Under the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), quantum-quenched systems equilibrate towards canonical, thermal ensembles. While at first glance the ETH might seem a very strong hypothesis, we show that it is indeed not only sufficient but also necessary for thermalization. More specifically, we consider systems coupled to baths with well-defined macroscopic temperature and show that whenever all product states thermalize then the ETH must hold. Our result definitively settles the question of determining whether a quantum system has a thermal behavior, reducing it to checking whether its Hamiltonian satisfies the ETH.
Titolo: | Necessity of Eigenstate Thermalization | |
Autori: | ||
Data di pubblicazione: | 2015 | |
Rivista: | ||
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.220401 | |
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11384/60290 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |