Equilibration times in clean and noisy systems

Abstract

We study the equilibration dynamics of closed finite quantum systems and address the question of the time needed for the system to equilibrate. In particular we focus on the scaling of the equilibration time T_{\mathrm{eq}} with the system size L . For clean systems we give general arguments predicting T_{\mathrm{eq}}=O(L^{0}) for clustering initial states, while for small quenches around a critical point we find T_{\mathrm{eq}}=O(L^ζ) where ζis the dynamical critical exponent. We then analyze noisy systems where exponentially large time scales are known to exist. Specifically we consider the tight-binding model with diagonal impurities and give numerical evidence that in this case T_{\mathrm{eq}}\sim Be^{CL^ψ} where B,C, ψare observable dependent constants. Finally, we consider another noisy system whose evolution dynamics is randomly sampled from a circular unitary ensemble. Here, we are able to prove analytically that T_{\mathrm{eq}}=O(1), thus showing that noise alone is not sufficient for slow equilibration dynamics.

9 pages, 10 figures. References added

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• Exploring integrability-chaos transition with a sequence of independent perturbations
• Quantification and Control of non-Markovian Evolution in Finite Quantum Systems via Feedback
• Comparing classical and quantum equilibration
• Probing Majorana Modes via Local Spin Dynamics
• Small quench dynamics as a probe for trapped ultracold atoms
• Quantum chaos in a harmonic waveguide with scatterers
• Undecay
• Rationally independent free fermions with local hopping