# Quantum Many-Body Physics & Simulation Domain: Fundamental & Quantum Physics · 219 papers indexed · newest 2026-10-29 Thermalization and its breakdown, many-body localization, quantum scars, discrete time crystals and analog quantum simulators. Key concepts: many-body localization, quantum many-body scars, time crystal, thermalization, quantum simulator, eigenstate thermalization ## Most influential - **[Many body localization and thermalization in quantum statistical mechanics](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1404.0686)**. Rahul Nandkishore, David A. Huse · 2014 · Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics, Vol. 6: 15-38 (2015) (arXiv:1404.0686 · doi:10.1146/annurev-conmatphys-031214-014726 · 2,493 citations). Source: > We review some recent developments in the statistical mechanics of isolated quantum systems. We provide a brief introduction to quantum thermalization, paying particular attention to the \`Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis' (ETH), and the resulting \`single-eigenstate statistical mechanics'. We then focus on a class of systems which fail to quantum thermalize and whose eigenstates violate the ETH: These are the many-body Anderson localized systems; their long-time properties are not captured by the conventional ensembles of quantum statistical mechanics. These systems can locally remember for… - **[Many-body localization, thermalization, and entanglement](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1804.11065)**. Dmitry A. Abanin, Ehud Altman, Immanuel Bloch et al. · 2018 · Rev. Mod. Phys. 91, 021001 (2019) (arXiv:1804.11065 · doi:10.1103/revmodphys.91.021001 · 1,828 citations). Source: > Thermalizing quantum systems are conventionally described by statistical mechanics at equilibrium. However, not all systems fall into this category, with many body localization providing a generic mechanism for thermalization to fail in strongly disordered systems. Many-body localized (MBL) systems remain perfect insulators at non-zero temperature, which do not thermalize and therefore cannot be described using statistical mechanics. In this Colloquium we review recent theoretical and experimental advances in studies of MBL systems, focusing on the new perspective provided by entanglement and … - **[Observation of many-body localization of interacting fermions in a quasirandom optical lattice](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1501.05661)**. Michael Schreiber, Sean S. Hodgman, Pranjal Bordia et al. · 2015 · Science (arXiv:1501.05661 · doi:10.1126/science.aaa7432 · 1,728 citations). Source: > We experimentally observe many-body localization of interacting fermions in a one-dimensional quasi-random optical lattice. We identify the many-body localization transition through the relaxation dynamics of an initially-prepared charge density wave. For sufficiently weak disorder the time evolution appears ergodic and thermalizing, erasing all remnants of the initial order. In contrast, above a critical disorder strength a significant portion of the initial ordering persists, thereby serving as an effective order parameter for localization. The stationary density wave order and the critical … - **[Many-body localization phase transition](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1010.1992)**. Arijeet Pal, David A. Huse · 2010 · Physical Review B (arXiv:1010.1992 · doi:10.1103/physrevb.82.174411 · 1,499 citations). Source: > We use exact diagonalization to explore the many-body localization transition in a random-field spin-1/2 chain. We examine the correlations within each many-body eigenstate, looking at all high-energy states and thus effectively working at infinite temperature. For weak random field the eigenstates are thermal, as expected in this nonlocalized, "ergodic" phase. For strong random field the eigenstates are localized, with only short-range entanglement. We roughly locate the localization transition and examine some of its finite-size scaling, finding that this quantum phase transition at nonzero … - **[Quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1408.5148)**. Jens Eisert, M. Friesdorf, Christian Gogolin · 2015 · Nature Physics (arXiv:1408.5148 · doi:10.1038/nphys3215 · 1,255 citations). Source: > 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 locali… - **[Measuring entanglement entropy in a quantum many-body system](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1509.01160)**. Rajibul Islam, Ruichao Ma, Philipp M. Preiss et al. · 2015 · Nature (arXiv:1509.01160 · doi:10.1038/nature15750 · 1,168 citations). Source: > Entanglement is one of the most intriguing features of quantum mechanics. It describes non-local correlations between quantum objects, and is at the heart of quantum information sciences. Entanglement is rapidly gaining prominence in diverse fields ranging from condensed matter to quantum gravity. Despite this generality, measuring entanglement remains challenging. This is especially true in systems of interacting delocalized particles, for which a direct experimental measurement of spatial entanglement has been elusive. Here, we measure entanglement in such a system of itinerant