On entanglement spreading in chaotic systems

TL;DR

This paper explores how entanglement spreads in chaotic quantum systems, proposing a model based on constraints like light cone emergence and entanglement velocity, supported by holographic and spin chain computations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model for entanglement growth constrained by emergent light cones and entanglement velocity, with new holographic and spin chain analyses.

Findings

Entropy growth constrained by light cone and entanglement velocity

Comparison with holographic and spin chain computations supports the model

A new method for computing emergent light cone speed in holography

Abstract

We discuss the time dependence of subsystem entropies in interacting quantum systems. As a model for the time dependence, we suggest that the entropy is as large as possible given two constraints: one follows from the existence of an emergent light cone, and the other is a conjecture associated to the "entanglement velocity" $v_E$. We compare this model to new holographic and spin chain computations, and to an operator growth picture. Finally, we introduce a second way of computing the emergent light cone speed in holographic theories that provides a boundary dynamics explanation for a special case of entanglement wedge subregion duality in AdS/CFT.