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From Many-Body Oscillations to Thermalization in an Isolated Spinor Gas.
Bertrand Evrard1, An Qu1, Jean Dalibard1
1Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Collège de France, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.
Physical Review Letters
|February 26, 2021
Summary
This study explores the diverse dynamics of many-body systems using spin-1 atoms. Researchers observed reversible evolution, irreversible behavior, and thermalization, revealing universal characteristics in quantum systems.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Atomic physics
- Many-body systems
Background:
- Many-body systems exhibit diverse dynamics, ranging from reversible evolution to rapid thermalization.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for quantum mechanics and statistical physics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally and numerically investigate the wide range of dynamics in a many-body system.
- To explore the transition from reversible to irreversible and chaotic behaviors in a controlled system.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing an assembly of spin-1 atoms in the same spatial mode.
- Employing both experimental observations and numerical simulations.
- Analyzing the system's energy spectrum and many-body observables.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that spin-1 atoms in a single spatial mode can exhibit diverse dynamics.
- Identified a transition from reversible dynamics (linear spectrum, undamped oscillations) to irreversible behavior (nonlinear spectrum).
- Observed chaotic dynamics and thermalization when system integrability was broken, consistent with the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Spin-1 atoms in a single spatial mode provide a versatile platform for studying many-body dynamics.
- The system's behavior transitions from reversible oscillations to irreversible dynamics and thermalization based on spectral properties and integrability.
- The findings align with theoretical predictions like the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis.
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