Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking

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 XXZ Heise...

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Main Authors: Gernot Akemann, Federico Balducci, Aurélia Chenu, Patricia Päßler, Federico Roccati, Ruth Shir
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2025-01-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013098
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author Gernot Akemann
Federico Balducci
Aurélia Chenu
Patricia Päßler
Federico Roccati
Ruth Shir
author_facet Gernot Akemann
Federico Balducci
Aurélia Chenu
Patricia Päßler
Federico Roccati
Ruth Shir
author_sort Gernot Akemann
collection DOAJ
description 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 XXZ 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 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 β. We confirm that such an effective description of random matrices also applies in classes AI^{†} and AII^{†} up to next-to-nearest-neighbor spacings.
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issn 2643-1564
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spelling doaj-art-25ac7ceae7994c49a40af6dfe70d02702025-01-27T15:05:06ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642025-01-017101309810.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013098Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breakingGernot AkemannFederico BalducciAurélia ChenuPatricia PäßlerFederico RoccatiRuth ShirOpen 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 XXZ 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 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 β. We confirm that such an effective description of random matrices also applies in classes AI^{†} and AII^{†} up to next-to-nearest-neighbor spacings.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013098
spellingShingle Gernot Akemann
Federico Balducci
Aurélia Chenu
Patricia Päßler
Federico Roccati
Ruth Shir
Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
Physical Review Research
title Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
title_full Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
title_fullStr Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
title_full_unstemmed Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
title_short Two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics: Hermiticity and integrability breaking
title_sort two transitions in complex eigenvalue statistics hermiticity and integrability breaking
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.013098
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