Generalized Gibbs Ensemble Research Articles

Prethermalization and universal dynamics in near-integrable quantum systems

We review the recent progress in the understanding of the relaxation of isolated near-integrable quantum many-body systems. Focusing on prethermalization and universal dynamics following a quench, we describe the experiments with ultracold atomic gases that illustrate these phenomena and summarize the essential theoretical concepts employed to interpret them. Our discussion highlights the key topics that link the different approaches to this interdisciplinary field, including the generalized Gibbs ensemble, non-thermal fixed points, critical slowing and universal scaling. Finally, we point to new experimental challenges demonstrating these fundamental features of many-body quantum systems out of equilibrium.

Quench dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate under synthetic spin-orbit coupling

We study the quench dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate under a Raman-assisted synthetic spin-orbit coupling. To model the dynamical process, we adopt a self-consistent Bogoliubov approach, which is equivalent to applying the time-dependent Bogoliubov-de-Gennes equations. We investigate the dynamics of the condensate fraction as well as the momentum distribution of the Bose gas following a sudden change of system parameters. Typically, the system evolves into a steady state in the long-time limit, which features an oscillating momentum distribution and a stationary condensate fraction which is dependent on the quench parameters. We investigate how different quench parameters such as the inter- and intra-species interactions and the spin-orbit-coupling parameters affect the condensate fraction in the steady state. Furthermore, we find that the time average of the oscillatory momentum distribution in the long-time limit can be described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble with two branches of momentum-dependent Gibbs temperatures. Our study is relevant to the experimental investigation of dynamical processes in a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate.

From quantum chaos and eigenstate thermalization to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics

This review gives a pedagogical introduction to the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), its basis, and its implications to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. In the first part, ETH is introduced as a natural extension of ideas from quantum chaos and random matrix theory (RMT). To this end, we present a brief overview of classical and quantum chaos, as well as RMT and some of its most important predictions. The latter include the statistics of energy levels, eigenstate components, and matrix elements of observables. Building on these, we introduce the ETH and show that it allows one to describe thermalization in isolated chaotic systems without invoking the notion of an external bath. We examine numerical evidence of eigenstate thermalization from studies of many-body lattice systems. We also introduce the concept of a quench as a means of taking isolated systems out of equilibrium, and discuss results of numerical experiments on quantum quenches. The second part of the review explores the implications of quantum chaos and ETH to thermodynamics. Basic thermodynamic relations are derived, including the second law of thermodynamics, the fundamental thermodynamic relation, fluctuation theorems, and the Einstein and Onsager relations. In particular, it is shown that quantum chaos allows one to prove these relations for individual Hamiltonian eigenstates and thus extend them to arbitrary stationary statistical ensembles. We then show how one can use these relations to obtain nontrivial universal energy distributions in continuously driven systems. At the end of the review, we briefly discuss the relaxation dynamics and description after relaxation of integrable quantum systems, for which ETH is violated. We introduce the concept of the generalized Gibbs ensemble, and discuss its connection with ideas of prethermalization in weakly interacting systems.

Real-time dynamics in a strongly interacting bosonic hopping model: global quenches and mapping to the XX chain

.We study the time evolution of an integrable many-particle system, described by the q-boson Hamiltonian in the limit of strong bosonic interactions . It is shown that, for a particular class of pure initial states, the analytical calculation of certain observables simplifies considerably. Namely, we provide exact formulas for the calculation of the Loschmidt-echo and the emptiness formation probability, where the computational time scales polynomially with the particle number. Moreover, we construct a non-local mapping of the q -boson model to the XX spin chain, and show how this can be utilized to obtain the time evolution of various local bosonic observables for translationally invariant initial states. The results obtained via the bosonic and fermionic picture show perfect agreement. In the infinite volume and large time limits, we rigorously verify the prediction of the generalized Gibbs ensemble for homogeneous initial Fock states.

Generalized Gibbs ensemble in a nonintegrable system with an extensive number of local symmetries.

