Thermalization by a synthetic horizon
Synthetic horizons in models for quantum matter provide an alternative route to explore fundamental questions of modern gravitational theory. Here we apply these concepts to the problem of emergence of thermal quantum states in the presence of a horizon, by studying ground-state thermalization due t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043084 |
| _version_ | 1827285404493021184 |
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| author | Lotte Mertens Ali G. Moghaddam Dmitry Chernyavsky Corentin Morice Jeroen van den Brink Jasper van Wezel |
| author_facet | Lotte Mertens Ali G. Moghaddam Dmitry Chernyavsky Corentin Morice Jeroen van den Brink Jasper van Wezel |
| author_sort | Lotte Mertens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Synthetic horizons in models for quantum matter provide an alternative route to explore fundamental questions of modern gravitational theory. Here we apply these concepts to the problem of emergence of thermal quantum states in the presence of a horizon, by studying ground-state thermalization due to instantaneous horizon creation in a gravitational setting and its condensed matter analog. By a sudden quench to position-dependent hopping amplitudes in a one-dimensional lattice model, we establish the emergence of a thermal state accompanying the formation of a synthetic horizon. The resulting temperature for long chains is shown to be identical to the corresponding Unruh temperature, provided that the postquench Hamiltonian matches the entanglement Hamiltonian of the prequench system. Based on detailed analysis of the outgoing radiation we formulate the conditions required for the synthetic horizon to behave as a purely thermal source, paving a way to explore this interplay of quantum-mechanical and gravitational aspects experimentally. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:13:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8dffd4b42286402db4da76fe630ab54b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2643-1564 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:13:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-8dffd4b42286402db4da76fe630ab54b2024-04-12T17:25:57ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642022-11-014404308410.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043084Thermalization by a synthetic horizonLotte MertensAli G. MoghaddamDmitry ChernyavskyCorentin MoriceJeroen van den BrinkJasper van WezelSynthetic horizons in models for quantum matter provide an alternative route to explore fundamental questions of modern gravitational theory. Here we apply these concepts to the problem of emergence of thermal quantum states in the presence of a horizon, by studying ground-state thermalization due to instantaneous horizon creation in a gravitational setting and its condensed matter analog. By a sudden quench to position-dependent hopping amplitudes in a one-dimensional lattice model, we establish the emergence of a thermal state accompanying the formation of a synthetic horizon. The resulting temperature for long chains is shown to be identical to the corresponding Unruh temperature, provided that the postquench Hamiltonian matches the entanglement Hamiltonian of the prequench system. Based on detailed analysis of the outgoing radiation we formulate the conditions required for the synthetic horizon to behave as a purely thermal source, paving a way to explore this interplay of quantum-mechanical and gravitational aspects experimentally.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043084 |
| spellingShingle | Lotte Mertens Ali G. Moghaddam Dmitry Chernyavsky Corentin Morice Jeroen van den Brink Jasper van Wezel Thermalization by a synthetic horizon Physical Review Research |
| title | Thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| title_full | Thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| title_fullStr | Thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| title_short | Thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| title_sort | thermalization by a synthetic horizon |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.043084 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lottemertens thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon AT aligmoghaddam thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon AT dmitrychernyavsky thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon AT corentinmorice thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon AT jeroenvandenbrink thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon AT jaspervanwezel thermalizationbyasynthetichorizon |