One-dimensional atomic superfluids as a model system for quantum thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper discusses how one-dimensional quantum superfluids serve as an experimental platform to explore fundamental concepts of quantum thermodynamics, including thermalization, pre-thermalization, and the role of collective modes.

Contribution

It introduces 1D superfluids as a versatile model system for studying quantum thermodynamics phenomena and the transition from integrability to thermalization in many-body quantum systems.

Findings

Observation of pre-thermalization and generalized Gibbs ensembles

Demonstration of light-cone spreading of decoherence

Quantum recurrences in large interacting systems

Abstract

In this chapter we will present the one-dimensional (1d) quantum degenerate Bose gas (1d superfluid) as a testbed to experimentally illustrate some of the key aspects of quantum thermodynamics. Hard-core bosons in one-dimension are described by the integrable Lieb-Lininger model. Realistic systems, as they can be implemented, are only approximately integrable, and let us investigate the cross over to 'thermalisation'. They show such fundamental properties as pre-thermalisation, general Gibbs ensembles and light-cone like spreading of de-coherence. On the other hand they are complex enough to illustrate that our limited ability to measure only (local) few-body observables determines the relevant description of the many-body system and its physics. One consequence is the observation of quantum recurrences in systems with thousand of interacting particles. The relaxation observed in 1D superfluids is universal for a large class of many-body systems, those where the relevant physics can be described by a set of 'long lived' collective modes. The time window where the 'close to integrable' dynamics can be observed is given by the 'lifetime' of the quasi-particles associated with the collective modes. Based on these observations one can view (in a quantum field theory sense) a many-body quantum system at T=0 as 'vacuum' and its excitations as the system to experiment with. This viewpoint leads to a new way to build thermal machines from the quasi-particles in 1D superfluids. We will give examples of how to realise these systems and point to a few interesting questions that might be addressed.