We numerically study the unitary time evolution of a nonintegrable model of hard-core bosons with an extensive number of local Z(2) symmetries. We find that the expectation values of local observables in the stationary state are described better by the generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE) than by the canonical ensemble. We also find that the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis fails for the entire spectrum but holds true within each symmetry sector, which justifies the GGE. In contrast, if the model has only one global Z(2) symmetry or a size-independent number of local Z(2) symmetries, we find that the stationary state is described by the canonical ensemble. Thus, the GGE is necessary to describe the stationary state even in a nonintegrable system if it has an extensive number of local symmetries.

Quench dynamics in two-dimensional integrable SUSY models

.We analyse quench processes in two-dimensional quantum field theories with an infinite number of conservation laws which also include fermionic charges that close a N = 1 supersymmetric algebra. While in general the quench protocol induces a breaking of supersymmetry, we show that there are particular initial states which also ensure the persistence of supersymmetry for the dynamics out of equilibrium. We discuss the conditions that identify such states and, as application, we present the significant cases of the Tricritical Ising model and the Sine–Gordon model at its supersymmetric point. We also address the issue of the generalised Gibbs ensemble in the presence of fermionic conserved charges.

Generalized microcanonical and Gibbs ensembles in classical and quantum integrable dynamics

We prove two statements about the long time dynamics of integrable Hamiltonian systems. In classical mechanics, we prove the microcanonical version of the Generalized Gibbs Ensemble (GGE) by mapping it to a known theorem and then extend it to the limit of infinite number of degrees of freedom. In quantum mechanics, we prove GGE for maximal Hamiltonians—a class of models stemming from a rigorous notion of quantum integrability understood as the existence of conserved charges with prescribed dependence on a system parameter, e.g. Hubbard U, anisotropy in the XXZ model etc. In analogy with classical integrability, the defining property of these models is that they have the maximum number of independent integrals. We contrast their dynamics induced by quenching the parameter to that of random matrix Hamiltonians.

Generalized maximum entropy approach to quasistationary states in long-range systems.

Systems with long-range interactions display a short-time relaxation towards quasistationary states (QSSs) whose lifetime increases with the system size. In the paradigmatic Hamiltonian mean-field model (HMF) out-of-equilibrium phase transitions are predicted and numerically detected which separate homogeneous (zero magnetization) and inhomogeneous (nonzero magnetization) QSSs. In the former regime, the velocity distribution presents (at least) two large, symmetric bumps, which cannot be self-consistently explained by resorting to the conventional Lynden-Bell maximum entropy approach. We propose a generalized maximum entropy scheme which accounts for the pseudoconservation of additional charges, the even momenta of the single-particle distribution. These latter are set to the asymptotic values, as estimated by direct integration of the underlying Vlasov equation, which formally holds in the thermodynamic limit. Methodologically, we operate in the framework of a generalized Gibbs ensemble, as sometimes defined in statistical quantum mechanics, which contains an infinite number of conserved charges. The agreement between theory and simulations is satisfying, both above and below the out-of-equilibrium transition threshold. A previously unaccessible feature of the QSSs, the multiple bumps in the velocity profile, is resolved by our approach.

Equilibration and GGE in interacting-to-free quantum quenches in dimensions

Ground states ofinteracting QFTs are non-Gaussian states, i.e. their connected n-point correlation functions do not vanish for , in contrast to the free QFT case. We show that, when the ground state of an interacting QFT evolves under a free massive QFT for a long time (a scenario that can be realised by a quantum quench), the connected correlation functions decay and all local physical observables equilibrate to values that are given by a Gaussian density matrix that retains memory only of the two-point initial correlation function. The argument hinges upon the fundamental physical principle of cluster decomposition, which is valid for the ground state of a general QFT. An analogous result was already known to be valid in the case of d = 1 spatial dimensions, where it is a special case of the so-called generalised Gibbs ensemble (GGE) hypothesis, and we now generalise it to higher dimensions. Moreover, in the case of massless free evolution, despite the fact that the evolution may lead not to equilibration but instead to unbounded increase of correlations with time, the GGE gives correctly the leading-order asymptotic behaviour of correlation functions in the thermodynamic and large time limit. The demonstration is performed in the context of a bosonic relativistic QFT, but the arguments apply more generally.

