Title: Many-Body Quantum Chaos and the Spectral Form Factor
Abstract: The study of spectral statistics is of importance in physics due to its simplicity, universality, and utility as a diagnosis of quantum chaos and localization. Recently, as a probe of spectral statistics, the spectral form factor (SFF) has been instrumental in pinpointing novel signatures of quantum chaos in the presence of many-body interactions [1], in discovering the random matrix theory behaviour of black holes [2], and in providing insights on the existence of the many-body localization phase in the thermodynamic limit [3]. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the generic behavior of the SFF in closed [4] and open [5] strongly interacting many-body quantum chaotic systems, along with its experimental measurement in quantum simulators [6]. In particular, I will present a statistical mechanical mapping between the SFF of quantum many-body chaotic systems and the partition function of classical ferromagnetic spin chains. If time permits, I will also discuss how non-Hermitian random matrix universality can emerge from Hermitian quantum many-body chaotic systems.
References:
[1] AC, De Luca, and Chalker, PRL 121, 060601 (2018).
[2] Cotler et al., JHEP 1705:118 (2017).
[3] Šuntajs, Bonča, Prosen, and Vidmar, PRE 102, 062144 (2020).
[4] Shivam, De Luca, Huse, and AC, PRL 130, 140403 (2023).
[5] Li, Prosen, AC, PRL 127, 170602 (2021).
[6] Dong et al. w/ AC, PRL 134, 010402 (2025).
[1] AC, De Luca, and Chalker, PRL 121, 060601 (2018).
[2] Cotler et al., JHEP 1705:118 (2017).
[3] Šuntajs, Bonča, Prosen, and Vidmar, PRE 102, 062144 (2020).
[4] Shivam, De Luca, Huse, and AC, PRL 130, 140403 (2023).
[5] Li, Prosen, AC, PRL 127, 170602 (2021).
[6] Dong et al. w/ AC, PRL 134, 010402 (2025).
Note: This seminar will be happening in-person only.
Location: Huxley 139, 15.00-16.00.