Dynamics of scrambling of information, from shock waves to Fisher‐KPP

by Dr Camille Aron (Ecole Normale Superieure)

Tuesday 13 Jun 2023, 11:00 → 12:00 Europe/Zurich

WHGA/121

Information scrambling is the mechanism by which localized information in an extended system flows to non-local degrees of freedom, becoming practically irretrievable. After a partial introduction to quantum chaos and an overview of our understanding of scrambling in thermalizing systems, I will explain how conventional tools of quantum transport theory can be adapted to derive an effective field theory of scrambling. Specifically, I'll focus on realistic metals with both inelastic and elastic scattering, due to interaction and disorder. I will demonstrate that disorder drives a phase transition in the scrambling dynamics, from shock-wave dynamics to dynamics belonging to the Fisher or Kolmogorov–Petrovsky–Piskunov class. More generally, this approach can be used to gain insight into the mysterious relationship between transport properties and chaos.