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Title:
Thermalization through the lens of entanglement entropy
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Abstract:
Thermalization in an isolated quantum system is a foundational problem in statistical physics and is of current interest in many branches of physics. In studying this problem, we deal with highly excited states of interacting quantum systems, a regime where most conventional methods are not applicable. In this talk, I present novel insight into the process of thermalization obtained from the dynamics of entanglement entropy of subsystems. I study chaotic gauge theories dual to gravity theories in AdS spacetime, and I use the gravitational description to calculate the entanglement entropy. For subsystems much larger than the thermal wavelength, a simplified universal description of entropy growth emerges. I present strong evidence that this description is valid for any chaotic system. I conclude with some outstanding problems this new theory may help to solve.
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