particles usi… - **[Observation of a discrete time crystal](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1609.08684)**. J. Zhang, Paul Hess, A. Kyprianidis et al. · 2017 · Nature (arXiv:1609.08684 · doi:10.1038/nature21413 · 1,142 citations). Source: > Spontaneous symmetry breaking is a fundamental concept in many areas of physics, ranging from cosmology and particle physics to condensed matter. A prime example is the breaking of spatial translation symmetry, which underlies the formation of crystals and the phase transition from liquid to solid. Analogous to crystals in space, the breaking of translation symmetry in time and the emergence of a "time crystal" was recently proposed, but later shown to be forbidden in thermal equilibrium. However, non-equilibrium Floquet systems subject to a periodic drive can exhibit persistent time-correlati… - **[Unbounded Growth of Entanglement in Models of Many-Body Localization](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1202.5532)**. Jens Hjorleifur Bardarson, Frank Pollmann, Joel E. Moore · 2012 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:1202.5532 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.109.017202 · 1,057 citations). Source: > An important and incompletely answered question is whether a closed quantum system of many interacting particles can be localized by disorder. The time evolution of simple (unentangled) initial states is studied numerically for a system of interacting spinless fermions in one dimension described by the random-field XXZ Hamiltonian. Interactions induce a dramatic change in the propagation of entanglement and a smaller change in the propagation of particles. For even weak interactions, when the system is thought to be in a many-body localized phase, entanglement shows neither localized nor diffu… - **[Many-body localization edge in the random-field Heisenberg chain](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1411.0660)**. David J. Luitz, Nicolas Laflorencie, Fabien Alet · 2015 · Physical Review B (arXiv:1411.0660 · doi:10.1103/physrevb.91.081103 · 1,026 citations). Source: > We present a large scale exact diagonalization study of the one dimensional spin $1/2$ Heisenberg model in a random magnetic field. In order to access properties at varying energy densities across the entire spectrum for system sizes up to $L=22$ spins, we use a spectral transformation which can be applied in a massively parallel fashion. Our results allow for an energy-resolved interpretation of the many body localization transition including the existence of an extensive many-body mobility edge. The ergodic phase is well characterized by Gaussian orthogonal ensemble statistics, volume-law en… - **[Weak ergodicity breaking from quantum many-body scars](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1711.03528)**. Christopher J. Turner, Alexios A. Michailidis, Dmitry A. Abanin et al. · 2018 · Nature Physics (arXiv:1711.03528 · doi:10.1038/s41567-018-0137-5 · 995 citations). Source: > Certain wave functions of non-interacting quantum chaotic systems can exhibit "scars" in the fabric of their real-space density profile. Quantum scarred wave functions concentrate in the vicinity of unstable periodic classical trajectories. We introduce the notion of many-body quantum scars which reflect the existence of a subset of special many-body eigenstates concentrated in certain parts of the Hilbert space. We demonstrate the existence of scars in the Fibonacci chain -- the one- dimensional model with a constrained local Hilbert space realized in the 51 Rydberg atom quantum simulator \[H.… - **[Exploring the many-body localization transition in two dimensions](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1604.04178)**. Jae-yoon Choi, Sebastian J. Hild, Johannes Zeiher et al. · 2016 · Science (arXiv:1604.04178 · doi:10.1126/science.aaf8834 · 979 citations). Source: > One fundamental assumption in statistical physics is that generic closed quantum many-body systems thermalize under their own dynamics. Recently, the emergence of many-body localized systems has questioned this concept, challenging our understanding of the connection between statistical physics and quantum mechanics. Here we report on the observation of a many-body localization transition between thermal and localized phases for bosons in a two-dimensional disordered optical lattice. With our single site resolved measurements we track the relaxation dynamics of an initially prepared out-of-equ… - **[Floquet Time Crystals](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1603.08001)**. Dominic V. Else, Bela Bauer, Chetan Nayak · 2016 · Physical Review Letters (arXiv:1603.08001 · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.117.090402 · 973 citations). Source: > We define what it means for time translation symmetry to be spontaneously broken in a quantum system, and show with analytical arguments and numerical simulations that this occurs in a large class of many-body-localized driven systems with discrete time-translation symmetry. - **[Quantum Many-Body Scars and Weak Breaking of Ergodicity](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2011.09486)**. Maksym