Random quantum circuits and many-body dynamics

Abstract: A quantum circuit defines a discrete-time evolution for a set of quantum spins/qubits, via a sequence of unitary 'gates’ coupling nearby spins. I will describe how random quantum circuits, where each gate is a random unitary matrix, serve as minimal models for various universal features of many-body dynamics. These include the dynamical generation of entanglement between distant spatial regions, and the quantum "butterfly effect". I will give a very schematic overview of mappings that relate averages in random circuits to the classical statistical mechanics of random paths. Time permitting, I will describe a new phase transition in the dynamics of a many-body wavefunction, due to repeated measurements by an external observer.

mathematical physicsprobability

Audience: researchers in the discipline

Oxford Random Matrix Theory Seminars

Series comments: Meeting links will be sent to members of our mailing list (https://lists.maths.ox.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/random-matrix-theory-announce) in our weekly announcement on Monday.