Please circulate! Quantum Matter in Mathematics and Physics (QMMP) 2023: https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event_category/quantum-matter-seminar/ ----- This seminar will be in person! *Time: Oct 20th Fri 10-11:30 am ET* *Location: Harvard CMSA G10* Zoom: https://harvard.zoom.us/j/977347126 Password: cmsa ————————————————————————————————— Cheryne Jonay (Stanford) *A Physical Theory of Two-stage Thermalization* One indication of thermalization time is subsystem entanglement reaching thermal values. Recent studies on local quantum circuits reveal two exponential stages with decay rates $r_1$ and $r_2$ of the purity before and after thermalization. We provide an entanglement membrane theory interpretation, with $r_1$ corresponding to the domain wall free energy. Circuit geometry can lead to $r_1 < r_2$, producing a ``phantom eigenvalue". Competition between the domain wall and magnon leads to $r_2 < r_1$ when the magnon prevails. However, when the domain wall wins, this mechanism provides a practical approach for measuring entanglement growth through local correlation functions. -------- Subscribe to Harvard CMSA Quantum Matter and other seminar videos (more to be uploaded): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0NRmB0fnLJQAnYwkpt9PN2PBKx4rvdup Subscribe to Harvard CMSA seminar mailing list: https://forms.gle/1ewa7KeP6BxBuBeRA --- Harvard University CMSA, 20 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138