We study the consequences of having translational invariance in space and in time in many-body quantum chaotic systems. We consider an ensemble of random quantum circuits, composed of single-site random unitaries and nearest neighbour couplings, as a
minimal model of translational invariant many-body quantum chaotic systems. We evaluate the spectral form factor (SFF) as a sum over many-body Feynman diagrams, which simplifies in the limit of large local Hilbert space dimension $q$. At sufficiently large $t$, diagrams corresponding to rigid translations dominate, reproducing the random matrix theory (RMT) prediction. At finite $t$, we show that translational invariance introduces an additional mechanism which delays the emergence of RMT. Specifically, we identify two universality classes characterising the approach to RMT: in $d=1$, corrections to RMT are generated by different translations applied to extended domains, known as the crossed diagrams; in $d>1$, corrections are the consequence of deranged defects diagrams, whose defects are dilute and localized due to confinement. We introduce a scaling limit of SFF where these universality classes reduce to simple scaling functions. Lastly, we demonstrate universality of the scaling forms with numerical simulations of two circuit models and discuss the validity of the large $q$ limit in the different cases.
While many-body localization (MBL) is a well-established phenomenon in one-dimension, the fate of higher-dimensional strongly disordered systems in the infinite-time limit is a topic of current debate. The latest experiments as well as several recent
numerical studies indicate that such systems behave many-body localized -- at least on practically relevant time scales. However, thus far, theoretical approaches have been unable to quantitatively reproduce experimentally measured MBL-to-thermal transition points, an important requirement to demonstrate their validity. Here, we develop a formalism to apply fermionic quantum circuits combined with automatic differentiation to simulate two-dimensional MBL systems realized in optical lattice experiments with fermions. Using entanglement-based features, we obtain a phase transition point in excellent agreement with the experimentally measured value. We argue that our approach best captures the underlying charge-density-wave experiments and calculate other quantities which can be compared to future experiments, such as the mean localization lengths.
We propose a measure, which we call the dissipative spectral form factor (DSFF), to characterize the spectral statistics of non-Hermitian (and non-Unitary) matrices. We show that DSFF successfully diagnoses dissipative quantum chaos, and reveals corr
elations between real and imaginary parts of the complex eigenvalues up to arbitrary energy (and time) scale. Specifically, we provide the exact solution of DSFF for the complex Ginibre ensemble (GinUE) and for a Poissonian random spectrum (Poisson) as minimal models of dissipative quantum chaotic and integrable systems respectively. For dissipative quantum chaotic systems, we show that DSFF exhibits an exact rotational symmetry in its complex time argument $tau$. Analogous to the spectral form factor (SFF) behaviour for Gaussian unitary ensemble, DSFF for GinUE shows a dip-ramp-plateau behavior in $|tau|$: DSFF initially decreases, increases at intermediate time scales, and saturates after a generalized Heisenberg time which scales as the inverse mean level spacing. Remarkably, for large matrix size, the ramp of DSFF for GinUE increases quadratically in $|tau|$, in contrast to the linear ramp in SFF for Hermitian ensembles. For dissipative quantum integrable systems, we show that DSFF takes a constant value except for a region in complex time whose size and behavior depends on the eigenvalue density. Numerically, we verify the above claims and additionally compute DSFF for real and quaternion real Ginibre ensembles. As a physical example, we consider the quantum kicked top model with dissipation, and show that it falls under the universality class of GinUE and Poisson as the `kick is switched on or off. Lastly, we study spectral statistics of ensembles of random classical stochastic matrices or Markov chains, and show that these models fall under the class of Ginibre ensemble.
We consider the spectral statistics of the Floquet operator for disordered, periodically driven spin chains in their quantum chaotic and many-body localized phases (MBL). The spectral statistics are characterized by the traces of powers $t$ of the Fl
oquet operator, and our approach hinges on the fact that, for integer $t$ in systems with local interactions, these traces can be re-expressed in terms of products of dual transfer matrices, each representing a spatial slice of the system. We focus on properties of the dual transfer matrix products as represented by a spectrum of Lyapunov exponents, which we call textit{spectral Lyapunov exponents}. In particular, we examine the features of this spectrum that distinguish chaotic and MBL phases. The transfer matrices can be block-diagonalized using time-translation symmetry, and so the spectral Lyapunov exponents are classified according to a momentum in the time direction. For large $t$ we argue that the leading Lyapunov exponents in each momentum sector tend to zero in the chaotic phase, while they remain finite in the MBL phase. These conclusions are based on results from three complementary types of calculation. We find exact results for the chaotic phase by considering a Floquet random quantum circuit with on-site Hilbert space dimension $q$ in the large-$q$ limit. In the MBL phase, we show that the spectral Lyapunov exponents remain finite by systematically analyzing models of non-interacting systems, weakly coupled systems, and local integrals of motion. Numerically, we compute the Lyapunov exponents for a Floquet random quantum circuit and for the kicked Ising model in the two phases. As an additional result, we calculate exactly the higher point spectral form factors (hpSFF) in the large-$q$ limit, and show that the generalized Thouless time scales logarithmically in system size for all hpSFF in the large-$q$ chaotic phase.
