Thermalization by a synthetic horizon

Abstract

Synthetic horizons in models for quantum matter provide an alternative route to explore fundamental questions of modern gravitational theory. Here, we apply these concepts to the problem of emergence of thermal quantum states in the presence of a horizon, by studying ground-state thermalization due to instantaneous horizon creation in a gravitational setting and its condensed matter analogue. By a sudden quench to position-dependent hopping amplitudes in a one-dimensional lattice model, we establish the emergence of a thermal state accompanying the formation of a synthetic horizon. The resulting temperature for long chains is shown to be identical to the corresponding Unruh temperature, provided that the post-quench Hamiltonian matches the entanglement Hamiltonian of the pre-quench system. Based on detailed analysis of the outgoing radiation we formulate the conditions required for the synthetic horizon to behave as a purely thermal source, paving a way to explore this interplay of quantum-mechanical and gravitational aspects experimentally.

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• Black hole mirages: electron lensing and Berry curvature effects in inhomogeneously tilted Weyl semimetals
• Chiral Spin-Chain Interfaces Exhibiting Event-Horizon Physics
• Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime (2nd Edition)
• Anisotropic optics and gravitational lensing of tilted Weyl fermions
• AdS/CFT Correspondence with a 3D Black Hole Simulator
• Anderson Localization and Swing Mobility Edge in Curved Spacetime
• Optimally scrambling chiral spin-chain with effective black hole geometry
• Analog charged black hole formation via percolation: Exploring cosmic censorship and Hoop conjecture
• Synthetic horizons in an atomic chain: Horizon-induced effects and connections to quantum Hall systems