Skip to main content

Entanglement entropy of energy eigenstates follows a universal scaling function

Date:
Location:
zoom
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s):
Thomas Barthel (Duke)

We consider the entanglement entropies of energy eigenstates in quantum many-

body systems. For the typical models that allow for a field-theoretical

description of the long-range physics, we find that the entanglement entropy of

(almost) all eigenstates is described by a single scaling function. This is

predicated on the validity of the weak or strong eigenstate thermalization

hypothesis (ETH), which then implies that the scaling functions can be deduced

from subsystem entropies of thermal ensembles. The scaling functions describe

the full crossover from the groundstate entanglement regime for low energies

and small subsystem size (area or log-area law) to the extensive volume-law

regime for high energies or large subsystem size. For critical 1d systems, the

scaling function follows from conformal field theory (CFT). We use it to also

deduce the scaling function for Fermi liquids in d>1 dimensions. These

analytical results are complemented by numerics for large non-interacting

systems of fermions in d=1,2,3 and the harmonic lattice model in d=1,2.

Lastly, we demonstrate ETH for entanglement entropies and the validity of the

scaling arguments in integrable and non-integrable interacting spin chains. In

particular, we analyze the XXZ and transverse-field Ising models with and

without next-nearest-neighbor interactions.



References: arXiv:1905.07760, arXiv:1912.10045, arXiv:2010.07265

 

Recording: https://uky.zoom.us/rec/share/GutjuSkIJLS-UsSxmZ398q4iwfWDv9MGu4laXKP0arl0VZafKmv5N4TZDQfZcSJa.FukSni-Fex-uv3lI

Event Series: