Quantum entanglement in the Sachdev–Ye–Kitaev model and its generalizations

Entanglement is one of the most important concepts in quantum physics. We review recent progress in understanding the quantum entanglement in many-body systems using large-N solvable models: the Sachdev–Ye–Kitaev (SYK) model and its generalizations. We present the study of entanglement entropy in the original SYK model using three different approaches: the exact diagonalization, the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, and the pathintegral representation. For coupled SYK models, the entanglement entropy shows linear growth and saturation at the thermal value. The saturation is related to replica wormholes in gravity. Finally, we consider the steady-state entanglement entropy of quantum many-body systems under repeated measurements. The traditional symmetry breaking in the enlarged replica space leads to the measurement-induced entanglement phase transition.     

Pion interferometry at RHIC: porobing a thermalized quark-gluon plasma?

We calculate the Gaussian radius parameters of the pion-emitting source in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, assuming a first-order phase transition from a thermalized quark-gluon plasma (QGP) to a gas of hadrons. Such a model leads to a very long-lived dissipative hadronic rescattering phase which dominates the properties of the two-pion correlation functions. The radii are found to depend only weakly on the thermalization time tau(i), the critical temperature Tc (and thus the latent heat), and the specific entropy of the QGP. The model calculations suggest a rapid increase of R(out)/R(side) as a function of KT if a thermalized QGP were formed.     

Absence of thermalization in nonintegrable systems

We establish a link between unitary relaxation dynamics after a quench in closed many-body systems and the entanglement in the energy eigenbasis. We find that even if reduced states equilibrate, they can have memory on the initial conditions even in certain models that are far from integrable. We show that in such situations the equilibrium states are still described by a maximum entropy or generalized Gibbs ensemble, regardless of whether a model is integrable or not, thereby contributing to a recent debate. In addition, we discuss individual aspects of the thermalization process, comment on the role of Anderson localization, and collect and compare different notions of integrability.     

Thermalization time of noble metal nanoparticles: effects of the electron density profile

The lack of d-electron screening in the s-electron spill-out region at the surface of Ag nanoparticles increases the electron-electron interaction in this region compared to the bulk. Therefore when comparing the electron-electron interaction contribution to the thermalization time of nanoparticles of varying radius, smaller particles thermalize faster due to the increased surface to bulk ratio. One aspect which has not been addressed is the effect of the spatial distribution of charge at the surface of the nanoparticle. In this work it is shown that the size dependence of the thermalization time is very sensitive to the surface density profile. The electron thermalization time of conduction electrons in noble metal nanoparticles as a function of the radius is calculated. The sensitivity of the scattering rate to the spatial distribution of charge at the surface of the nanostructure is analyzed using several model surface profiles. The change in surface charge distribution via charging or coating of the nanospheres is shown to be a tool for control and probing of the ultra-fast electron-electron dynamics in metallic nanoparticles.     

Torsion and entropy driven denaturation of DNA

A unified theory of the denaturation transition having torsion energy as the control parameter has been formulated here in the framework of the mapping of a DNA molecule onto a Heisenberg spin system. The torsion energy incorporates the torque, tension and temperature, the latter being associated with the twist angle. The denaturation transition can be mapped onto the quantum phase transition induced by a quench when the temperature effect is incorporated in the quench time and torsion takes the role of the external field. The denaturation transition occurs when the entanglement entropy of the spin system vanishes.     

非晶一次晶化过程微观组织演化和生长动力学的相场法研究

在晶化物理模型中添加扩散系数对晶化过程的影响, 采用相场方法研究初始形核率和初始形核半径对一次晶化过程中微观组织和生长动力学的影响。结果表明: 随着初始形核率的增加, 相同时间内非晶一次晶化的晶粒数量逐渐增加, 晶粒尺寸逐渐减小。晶化分数随着演化时间和初始形核率的增加逐渐增大, 初始形核率越大, 相同演化时间内的晶化分数越高。不同初始形核半径情况下, 非晶一次晶化过程中的晶粒数量和尺寸随着演化时间的增加基本保持不变。晶化分数随着演化时间的增加而增大。不同初始形核率和初始形核半径情况下所对应的生长指数均小于1, 表明初始形核率和初始形核半径对晶化方式无影响, 均为一次晶化。改变初始形核率和初始形核半径可调控一次晶化微观组织结构, 而晶粒尺寸及晶化分数直接关系到合金性能。     

Topological and geometrical entanglement in a model of circular DNA undergoing denaturation

