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Does a disordered isolated Heisenberg spin system thermalize?

ORAL

Abstract

The far-from-equilibrium dynamics of generic disordered systems is expected to show thermalization, but this process is yet not well understood and shows a rich phenomenology ranging from anomalously slow relaxation to the breakdown of thermalization. While this problem is notoriously difficult to study numerically, we can experimentally probe the relaxation dynamics in an isolated spin system realized by a frozen gas of Rydberg atoms. By breaking the symmetry of the Hamiltonian with an external field, we can identify characteristics of the steady-state magnetization, including a non-analytic behavior at zero external fields. These can be understood from mean-field, perturbative, and spectral arguments. The emergence of these distinctive features allows falsifying whether the experiment satisfies Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis (ETH).

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Publication: T. Franz, A. Signoles, R. Ferracini Alves, N. Thaicharoen, C. Hainaut, A. Salzinger, A. Tebben, S. Whitlock, G. Zürn, M. Weidemüller. Does a disordered isolated Heisenberg spin system thermalize?, Paper in preparation

Presenters

  • Titus Franz

    Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University

Authors

  • Titus Franz

    Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University

  • Adrien Signoles

    Institut d'Optique Graduate School, Pasqal

  • Titus Franz

    Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University

  • Clement Hainaut

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany

  • Nithiwadee Thaicharoen

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany ; Research Unit for Quantum Technology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai Uni, Chiang Mai Univ

  • Sebastian Geier

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Physikaliches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany

  • Andre Salzinger

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Physikaliches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany

  • Annika Tebben

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Univ Heidelberg, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany

  • Shannon Whitlock

    Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg University, IPCMS, University of Strasbourg and CNRS

  • Gerhard Zürn

    Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Physikaliches Institut, Heidelberg University, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany

  • Matthias Weidemüller

    Physikaliches Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Univ Heidelberg, Physikalisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Physikalisches Institut, University of Heidelberg; Shanghai Branch, University of Science and Technology of China, Physikalisches Institut, Heidelberg University, Germany