Work

Modern concepts of quantum equilibration do not rule out strange relaxation dynamics

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: Numerous pivotal concepts have been introduced to clarify the puzzle of relaxation and/or equilibration in closed quantum systems. All of these concepts rely in some way on specific conditions on Hamiltonians H, observables A, and initial states ρ or combinations thereof. We numerically demonstrate and analytically argue that there is a multitude of pairs H,A that meet said conditions for equilibration and generate some typical expectation-value dynamics, which means 〈A(t)〉∝f(t) approximately holds for the vast majority of all initial states. Remarkably we find that, while restrictions on the f(t) exist, they do not at all exclude f(t) that are rather adverse or strange regarding thermal relaxation.

Source: Physical review. E

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.062205

Authors: Lars Knipschild, Jochen Gemmer

Institution: Osnabrück University

Language: English

Topic: Quantum many-body systems

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Awards: G1871477277, FOR 2692: Fundamental Aspects of Statistical Mechanics and the Emergence of Thermodynamics in NonEquilibrium Systems, Kombinationen gedämpfter harmonischen Oszillationen als stabile Bausteine von Autokorrelationsfunktionen in Quantenvielteilchensystemen