From single-particle to many-body chaos in Yukawa--SYK: theory and a cavity-QED proposal
arXiv:2511.04762 · doi:10.1103/wntd-53rd
Abstract
Understanding how quantum systems transition from integrable to fully chaotic behavior remains a central open problem in physics. The Sachdev--Ye--Kitaev (SYK) model provides a paradigmatic framework for studying many-body chaos and holography, yet it captures only the strongly correlated limit, leaving intermediate regimes unexplored. Here, we investigate the Yukawa--SYK (YSYK) model, where bosonic fields mediate random fermionic interactions, and demonstrate that it naturally bridges single-particle and many-body chaos. Using spectral and dynamical chaos markers, we perform a comprehensive finite-size characterization of the YSYK model. We show that the interaction strength acts as a tunable control parameter interpolating between the SYK and SYK limits, and introduce a framework enabling direct and quantitative comparison with these benchmark models. In the intermediate regimes, we uncover distinct dynamical regimes marked by partial ergodicity breaking, prethermalization plateaus, and incomplete scrambling. Finally, we propose a feasible optical-cavity implementation of the YSYK model using ultra-cold atoms. Our results establish the YSYK model as a unifying platform connecting single-particle and many-body chaos, paving the way for experimental observation of these phenomena.
arXiv comment15 pages, 6 figures + appendices v3 changelog: Improved presentation of the manuscript, clarified finite-size crossover interpretation, strengthened the quantum-simulation motivation, and improved the quantitative comparison to SYK/SYK limits; main results unchanged
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