The linking number (topological entanglement) and the writhe (geometrical entanglement) of a model of circular double stranded DNA undergoing a thermal denaturation transition are investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. By allowing the linking number to fluctuate freely in equilibrium we see that the linking probability undergoes an abrupt variation (first-order) at the denaturation transition, and stays close to 1 in the whole native phase. The average linking number is almost zero in the denatured phase and grows as the square root of the chain length, N, in the native phase. The writhe of the two strands grows as in both phases. Received 8 May 2002 Published online 13 August 2002     

Thermalization of strongly coupled field theories

Using the holographic mapping to a gravity dual, we calculate 2-point functions, Wilson loops, and entanglement entropy in strongly coupled field theories in d=2, 3, and 4 to probe the scale dependence of thermalization following a sudden injection of energy. For homogeneous initial conditions, the entanglement entropy thermalizes slowest and sets a time scale for equilibration that saturates a causality bound. The growth rate of entanglement entropy density is nearly volume-independent for small volumes but slows for larger volumes. In this setting, the UV thermalizes first.     

基于模式转换及双峰谐振效应的薄包层镀膜长周期光纤光栅特性研究

基于耦合模理论,首先研究了镀膜长周期光纤光栅(LPFG)高阶包层模的模式转换,划分了高阶包层模的非模式转换区及模式转换区。分析了高阶包层模有效折射率随薄膜厚度增加的响应特性,包层模谐振波长在模式转换区的偏移量要大于非模式转换区。在此基础上,研究了不同包层半径下高阶包层模谐振波长随光栅周期的变化情况,结果表明,相同包层半径下模式转换区内双峰间距的偏移量大于非模式转换区;无论在模式转换区还是非模式转换区,包层半径的减小将增加双峰间距的偏移量。最后分析了不同包层半径下的高阶包层模双峰透射谱在模式转换区及非模式转换区内的折射率响应,进而提出了薄包层镀膜LPFG的优化设计方案,当选定敏感膜层厚度及折射率处于镀膜LPFG的模式转换区内,光栅周期靠近相位匹配转折点时,将得到灵敏度高于传统LPFG双峰传感器的镀膜LPFG折射率型双峰传感器;而减小包层半径,将进一步提高传感器的分辨本领。     

Decline of nucleation in the heating process with a high heating rate

The effect of the heating rate on the nucleation of metallic glass in a rapid heating process starting from the glass transition temperature is investigated. The critical nucleus radius increases with the increase of the temperature of the undercooling liquid. If the increment rate of the critical nucleus radius, owing to the heating process, is higher than the growth rate of the nuclei, the nuclei generated at the low temperature will become the embryos at the high temperature. This means that the high heating rate can make no nucleation happen in the heating process. In consideration of the interfacial energy, the growth rate of the nuclei increases with the increase of their size and the growth rate of the critical nucleus is zero. Thus, the lower heating rate can also make the nuclei decline partially. Finally, this theory is used to analyze the nucleation process during laser remelting metallic glass.     

Dynamics of the Entanglement Spectrum of the Haldane Model under a Sudden Quench

One of the appealing features of topological systems is the presence of robust edge modes. Under a sudden quantum quench, the edge modes survive for a characteristic time that scales with the system size, during which the nontrivial topology continues to manifest in entanglement properties, even though the post-quench Hamiltonian belongs to a trivial phase. We exemplify this in the quench dynamics of a two-dimensional Haldane model with the help of one-particle entanglement spectrum and the probability density of its mid-states. We find that, beyond our knowledge in one-dimensional models, the momentum dependence of the transverse velocity plays a crucial role in the out-of-equilibrium evolution of the entanglement properties.     

库仑对数的量子修正

对D-He^3聚变产生的高能带电粒子，它们在本底等离子体中热化初始阶段的能量损失速率或慢化时间的计算准确性直接影响到能量平衡和快离子压强的计算结果。研究表明，在描述聚变产生的高能尾部粒子初始热化阶段。最好使用较精确的库仑对数lnAi，它们的二体库仑碰撞坦子力学效应不能忽视。     

耦合双Tavis-Cummings模型中的纠缠演化和转移特性

研究了由光纤模连接的两个Tavis-Cummings模型中纠缠演化和纠缠转移的特性。结果表明,初始两原子间的纠缠可转移为另两原子间的纠缠,在纠缠转移过程中,光纤模起到中间传递的作用。纠缠的转移与初始两原子间的纠缠、原子与腔场的耦合强度以及光纤模与腔场的耦合强度、原子与腔场的失谐量和腔场耗散有关。初始纠缠决定了另两原子间纠缠产生的大小;在原子与腔场的耦合强度一定的条件下,随着光纤模与腔场耦合强度的增强,纠缠转移的时间缩短,且产生的纠缠值增加;腔场耗散对纠缠演化的衰减影响是显著的,而失谐量的增加可以有效地抑制这一现象。在整个纠缠转移过程中,系统中其他任两子体系间的纠缠起到了桥梁的作用,实现了两量子纠缠态的远程传递和制备。     

