Quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in understanding how closed quantum many-body systems reach equilibrium and thermalization after being driven out of equilibrium, highlighting experimental and theoretical progress in the field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the progress in understanding dynamical processes, thermalization, and related phenomena in out-of-equilibrium quantum many-body systems.

Findings

Progress in understanding dynamical equilibration and thermalisation.

Insights into eigenstate thermalisation hypothesis and many-body localisation.

Discussion of quantum simulation prospects.

Abstract

Closed quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium pose several long-standing problems in physics. Recent years have seen a tremendous progress in approaching these questions, not least due to experiments with cold atoms and trapped ions in instances of quantum simulations. This article provides an overview on the progress in understanding dynamical equilibration and thermalisation of closed quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium due to quenches, ramps and periodic driving. It also addresses topics such as the eigenstate thermalisation hypothesis, typicality, transport, many-body localisation, universality near phase transitions, and prospects for quantum simulations.