Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking

Journal Article · 27 January 2025 · Physical Review Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013098 · OSTI ID:2507095

Akemann, Gernot ; Balducci, Federico ; Chenu, Aurélia ; Päßler, Patricia ; Roccati, Federico ; Shir, Ruth

Open quantum systems have complex energy eigenvalues which are expected to follow non-Hermitian random matrix statistics, when chaotic, or two-dimensional (2d) Poisson statistics, when integrable. We investigate the spectral properties of a many-body quantum spin chain, i.e., the Hermitian Heisenberg model with imaginary disorder. Its rich complex eigenvalue statistics is found to separately break both Hermiticity and integrability at different scales of the disorder strength. With no disorder, the system is integrable and Hermitian, with spectral statistics corresponding to the 1d Poisson point process. At very small disorder, we find a transition from 1d Poisson statistics to an effective $D$ -dimensional Poisson point process, showing Hermiticity breaking. At intermediate disorder, we find integrability breaking, as inferred from the statistics matching that of non-Hermitian complex symmetric random matrices in class ${\mathrm{AI}}^{†}$ . For large disorder, as the spins align, we recover the expected integrability (now in the non-Hermitian setup), indicated by 2d Poisson statistics. These conclusions are based on fitting the spin-chain data of numerically generated nearest- and next-to-nearest-neighbor spacing distributions to an effective 2d Coulomb gas description at inverse temperature $\beta$ . We confirm that such an effective description of random matrices also applies in classes ${\mathrm{AI}}^{†}$ and ${\mathrm{AII}}^{†}$ up to next-to-nearest-neighbor spacings. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 2507095
• Journal Information: Physical Review Research, Journal Name: Physical Review Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 7; ISSN PPRHAI; ISSN 2643-1564
• Publisher: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English