CAREER: Universal Dynamics of Many-Body Quantum Systems Far from Equilibrium

该奖项的部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。非技术总结该奖项支持关注远离平衡的量子多体系统的普遍动力学的综合研究、教育和推广活动。普适性在物理现象中是普遍存在的：磁体和液体虽然是非常不同的系统，但在它们的相变附近受相同的原理支配。虽然普适性的概念在平衡中得到了很好的确立，但由于非平衡量子系统的种类繁多和丰富的动力学，非平衡量子系统的普适性在很大程度上仍然难以捉摸。在这个项目中，PI和他的团队将研究孤立量子系统和开放量子系统与环境耦合的两种一般设置。后一类系统不仅是实现物质新相的新范例，而且是量子计算的领先平台。研究小组将重新审视统计力学的原理，并将其扩展到远离平衡的量子系统，利用与量子信息的连接，并与实验小组密切合作，实现实验中新兴的宇宙动力学。这一研究成果将与研究活动协同，使从经典非平衡统计力学到量子信息科学与技术的其他学科受益。除了培训研究生和本科生进行研究项目外，该奖项还支持PI面向公众的外展活动。其中包括：(I)组织新一期的《薛定谔的猫进城了！》在密歇根州立大学博德博物馆艺术实验室举办了一系列研讨会，汇聚了物理学家、艺术家和公众，通过艺术交流物理，(Ii)推出了互动模拟网站“Bohring Art”的下一阶段，这是与底特律科学馆的一个合作项目，将向年轻的科学爱好者传达量子物理的现代面貌。TECHNICAL SUMMARY这个奖项支持综合研究、教育和推广活动，重点是远离平衡的量子多体系统的宇宙动力学。非平衡多体量子系统的研究尤其具有挑战性：它们的种类之多令人惊叹；它们通常表现出一种有效的经典行为；最重要的平衡范式，如时间反转对称性、涨落耗散关系、量子到经典的映射，在远离平衡的地方是无法实现的；除了一维或小系统之外，精确的数值技术是极其困难的。这些根本性的挑战在非平衡量子系统的新时代尤其相关，量子模拟平台的显著进步以及凝聚态系统的超快实验提供了这一点。在这个项目中，PI和他的团队将确定远离平衡的量子多体系统的宇宙动力学。该研究将针对孤立系统在突然失超后的两种一般非平衡设置和驱动耗散量子系统进行研究，其特征是外部驱动和由于环境耦合而引起的驰豫。后者正在成为量子计算的领先平台，并将成为该项目的更大焦点。PI将扩展非平衡量子多体系统的工具箱，描述逃避有效经典行为的场景，并阐明远离平衡的时间反转的出现。这一研究成果将与研究活动协同，使从经典非平衡统计力学到量子信息科学与技术的其他学科受益。除了培训研究生和本科生进行研究项目外，该奖项还支持PI面向公众的外展活动。其中包括：(I)组织新一期的《薛定谔的猫进城了！》在密歇根州立大学博德博物馆艺术实验室举办了一系列研讨会，将物理学家、艺术家和公众聚集在一起，通过艺术交流物理学；(Ii)与底特律科学馆合作推出了互动模拟网站“Bohring Art”的下一阶段，该网站将向年轻的科学爱好者传达量子物理学的现代面貌。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports integrated research, education and outreach activities focused on the universal dynamics of quantum many-body systems that are far from equilibrium. Universality is ubiquitous in physical phenomena: a magnet and a liquid, while very different systems, are governed by the same principles near their phase transitions. While the notion of universality is well established in equilibrium, universal aspects of non-equilibrium quantum systems have remained largely elusive, owing to their vast variety and rich dynamics. In this project, the PI and his team will investigate two general settings of isolated quantum systems and open quantum systems coupled to an environment. The latter systems have emerged not only as a new paradigm for realizing novel phases of matter but also as a leading platform for quantum computation. The research team will revisit and extend the principles of statistical mechanics to quantum systems far from equilibrium, using connections to quantum information, and closely collaborating with experimental groups to realize the emerging universal dynamics in experiments. The outcome of the research will benefit other disciplines from classical non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to quantum information science and technology, in synergy with the research activities. In addition to training graduate and undergraduate students in the research projects, this award also supports the PI's outreach activities to the general public. These include (i) the organization of the new phase of the “Schroedinger's Cat is in Town!” workshop series that brings together physicists, artists and the public to communicate physics through art at Michigan State University Broad Museum Art Lab, and (ii) the launch of the next phase of the interactive simulation website “Bohring Art”, which is a collaborative project with Science Gallery Detroit, that will convey the modern face of quantum physics to young science enthusiasts.TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports integrated research, education and outreach activities focused on the universal dynamics of quantum many-body systems that are far from equilibrium. Non-equilibrium many-body quantum systems are particularly challenging systems to study: They come in an astonishing variety; they often exhibit an effectively classical behavior; overarching equilibrium paradigms such as time reversal symmetry, fluctuation-dissipation relations, quantum-to-classical mapping are unavailable far from equilibrium; and beyond one dimension or small systems, exact numerical techniques are extremely difficult. These fundamental challenges are particularly relevant in the new era of non-equilibrium quantum systems, afforded by the remarkable progress in quantum simulation platforms as well as ultrafast experiments in condensed matter systems. In this project, the PI and his team will identify the universal dynamics of quantum many-body systems far from equilibrium. The research will be conducted for two generic non-equilibrium settings of isolated systems after a sudden quench and driven-dissipative quantum systems characterized by an external drive and relaxation due to coupling to environment. The latter is emerging as a leading platform in quantum computation, and will be the larger focus of this project. The PI will expand the toolbox of non-equilibrium quantum many-body systems, characterize scenarios that evade an effectively classical behavior, and elucidate the emergence of time reversal far from equilibrium. The outcome of the research will benefit other disciplines from classical non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to quantum information science and technology, in synergy with the research activities. In addition to training graduate and undergraduate students in the research projects, this award also supports the PI's outreach activities to the general public. These include (i) the organization of the new phase of the “Schroedinger's Cat is in Town!” workshop series that brings together physicists, artists and the public to communicate physics through art at Michigan State University Broad Museum Art Lab, and (ii) the launch of the next phase of the interactive simulation website “Bohring Art”, which is a collaborative project with Science Gallery Detroit, that will convey the modern face of quantum physics to young science enthusiasts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.