Complete Generalized Gibbs Ensembles in an Interacting Theory.

In integrable many-particle systems, it is widely believed that the stationary state reached at late times after a quantum quench can be described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE) constructed from their extensive number of conserved charges. A crucial issue is then to identify a complete set of these charges, enabling the GGE to provide exact steady-state predictions. Here we solve this long-standing problem for the case of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain by explicitly constructing a GGE which uniquely fixes the macrostate describing the stationary behavior after a general quantum quench. A crucial ingredient in our method, which readily generalizes to other integrable models, are recently discovered quasilocal charges. As a test, we reproduce the exact postquench steady state of the Néel quench problem obtained previously by means of the Quench Action method.

Equilibration and generalized Gibbs ensemble for hard wall boundary conditions

In this work we present an analysis of a quench for the repulsive Lieb-Liniger gas confined to a large box with hard wall boundary conditions. We study the time average of local correlation functions and show that both the quench action approach and the GGE formalism are applicable for the long time average of local correlation functions. We find that the time average of the system corresponds to an eigenstate of the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian and that this eigenstate is related to an eigenstate of a Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian with periodic boundary conditions on an interval of twice the length and with twice as many particles (a doubled system). We further show that local operators with support far away from the boundaries of the hard wall have the same expectation values with respect to this eigenstate as corresponding operators for the doubled system. We present an example of a quench where the gas is initially confined in several moving traps and then released into a bigger container, an approximate description of the Newton cradle experiment. We calculate the time average of various correlation functions for long times after the quench.

Stationary ensemble approximations of dynamic quantum states: Optimizing the generalized Gibbs ensemble.

In this work we investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics of closed quantum systems. In particular we focus on the stationary properties of integrable systems. Here we show how a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE) can be constructed as the best approximation to the time-dependent density matrix. Our procedure allows for a systematic construction of the GGE by a constrained minimization of the distance between the latter and the true state. Moreover, we show that the entropy of the GGE is a direct measure for the quality of the approximation. We apply our method to a quenched hard core Bose gas. Whereas a correlated GGE properly describes all stationary nonlocal correlations, a simple harmonic GGE is sufficient to completely describe reduced local states.

Thermalization with chemical potentials, and higher spin black holes

We study the long time behaviour of local observables following a quantum quench in 1+1 dimensional conformal field theories possessing additional conserved charges besides the energy. We show that the expectation value of an arbitrary string of {\it local} observables supported on a finite interval exponentially approaches an equilibrium value. The equilibrium is characterized by a temperature and chemical potentials defined in terms of the quenched state. For an infinite number of commuting conserved charges, the equilibrium ensemble is a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE). We compute the thermalization rate in a systematic perturbation in the chemical potentials, using a new technique to sum over an infinite number of Feynman diagrams. The above technique also allows us to compute relaxation times for thermal Green's functions in the presence of an arbitrary number of chemical potentials. In the context of a higher spin (hs[\lambda]) holography, the partition function of the final equilibrium GGE is known to agree with that of a higher spin black hole. The thermalization rate from the CFT computed in our paper agrees with the quasinormal frequency of a scalar field in this black hole.

Pre-relaxation in weakly interacting models

We consider time evolution in models close to integrable points with hidden symmetries that generate infinitely many local conservation laws that do not commute with one another. The system is expected to (locally) relax to a thermal ensemble if integrability is broken, or to a so-called generalised Gibbs ensemble if unbroken. In some circumstances expectation values exhibit quasi-stationary behaviour long before their typical relaxation time. For integrability-breaking perturbations, these are also called pre-thermalisation plateaux, and emerge e.g. in the strong coupling limit of the Bose–Hubbard model. As a result of the hidden symmetries, quasi-stationarity appears also in integrable models, for example in the Ising limit of the XXZ model. We investigate a weak coupling limit, identify a time window in which the effects of the perturbations become significant and solve the time evolution through a mean-field mapping. As an explicit example we study the XYZ spin- chain with additional perturbations that break integrability. One of the most intriguing results of the analysis is the appearance of persistent oscillatory behaviour. To unravel its origin, we study in detail a toy model: the transverse-field Ising chain with an additional nonlocal interaction proportional to the square of the transverse spin per unit length (2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 111 197203). Despite being nonlocal, this belongs to a class of models that emerge as intermediate steps of the mean-field mapping and shares many dynamical properties with the weakly interacting models under consideration.

