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Pushing the limits of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis towards mesoscopic quantum systems
R Steinigeweg1, A Khodja2, H Niemeyer2
1Institute for Theoretical Physics, Technical University Braunschweig, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|April 22, 2014
Summary
Researchers explored the hypothetical eigenstate thermalization hypothesis in quantum systems. Their new method allows studying larger systems (up to 35 spins) than previously possible, providing conclusive results for spin ladders.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Many-Body Physics
- Statistical Mechanics
Background:
- The eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) is a key concept for understanding thermalization in isolated quantum systems.
- Current theoretical approaches, often relying on exact diagonalization, are limited to small system sizes (around 15 spins).
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a novel computational approach to investigate the ETH beyond the limitations of exact diagonalization.
- To extend the system size accessible for studying thermalization in quantum many-body systems.
Main Methods:
- A new computational method enabling simulations of larger quantum many-body systems.
- Application of the method to a Heisenberg spin ladder model.
Main Results:
- The developed approach successfully extends the accessible system size to approximately 35 spins.
- Conclusive evidence supporting or refuting the ETH was obtained for the studied spin ladder system.
Conclusions:
- The presented method offers a significant advancement for studying thermalization in larger quantum systems.
- This work provides a pathway to empirically test the ETH in systems previously inaccessible to theoretical analysis.
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