Integrable Classical Dynamics Research Articles

Intermediate statistics in singular quarter-ellipse shaped microwave billiards* *Dedicated to the Memory of Fritz Haake.

We report on experiments with a flat, superconducting microwave billiard with the shape of a quarter ellipse simulating a singular billiard, that is, a quantum billiard containing zero-range perturbations. The pointlike scatterers were realized with long antennas. Their coupling to the microwaves inside the cavity depends on frequency. A complete sequence of 1013 eigenfrequencies was identified rendering possible the investigation of spectral properties as function of frequency. They exhibit intermediate statistics and are well described by analytical results derived by Bogomolny, Gerland, Giraud and Schmit for singular billiards with shapes that generate an integrable classical dynamics. This comparison revealed a quadratic frequency dependence of the coupling parameter. The size of the chaotic component induced by the diffractive effects of the scatterers was determined by comparison with analytical results derived by Haake and Lenz for an additive random-matrix model, which interpolates between the models applicable for quantum systems with an integrable and chaotic classical dynamics, respectively.

Power spectrum and form factor in random diagonal matrices and integrable billiards

Triggered by a controversy surrounding a universal behavior of the power spectrum in quantum systems exhibiting regular classical dynamics, we focus on a model of random diagonal matrices (RDM), often associated with the Poisson spectral universality class, and examine how the power spectrum and the form factor get affected by two-sided truncations of RDM spectra. Having developed a nonperturbative description of both statistics, we perform their detailed asymptotic analysis to demonstrate explicitly how a traditional assumption (lying at the heart of the controversy) – that the power spectrum is merely determined by the spectral form factor – breaks down for truncated spectra. This observation has important consequences as we further argue that bounded quantum systems with integrable classical dynamics are described by heavily truncated rather than complete RDM spectra. High-precision numerical simulations of semicircular and irrational rectangular billiards lend independent support to these conclusions.

Thermalization and its breakdown for a large nonlinear spin

By developing a semi-classical analysis based on the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis, we determine the long time behavior of a large spin evolving with a nonlinear Hamiltonian. Despite integrable classical dynamics, we find the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis for the diagonal matrix elements of observables is satisfied in the majority of eigenstates, and thermalization of long time averaged observables is generic. The exception is a novel mechanism for the breakdown of thermalization based on an unstable fixed point in the classical dynamics. Using the semi-classical analysis we derive how the equilibrium values of observables encode properties of the initial state. This analysis shows an unusual memory effect in which the remembered initial state property is not conserved in the integrable classical dynamics. We conclude with a discussion of relevant experiments and the potential generality of this mechanism for long time memory and the breakdown of thermalization.

Quantum chaos as delocalization in Krylov space

We show in full generality that time-correlation function of a physical observable analytically continued to imaginary time is a tau-function of integrable Toda hierarchy. Using this relation we show that the singularity along the imaginary axis, which is a generic behavior for quantum non-integrable many-body system, is due to delocalization in Krylov space.

Resonant scattering in graphene with a gate-defined chaotic quantum dot

We investigate the conductance of an undoped graphene sheet with two metallic contacts and an electrostatically gated island (quantum dot) between the contacts. Our analysis is based on the Matrix Green Function formalism, which was recently adapted to graphene by Titov {\em et al.} [Phys.\ Rev.\ Lett.\ {\bf 104}, 076802 (2010)]. We find pronounced differences between the case of a stadium-shaped dot (which has chaotic classical dynamics) and a disc-shaped dot (which has integrable classical dynamics) in the limit that the dot size is small in comparison to the distance between the contacts. In particular, for the stadium-shaped dot the two-terminal conductance shows Fano resonances as a function of the gate voltage, which cross-over to Breit-Wigner resonances only in the limit of completely separated resonances, whereas for a disc-shaped dot sharp Breit-Wigner resonances resulting from higher angular momentum remain present throughout.

Generation of entanglement in regular systems

We study dynamical generation of entanglement in bipartite quantum systems, characterized by purity (or linear entropy), and caused by the coupling between the two subsystems. Explicit semiclassical theory of purity decay is derived for integrable classical dynamics of the uncoupled system, and for localized (general Gaussian wave-packet) initial states. Purity decays as an algebraic function of time times strength of perturbation, independently of the Planck's constant.

Density-functional theory simulation of large quantum dots

Kohn-Sham spin-density functional theory provides an efficient and accurate model to study electron-electron interaction effects in quantum dots, but its application to large systems is a challenge. Here an efficient method for the simulation of quantum dots using density-function theory is developed; it includes the particle-in-the-box representation of the Kohn-Sham orbitals, an efficient conjugate-gradient method to directly minimize the total energy, a Fourier convolution approach for the calculation of the Hartree potential, and a simplified multigrid technique to accelerate the convergence. We test the methodology in a two-dimensional model system and show that numerical studies of large quantum dots with several hundred electrons become computationally affordable. In the noninteracting limit, the classical dynamics of the system we study can be continuously varied from integrable to fully chaotic. The qualitative difference in the noninteracting classical dynamics has an effect on the quantum properties of the interacting system: integrable classical dynamics leads to higher-spin states and a broader distribution of spacing between Coulomb blockade peaks.

Two-state system coupled to a boson mode: Quantum dynamics and classical approximations

The relation between classical and quantum mechanical integrability is investigated for a boson mode coupled to a two-level system. Different semi-classical approximations of this system are considered which are obtained by (i) factorization of expectation values of the two-state variable and the boson, (ii) making a WKB-type approximation, (iii) replacing the boson by a classical field of constant amplitude and fixed frequency and (iv) putting the boson into a self-consistent coherent state. The results vary considerably and include cases of non-integrable and integrable classical dynamics. Quantum mechanically the system is found to satisfy a criterion of quantum mechanical integrability, which we formulate, but the separated Hamiltonian of the boson alone does not have a well-defined classical limit. Numerical results for the energy spectrum and expectation values are obtained, which show a high degree of regularity but also display overlapping avoided crossings usually associated with non-integrable Hamiltonians. The exact dynamics of the occupation probabilities of the two levels is also analysed numerically. The dependence of quantum mechanical recurrence effects (in quantum optics known as revivals) on coupling strength, frequency detuning and initial conditions is studied. The revivals are found to disappear in the case of strong coupling. The Fourier spectra of the dynamical expectation values are also calculated