We use low-depth quantum circuits, a specific type of tensor networks, to classify two-dimensional symmetry-protected topological many-body localized phases. For (anti-)unitary on-site symmetries we show that the (generalized) third cohomology class
of the symmetry group is a topological invariant; however our approach leaves room for the existence of additional topological indices. We argue that our classification applies to quasi-periodic systems in two dimensions and systems with true random disorder within times which scale superexponentially with the inverse interaction strength. Our technique might be adapted to supply arguments suggesting the same classification for two-dimensional symmetry-protected topological ground states with a rigorous proof.
We investigate spectral statistics in spatially extended, chaotic many-body quantum systems with a conserved charge. We compute the spectral form factor $K(t)$ analytically for a minimal Floquet circuit model that has a $U(1)$ symmetry encoded via au
xiliary spin-$1/2$ degrees of freedom. Averaging over an ensemble of realizations, we relate $K(t)$ to a partition function for the spins, given by a Trotterization of the spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg ferromagnet. Using Bethe Ansatz techniques, we extract the Thouless time $t^{vphantom{*}}_{rm Th}$ demarcating the extent of random matrix behavior, and find scaling behavior governed by diffusion for $K(t)$ at $tlesssim t^{vphantom{*}}_{rm Th}$. We also report numerical results for $K(t)$ in a generic Floquet spin model, which are consistent with these analytic predictions.
We discuss eigenstate correlations for ergodic, spatially extended many-body quantum systems, in terms of the statistical properties of matrix elements of local observables. While the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) is known to give an exc
ellent description of these quantities, the butterfly effect implies structure beyond ETH. We determine the universal form of this structure at long distances and small eigenvalue separations for Floquet systems. We use numerical studies of a Floquet quantum circuit to illustrate both the accuracy of ETH and the existence of our predicted additional correlations.
Starting from a state of low quantum entanglement, local unitary time evolution increases the entanglement of a quantum many-body system. In contrast, local projective measurements disentangle degrees of freedom and decrease entanglement. We study th
e interplay of these competing tendencies by considering time evolution combining both unitary and projective dynamics. We begin by constructing a toy model of Bell pair dynamics which demonstrates that measurements can keep a system in a state of low (i.e. area law) entanglement, in contrast with the volume law entanglement produced by generic pure unitary time evolution. While the simplest Bell pair model has area law entanglement for any measurement rate, as seen in certain non-interacting systems, we show that more generic models of entanglement can feature an area-to-volume law transition at a critical value of the measurement rate, in agreement with recent numerical investigations. As a concrete example of these ideas, we analytically investigate Clifford evolution in qubit systems which can exhibit an entanglement transition. We are able to identify stabilizer size distributions characterizing the area law, volume law and critical fixed points. We also discuss Floquet random circuits, where the answers depend on the order of limits - one order of limits yields area law entanglement for any non-zero measurement rate, whereas a different order of limits allows for an area law - volume law transition. Finally, we provide a rigorous argument that a system subjected to projective measurements can only exhibit a volume law entanglement entropy if it also features a subleading correction term, which provides a universal signature of projective dynamics in the high-entanglement phase. Note: The results presented here supersede those of all previou
We provide a classification of symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases of many-body localized (MBL) spin and fermionic systems in one dimension. For spin systems, using tensor networks we show that all eigenstates of these phases have the same to
pological index as defined for SPT ground states. For unitary on-site symmetries, the MBL phases are thus labeled by the elements of the second cohomology group of the symmetry group. A similar classification is obtained for anti-unitary on-site symmetries, time-reversal symmetry being a special case with a $mathbb{Z}_2$ classification (cf. [Phys. Rev. B 98, 054204 (2018)]). For the classification of fermionic MBL phases, we propose a fermionic tensor network diagrammatic formulation. We find that fermionic MBL systems with an (anti-)unitary symmetry are classified by the elements of the (generalized) second cohomology group if parity is included into the symmetry group. However, our approach misses a $mathbb{Z}_2$ topological index expected from the classification of fermionic SPT ground states. Finally, we show that all found phases are stable to arbitrary symmetry-preserving local perturbations. Conversely, different topological phases must be separated by a transition marked by delocalized eigenstates. Finally, we demonstrate that the classification of spin systems is complete in the sense that there cannot be any additional topological indices pertaining to the properties of individual eigenstates, but there can be additional topological indices that further classify Hamiltonians.
