Bridging quantum many-body scar and quantum integrability in Ising chains with transverse and longitudinal fields

TL;DR

This paper uncovers a continuous connection between quantum many-body scars and quantum integrability in Ising chains, revealing how thermalization and quantum phase transitions are related through non-equilibrium dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates a smooth crossover between QMBS and QI in Ising chains by tuning parameters, linking ETH breakdown mechanisms and quantum criticality in a unified framework.

Findings

Smooth non-thermal crossover from QMBS to QI with parameter tuning

Identification of a thermalization trajectory along the Ising transition line

Different dynamical phase diagram showing thermalization via resonant spin-flip

Abstract

Quantum many-body scar (QMBS) and quantum integrability(QI) have been recognized as two distinct mechanisms for the breakdown of eigenstate thermalization hypothesis(ETH) in an isolated system. In this work, we reveal a smooth route to connect these two ETH-breaking mechanisms in the Ising chain with transverse and longitudinal fields. Specifically, starting from an initial Ising anti-ferromagnetic state, we find that the dynamical system undergoes a smooth non-thermal crossover from QMBS to QI by changing the Ising coupling($J$) and longitudinal field($h$) simultaneously while keeping their ratio fixed, which corresponds to the Rydberg Hamiltonian with an arbitrary nearest-neighbor repulsion. Deviating from this ratio, we further identify a continuous thermalization trajectory in ($h,J$) plane that is exactly given by the Ising transition line, signifying an intimate relation between thermalization and quantum critical point. Finally, we map out a completely different dynamical phase diagram starting from an initial ferromagnetic state, where the thermalization is shown to be equally facilitated by the resonant spin-flip at special ratios of $J$ and $h$. By bridging QMBS and QI in Ising chains, our results demonstrate the breakdown of ETH in much broader physical settings, which also suggest an alternative way to characterize quantum phase transition via thermalization in non-equilibrium dynamics.