2006•Europhysics Letters (EPL)Open access

Thermalization through unitary evolution of pure states

Stein Olav Skrøvseth

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Abstract

The unitary time evolution of a critical quantum spin chain with an impurity is calculated, and the entanglement evolution is shown. Moreover, we show that the reduced density matrix of a part of the chain evolves such that the fidelity of its spectrum is very high with respect to a state in thermal equilibrium. Hence, a thermal state occurs through unitary time evolution in a simple spin chain with impurity.

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The unitary time evolution of a critical quantum spin chain with an impurity is calculated, and the entanglement evolution is shown. Moreover, we show that the reduced density matrix of a part of the chain evolves such that the fidelity of its spectrum is very high with respect to a state in thermal equilibrium. Hence, a thermal state occurs through unitary time evolution in a simple spin chain with impurity.

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Available abstract

The unitary time evolution of a critical quantum spin chain with an impurity is calculated, and the entanglement evolution is shown. Moreover, we show that the reduced density matrix of a part of the chain evolves such that the fidelity of its spectrum is very high with respect to a state in thermal equilibrium. Hence, a thermal state occurs through unitary time evolution in a simple spin chain with impurity.

Key concepts: Thermalisation, Time evolution, Unitary state, Quantum entanglement, Physics, Thermal equilibrium, Density matrix, Impurity

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