Serbyn, Dmitry A. Abanin, Zlatko Papić · 2020 · Nat. Phys. (2021) (arXiv:2011.09486 · doi:10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2 · 541 citations). Source: > Recent discovery of persistent revivals in quantum simulators based on Rydberg atoms have pointed to the existence of a new type of dynamical behavior that challenged the conventional paradigms of integrability and thermalization. This novel collective effect has been named quantum many-body scars by analogy with weak ergodicity breaking of a single particle inside a stadium billiard. In this overview, we provide a pedagogical introduction to quantum many-body scars and highlight the newly emerged connections with the semiclassical quantization of many-body systems. We discuss the relation bet… - **[Engineered two-dimensional Ising interactions in a trapped-ion quantum simulator with hundreds of spins](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1204.5789)**. J. Britton, Brian C. Sawyer, Adam C. Keith et al. · 2012 · Nature (arXiv:1204.5789 · doi:10.1038/nature10981 · 941 citations). Source: > The presence of long-range quantum spin correlations underlies a variety of physical phenomena in condensed matter systems, potentially including high-temperature superconductivity. However, many properties of exotic strongly correlated spin systems (e.g., spin liquids) have proved difficult to study, in part because calculations involving N-body entanglement become intractable for as few as N~30 particles. Feynman divined that a quantum simulator - a special-purpose "analog" processor built using quantum particles (qubits) - would be inherently adept at such problems. In the context of quantu… - **[Phenomenology of fully many-body-localized systems](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:1305.4915)**. David A. Huse, Rahul Nandkishore, Vadim Oganesyan · 2014 · Physical Review B (arXiv:1305.4915 · doi:10.1103/physrevb.90.174202 · 939 citations). Source: > We consider isolated quantum systems with all of their many-body eigenstates localized. We define a sense in which such systems are integrable, and discuss a method for finding their localized conserved quantum numbers ("constants of motion"). These localized operators are interacting pseudospins and are subject to dephasing but not to dissipation, so any quantum states of these pseudospins can in principle be recovered via (spin) echo procedures. We also discuss the spreading of entanglement in many-body localized systems, which is another aspect of the dephasing due to interactions between t… ## Newest - **[A Zoo of Fermionic Relative Rényi Negativities in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Models](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39349)**. Linjing Jiang, Pengfei Zhang · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39349). Source: - **[High-Field Heat Capacity of Atacamite Cu$\_2$Cl(OH)$\_3$ for $\\mathbf{H} \\parallel b$ axis: From Antiferromagnetic Order to Correlated Disorder](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39669)**. L. Stödter, A. Demuer, T. Kotte et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39669). Source: - **[Phonon Fluctuations Enhanced Superconductivity in a Three-Band Cuprate Model](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39710)**. Jiarui Liu, Yao Wang · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39710). Source: - **[Maximum-Entropy Ensemble of Quantum Subsystems with a Fixed Average State](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39712)**. Charlie Shakeshaft, Christopher David White, Harry J. D. Miller · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39712). Source: - **[Digital-Analog Quantum Neural Network with Long-Range Interactions](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39847)**. Zongyuan Ge, Daili Li, Zewen Zhang · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39847). Source: - **[Excitons in solid molecular hydrogen from quantum Monte Carlo](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.39894)**. Edgar Josué Landinez Borda, Ravindra Shinde, Claudia Filippi et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.39894). Source: - **[Single-atom billiards in an ultracold bath with energy-tunable collisions and threshold-sensitive detection](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.40098)**. Silvia Hiebel, Sabrina Burgardt, Julian Feß et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.40098). Source: - **[Cage-related crystal-field effects in the paramagnetic range of PrB$\_6$](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.40176)**. Mehdi Amara, Christine Opagiste, Natalya Yu. Shitsevalova · 2026 (arXiv:2610.40176). Source: - **[Rapid mixing for Gibbs samplers for quantum spin systems with all-to-all interactions](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.40361)**. Nicola Bertoni, Giacomo De Palma · 2026 (arXiv:2610.40361). Source: - **[Using domain walls to benchmark fast quantum anneals](https://space-kitty.com/papers/arxiv:2610.40504)**. Shushmi Chowdhury, Asa Hopkins, Nick Chancellor et al. · 2026 (arXiv:2610.40504). 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