Publications

We discuss the dependence of the critical properties of the Anderson model on the dimension d in the language of β-function and renormalization group recently introduced in Vanoni et al. [C. Vanoni et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 121, e2401955121 (2024)] in the context of Anderson transition on random regular graphs. We show how in the delocalized region, including the transition point, the one-parameter scaling part of the β-function for the fractal dimension D1 evolves smoothly from its d = 2 form, in which β2 ≤ 0, to its β∞ ≥ 0 form, which is represented by the random regular graph (RRG) result. We show how the ε = d − 2 expansion and the 1/d expansion around the RRG result can be reconciled and how the initial part of a renormalization group trajectory governed by the irrelevant exponent y depends on dimensionality. We also show how the irrelevant exponent emerges out of the high-gradient terms of expansion in the nonlinear sigma model and put forward a conjecture about a lower bound for the fractal dimension. The framework introduced here may serve as a basis for investigations of disordered many-body systems and of more general nonequilibrium quantum systems.

In this paper, we investigate the quench dynamics of the negativity and fermionic negativity Hamiltonians in free fermionic systems. We do this by generalizing a recently developed quasiparticle picture for the entanglement Hamiltonians to tripartite geometries. We obtain analytic expressions for these quantities, which are then extensively checked against previous results and numerics. In particular, we find that the standard negativity Hamiltonian contains both non-local hopping terms and four-fermion interactions, whereas the fermionic version is purely quadratic. However, despite their marked difference, we show that the logarithmic negativity obtained from either is identical in the ballistic scaling limit, as are their symmetry resolution.

Quantum many-body scarred systems exhibit atypical dynamical behavior, evading thermalization and featuring periodic state revivals. In this Letter, we investigate the impact of projective measurements on the dynamics in the scar subspace for the paradigmatic PXP model, revealing that they can either disrupt or enhance the revivals. Local measurements performed at random times rapidly erase the system's memory of its initial conditions, leading to fast steady state relaxation. In contrast, a periodic monitoring amplifies recurrences and preserves the coherent dynamics over extended timescales. We identify a measurement-induced phase resynchronization, countering the natural dephasing of quantum scars, as the key mechanism underlying this phenomenon.

Accurate and reliable algorithms to solve complex impurity problems are instrumental to a routine use of quantum embedding methods for material discovery. In this context, we employ an efficient selected configuration-interaction impurity solver to investigate the role of bath discretization—specifically, bath size and parametrization—in Hamiltonian-based cluster dynamical mean-field theory (CDMFT) for the one- and two-orbital Hubbard models. We consider two- and four-site clusters for the single-orbital model and a two-site cluster for the two-orbital model. Our results demonstrate that, for small bath sizes, the choice of parametrization can significantly influence the solution, highlighting the importance of systematic convergence checks. Comparing different bath parametrizations not only reveals the robustness of a given solution but can also provide insights into the nature of different solutions and potential instabilities of the paramagnetic state. We present an extensive analysis of the zero-temperature Mott transition of the paramagnetic half-filled single-band Hubbard model, benchmarking our findings against previous literature. We find that, for the single-band model the dependence on parametrization is weak for the largest bath sizes accessible with ASCI, while a tendency towards a nematic solution can be seen when the bath size is small. Building on this, we extend our study to the multiband regime, where we present a systematic analysis at zero temperature for two orbitals and a two-site cluster. This setup allows us to assess the effect of nearest-neighbor dynamical correlations on the multi-orbital Mott transition. In this case, some quantitative dependence on the parametrization is retained for the two-orbital model, for instance in the value of the critical interaction for a Mott transition.

We address weak-coupling frictional sliding with phononic dissipation by means of analytic many-body techniques. Our model consists of a particle (the “slider”) moving through a two-or three-dimensional crystal and interacting weakly with its atoms, and therefore, exciting phonons. By means of linear response theory, we obtain explicit expressions for the friction force slowing down the slider as a function of its speed, and compare them to the friction obtained by simulations, demonstrating a remarkable accord.

We study the quantum transport generated by the bipartite entanglement in two-dimensional conformal field theory at finite density with the U(1) × U(1) symmetry associated to the conservation of the electric charge and of the helicity. The bipartition given by an interval is considered, either on the line or on the circle. The continuity equations and the corresponding conserved quantities for the modular flows of the currents and of the energy-momentum tensor are derived. We investigate the mean values of the associated currents and their quantum fluctuations in the finite density representation, which describe the properties of the modular quantum transport. The modular analogues of the Johnson- Nyquist law and of the fluctuation-dissipation relation are found, which encode the thermal nature of the modular evolution.

