01302nas a2200121 4500008004100000245008600041210006900127520089100196100001901087700001801106700001901124856003701143 2018 eng d00aScrambling dynamics across a thermalization-localization quantum phase transition0 aScrambling dynamics across a thermalizationlocalization quantum 3 a
We study quantum information scrambling, specifically the growth of Heisenberg operators, in large disordered spin chains using matrix product operator dynamics to scan across the thermalization-localization quantum phase transition. We observe ballistic operator growth for weak disorder, and a sharp transition to a phase with sub-ballistic operator spreading. The critical disorder strength for the ballistic to sub-ballistic transition is well below the many body localization phase transition, as determined from finite size scaling of energy eigenstate entanglement entropy in small chains. In contrast, we find that the operator dynamics is not very sensitive to the actual eigenstate localization transition. These data are discussed in the context of a universal form for the growing operator shape and substantiated with a simple phenomenological model of rare regions.
1 aSahu, Subhayan1 aXu, Shenglong1 aSwingle, Brian uhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1807.06086