Considering out of equilibrium initial states, we analytically compute the time evolution of every correlator of the theory and of the entanglement entropies, allowing a proper discussion of global thermalization/scrambling of information through the entire system. Microscopic non-locality causes factorization of reduced density matrices, and entanglement just depends on the time evolution of occupation densities. In the second part of the article, we show how the gained intuition extends to large- N matrix models, where we provide a gauge invariant entanglement entropy for ‘generalized free fields’, again depending solely on the quasinormal frequencies. The results challenge the fast scrambling conjecture and point to a natural scenario for the emergence of the so-called brick wall or stretched horizon. Finally, peculiarities of these models in regards to the thermodynamic limit and the information paradox are highlighted.