The Mpemba effect, in which a hotter system can equilibrate faster than a cooler one, has long been a subject of fascination in classical physics. In the past few years, notable theoretical and experimental progress has been made in understanding its occurrence in both classical and quantum systems. In this Perspective, we provide a concise overview of recent work and open questions on the Mpemba effect in quantum systems, with a focus on both open and isolated dynamics, which give rise to distinct manifestations of this anomalous non-equilibrium phenomenon. We discuss key theoretical frameworks, highlight experimental observations and explore the fundamental mechanisms that give rise to anomalous relaxation behaviours. Particular attention is given to the role of quantum fluctuations, integrability and symmetry in shaping equilibration pathways.

The essence of the Mpemba effect is that nonequilibrium systems may relax faster the further they are from their equilibrium configuration. In the quantum realm, this phenomenon arises in closed systems dynamics and is witnessed by features of symmetry and entanglement. Here, we study the quantum Mpemba effect in charge-preserving random circuits, combining extensive numerical simulations and analytical arguments. We show that the more asymmetric certain classes of initial states (tilted ferromagnets) are, the faster they restore symmetry and reach the grand-canonical ensemble. Conversely, other classes of states (tilted antiferromagnets) do not show the Mpemba effect. We provide a simple and general mechanism underlying the effect, based on the spreading of nonconserved operators in terms of conserved densities. Grounded only in locality, unitarity, and symmetry, our analysis clarifies the emergence of Mpemba physics in chaotic quantum systems.

We propose powering a quantum clock with the nonthermal resources offered by the stationary state of an integrable quantum spin chain, driven out of equilibrium by a sudden quench. We describe the dynamics of the clock as a “biased random walk.” The bias level is directly related to the negativity of the steady-state response function. Using experimentally relevant examples of quantum spin chains, we suggest that crossing a phase transition point is crucial for the clock’s operation. The coupling takes place through a global observable and, in this case, the battery lifespan is found to be extensive in its size.

Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is an evolving quantum communication framework based on transmitting secure information directly through a quantum channel, without relying on key-based encryption such as in quantum key distribution (QKD). Optical QSDC protocols, utilizing discrete and continuous variable encodings, show great promise for future technological applications. We present the first table-top continuous-variable QSDC proof of principle, analyzing its implementation and comparing the use of coherent against squeezed light sources. A simple beam-splitter attack is analyzed by using Wyner wiretap channel theory. Our study illustrates the advantage of squeezed states over coherent ones for enhanced security and reliable communication in lossy and noisy channels. Our practical implementation, utilizing mature telecom components, could foster secure quantum metropolitan networks compatible with advanced multiplexing systems.

In the collective photon emission from atomic clouds both the atomic transition frequency and the decay rate are modified compared to a single isolated atom, leading to the effects of superradiance and subradiance. In this article, we analyze the properties of the Euclidean random matrix associated with the radiative dynamics of a cold atomic cloud, previously investigated in the contexts of photon localization and Dicke super- and subradiance.We present evidence of a phase transition, surprisingly controlled by the cooperativeness parameter, rather than the spatial density or the diagonal disorder. The numerical results corroborate the occurrence of such a phase transition at a critical value of the cooperativeness parameter, above which the lower edge of the spectrum vanishes, exhibiting a macroscopic accumulation of eigenvalues. Independent evaluations based on the two phenomena provide the same value for the critical cooperativeness parameter.

Unitary integrable models typically relax to a stationary generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE), but in experimental realizations dissipation often breaks integrability. In this work, we use the recently introduced time-dependent GGE (t-GGE) approach to describe the open dynamics of a gas of bosons subject to atom losses and gains. We employ tensor network methods to provide numerical evidence of the exactness of the t-GGE in the limit of adiabatic dissipation, and of its accuracy in the regime of weak but finite dissipation. That accuracy is tested for two-point functions via the rapidity distribution, and for more complicated correlations through a non-Gaussianity measure. We combine this description with generalized hydrodynamics and we show that it correctly captures transport at large scales. Our results demonstrate that the t-GGE approach is robust in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous settings.

We show that topological metals lacking time-reversal symmetry have an intrinsic non-quantised component of the anomalous Hall conductivity which is contributed not only by the Berry phase of quasiparticles on the Fermi surface, but also by Fermi-liquid corrections due to the residual interactions among quasiparticles, the Landau f-parameters. These corrections pair up with those that modify the optical mass with respect to the quasiparticle effective one, or the charge compressibility with respect to the quasiparticle density of states. Our result supports recent claims that the correct expressions for topological observables include vertex corrections besides the topological invariants built just upon the Green’s functions. Furthermore, it demonstrates that such corrections are naturally accounted for by Landau’s Fermi liquid theory, here extended to the case in which coherence effects between bands crossing the chemical potential and those that are instead away from it may play a crucial role, as in the anomalous Hall conductivity, and have important implications when those metals are on the verge of a doping-driven Mott transition, as we discuss.

We present a classical kinetically constrained model of interacting particles on a triangular ladder, which displays diffusion and jamming and can be treated by means of a classical-quantum mapping. Interpreted as a theory of interacting fermions, the diffusion coefficient is the inverse of the effective mass of the quasiparticles which can be computed using mean-field theory. At a critical density ρ = 2 / 3 , the model undergoes a dynamical phase transition in which exponentially many configurations become jammed while others remain diffusive. The model can be generalized to two dimensions.