Quantum quenches in a spinor condensate

We discuss the ordering of a spin-1 condensate when quenched from its paramagnetic phase to its ferromagnetic phase by reducing the magnetic field. We first elucidate the nature of the equilibrium quantum phase transition. Quenching rapidly through this transition reveals XY ordering either at a specific wave vector, or the "light-cone" correlations familiar from relativistic theories, depending on the end point of the quench. For a quench proceeding at a finite rate the ordering scale is governed by the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. The creation of vortices through growth of the magnetization fluctuations is also discussed. The long-time dynamics again depends on the end point, conserving the order parameter in a zero field, but not at a finite field, with differing exponents for the coarsening of magnetic order. The results are discussed in the light of a recent experiment by Sadler et al.     

The kinetic boundary layer around an absorbing sphere and the growth of small droplets

Deviations from the classical Smoluchowski expression for the growth rate of a droplet in a supersaturated vapor can be expected when the droplet radius is not large compared to the mean free path of a vapor molecule. The growth rate then depends significantly on the structure of the kinetic boundary layer around a sphere. We consider this kinetic boundary layer for a dilute system of Brownian particles. For this system a large class of boundary layer problems for a planar wall have been solved. We show how the spherical boundary layer can be treated by a perturbation expansion in the reciprocal droplet radius. In each order one has to solve a finite number ofplanar boundary layer problems. The first two corrections to the planar problem are calculated explicitly. For radii down to about two velocity persistence lengths (the analog of the mean free path for a Brownian particle) the successive approximations for the growth rate agree to within a few percent. A reasonable estimate of the growth rate for all radii can be obtained by extrapolating toward the exactly known value at zero radius. Kinetic boundary layer effects increase the time needed for growth from 0 to 10 (or 2 1/2) velocity persistence lengths by roughly 35% (or 175%).     

Quantum Phase Transitions,Entanglement Spectrum,and Schmidt Gap in Bond-Alternative S=1 Antiferromagnetic Chain

Bipartite entanglement, entanglement spectrum, and Schmidt gap in S=1 bond-alternative antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain are investigated by the infinite time-evolving block decimation （iTEBD） method. The quantum phase transition （QPT） from the singlet-dimer phase to the Haldane phase can be detected by the singular behavior of bipartite entanglement, the sudden change of the entanglement spectrum, and the completely vanishing of the Schmidt gap. The critical point is determined to be around rc ~- 0.587, and the second-order character of the QPT is verified. Doubly degenerate entanglement spectra of both even and odd bonds are observed in the Haldane phase, by which one can distinguish the Haldane phase from the singlet-dimer phase easily. Nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic correlations and next-nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic correlations are found in the whole parameter region. At the critical massless point, although exponentially decaying antiferromagnetie correlation is observed, it approaches to a constant value finally. Therefore, long-range correlations exist and the correlation length becomes divergent at the critical point.     

Observation of magnetic flux generated spontaneously during a rapid quench of superconducting films

We report observations of spontaneous formation of magnetic flux lines during a rapid quench of YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) films through T(c). This effect is predicted according to the Kibble-Zurek mechanism of creation of topological defects of the order parameter during a symmetry-breaking phase transition. Our previous experiment, at a quench rate of 20 K/s, gave null results. In the present experiment, the quench rate was increased to >10(8) K/s. The amount of spontaneous flux increases weakly with the cooling rate.     

Studying quantum spin systems through entanglement estimators

We study the field dependence of the entanglement of formation in anisotropic S=1/2 antiferromagnetic chains displaying a T=0 field-driven quantum phase transition. The analysis is carried out via quantum Monte Carlo simulations. At zero temperature the entanglement estimators show abrupt changes at and around criticality, vanishing below the critical field, in correspondence with an exactly factorized state, and then immediately recovering a finite value upon passing through the quantum phase transition. At the quantum-critical point, a deep minimum in the pairwise-to-global entanglement ratio shows that multispin entanglement is strongly enhanced; moreover this signature represents a novel way of detecting the quantum phase transition of the system, relying entirely on entanglement estimators.     

Entanglement, fidelity, and quantum phase transition in antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic alternating Heisenberg chain

The fidelity and entanglement entropy in an antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic alternating Heisenberg chain are investigated by using the method of density-matrix renormalization-group. The effects of anisotropy on fidelity and entanglement entropy are investigated. The relations between fidelity, entanglement entropy and quantum phase transition are analyzed. It is found that the quantum phase transition point can be well characterized by both the ground-state entropy and fidelity for large system.