Breakdown of thermalization in finite one-dimensional systems

Abstract

We use quantum quenches to study the dynamics and thermalization of hardcore bosons in finite one-dimensional lattices. We perform exact diagonalizations and find that, far away from integrability, few-body observables thermalize. We then study the breakdown of thermalization as one approaches an integrable point. This is found to be a smooth process in which the predictions of standard statistical mechanics continuously worsen as the system moves toward integrability. We establish a direct connection between the presence or absence of thermalization and the validity or failure of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, respectively.

9 pages, 13 figures, as published

References in corpus (6)

• Interaction Quench in the Hubbard model
• Dynamical phase transition in correlated fermionic lattice systems
• Dephasing and the steady state in quantum many-particle systems
• Effective thermal dynamics following a quantum quench in a spin chain
• Nonthermal steady states after an interaction quench in the Falicov-Kimball model
• Relaxation of a one-dimensional Mott insulator after an interaction quench