We study the entanglement Hamiltonian of two disjoint blocks in the harmonic chain on the line and in its ground state. In the regime of large mass, the only non-vanishing terms are the on-site and nearest-neighbour ones. Analytic expressions are obtained for their profiles, which are written in terms of piecewise linear functions that can be discontinuous and display sharp transitions as the separation between the blocks changes. In the regime of vanishing mass, where the matrices characterizing the entanglement Hamiltonian contain couplings at all distances, we explore the location of the subdominant terms and some combinations of matrix elements that are useful for the continuum limit, comparing the results with the corresponding ones for a free chiral current. The single-particle entanglement spectrum is also investigated.

We investigate a phenomenon known as Superactivation of Backflow of Information (SBFI); namely, the fact that the tensor product of a non-Markovian dynamics with itself exhibits Backflow of Information (BFI) from environment to system even if the single dynamics does not. Such an effect is witnessed by the non-monotonic behaviour of the Helstrom norm and emerges in the open dynamics of two independent, but statistically coupled, parties. We physically interpret SBFI by means of the discrete-time non-Markovian dynamics of two open qubits collisionally coupled to an environment described by a classical Markov chain. In such a scenario, SBFI can be ascribed to the decrease of the qubit-qubit-environment correlations in favour of those of the two qubits, only. We further prove that the same mechanism at the roots of SBFI also holds in a suitable continuous-time limit. We also show that SBFI does not require entanglement to be witnessed, but only the quantumness of the Helstrom ensemble.

In two-dimensional conformal field theories (CFT) in Minkowski spacetime, we study the spacetime distance between two events along two distinct modular trajectories. When the spatial line is bipartite by a single interval, we consider both the ground state and the state at finite different temperatures for the left and right moving excitations. For the free massless Dirac field in the ground state, the bipartition of the line given by the union of two disjoint intervals is also investigated. The modular flows corresponding to connected subsystems preserve relativistic causality. Locality along the modular flows of some fields is explored by evaluating their (anti-)commutators. In particular, the bilocal nature of the modular Hamiltonian of two disjoint intervals for the massless Dirac field provide multiple trajectories leading to Dirac delta contributions in the (anti-)commutators even when the initial points belong to different intervals, thus being spacelike separated.

We examine the behavior of the entanglement asymmetry in the ground state of a (1+1)-dimensional conformal field theory with a boundary condition that explicitly breaks a bulk symmetry. Our focus is on the asymmetry of a subsystem A originating from the symmetry-breaking boundary and extending into a semi-infinite bulk. By employing the twist field formalism, we derive a universal expression for the asymmetry, showing that the asymptotic behavior for large subsystems is approached algebraically, with an exponent which is twice the conformal dimension of a boundary condition-changing operator. As a secondary result, we also establish a similar asymptotic behavior for the string order parameter. Our exact analytical findings are validated through numerical simulations in the critical Ising and 3-state Potts models.

The entanglement asymmetry measures the extent to which a symmetry is broken within a subsystem of an extended quantum system. Here, we analyse this quantity in Haar random states for arbitrary compact, semi-simple Lie groups, building on and generalising recent results obtained for the U(1) symmetric case. We find that, for any group, the average entanglement asymmetry vanishes in the thermodynamic limit when the subsystem is smaller than its complement. When the subsystem and its complement are of equal size, the entanglement asymmetry jumps to a finite value, indicating a sudden transition of the subsystem from a fully symmetric state to one devoid of any symmetry. For larger subsystem sizes, the entanglement asymmetry displays a logarithmic scaling with a coefficient fixed by the dimension of the group. We also investigate the fluctuations of the entanglement asymmetry, which tend to zero in the thermodynamic limit. We check our findings against exact numerical calculations for the SU(2) and SU(3) groups. We further discuss their implications for the thermalisation of isolated quantum systems and black hole evaporation.

We study the dynamics of hard-core bosons on ladders, in the presence of strong kinetic constrains akin to those of the Bariev model. We use a combination of analytical methods and numerical simulations to establish the phase diagram of the model. The model displays a paired Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid phase featuring an emergent dipole symmetry, which encodes the local pairing constraint into a global, nonlocal quantity. We scrutinize the effect of such emergent low-energy symmetry during quench dynamics including single-particle defects. We observe that, despite being approximate, the dipole symmetry still leads to very slow relaxation dynamics, which we model via an effective field theory. The model we discuss is amenable to realization in both cold atoms in optical lattices and Rydberg atom arrays with dynamics taking place solely in the Rydberg manifold. To observe the unusual dynamics of excitations in such experimental platforms, we propose a two-step protocol, which starts with the quasi-adiabatic preparation of low-energy states, followed by the local creation of defects and their study under quench dynamics.