How to calculate quantum quench distributions with a weighted Wang–Landau Monte Carlo

We present here an extension of the Wang–Landau Monte Carlo method which allows us to get very accurate estimates of the full probability distributions of several observables after a quantum quench for large systems, whenever the relevant matrix elements are calculable, but the full exponential complexity of the Hilbert space would make an exhaustive enumeration impossible beyond very limited sizes. We apply this method to quenches of free-fermion models with disorder, further corroborating the fact that a generalized Gibbs ensemble fails to capture the long-time average of many-body operators when disorder is present.

Generalized Gibbs ensembles for quantum field theories

We consider the non-equilibrium dynamics in isolated systems, described by quantum field theories (QFTs). After being prepared in a density matrix that is not an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, such systems are expected to relax locally to a stationary state. In a presence of local conservation laws, these stationary states are believed to be described by appropriate generalized Gibbs ensembles. Here we demonstrate that in order to obtain a correct description of the stationary state, it is necessary to take into account conservation laws that are not (ultra-)local in the usual sense of QFT, but fulfil a significantly weaker form of locality. We discuss implications of our results for integrable QFTs in one spatial dimension.

Experimental observation of a generalized Gibbs ensemble.

The description of the non-equilibrium dynamics of isolated quantum many-body systems within the framework of statistical mechanics is a fundamental open question. Conventional thermodynamical ensembles fail to describe the large class of systems that exhibit nontrivial conserved quantities, and generalized ensembles have been predicted to maximize entropy in these systems. We show experimentally that a degenerate one-dimensional Bose gas relaxes to a state that can be described by such a generalized ensemble. This is verified through a detailed study of correlation functions up to 10th order. The applicability of the generalized ensemble description for isolated quantum many-body systems points to a natural emergence of classical statistical properties from the microscopic unitary quantum evolution.

Quenching the XXZ spin chain: quench action approach versus generalized Gibbs ensemble

Following our previous work (Pozsgay et al 2014 Phys. Rev. Lett. 113 117203) we present here a detailed comparison of the quench action approach and the predictions of the generalized Gibbs ensemble, with the result that while the quench action formalism correctly captures the steady state, the GGE does not give a correct description of local short-distance correlation functions. We extend our studies to include another initial state, the so-called q-dimer state. We present important details of our construction, including new results concerning exact overlaps for the dimer and q-dimer states, and we also give an exact solution of the quench-action-based overlap-TBA for the q-dimer. Furthermore, we extend our computations to include the xx spin correlations besides the zz correlations treated previously, and give a detailed discussion of the underlying reasons for the failure of the GGE, especially in the light of new developments.

Stationary states in a free fermionic chain from the quench action method

We employ the quench action method for a recently considered geometrical quantum quench: two free fermionic chains initially at different temperatures are joined together in the middle and let evolve unitarily with a translation invariant Hamiltonian. We show that two different stationary regimes are reached at long times, depending on the interplay between the observation time scale $T$ and the total length $L$ of the system. We show the emergence of a nonequilibrium steady state supporting an energy current for observation time $T$ much smaller than the system size $L$. We then identify a longer time scale for which thermalization occurs in a generalized Gibbs ensemble.

Geometry of quantum observables and thermodynamics of small systems.

We show that for classical and quantum observables, the integrability-to-ergodicity transition leaves constant the sum of (a)the ensemble variance of the temporal average and (b)the ensemble average of temporal variance. The induced Frobenius (Hilbert-Schmidt) geometry of quantum observables encodes how eigenstate thermalization appears, the inverse participation ratio decreases, and the integrals of motion disappear during the transition. We use it to optimize the set of conserved quantities entering the generalized Gibbs ensemble for integrable, near-integrable, or mesoscopic systems.