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We present a mathematical theory of metastable pure states in closed many-body quantum systems with finite-dimensional Hilbert space. Given a Hamiltonian, a pure state is defined to be metastable when all sufficiently local operators either stabilize the state, or raise its average energy. We prove that short-range entangled metastable states are necessarily eigenstates (scars) of a perturbatively close Hamiltonian. Given any metastable eigenstate of a Hamiltonian, in the presence of perturbations, we prove the presence of prethermal behavior: local correlation functions decay at a rate bounded by a time scale nonperturbatively long in the inverse metastability radius, rather than Fermi's Golden Rule. Inspired by this general theory, we prove that the lifetime of the false vacuum in certain $d$-dimensional quantum models grows at least as fast as $\exp(\epsilon^{-d} \log^{-3} \epsilon^{-1} )$, where $\epsilon\rightarrow 0$ is the relative energy density of the false vacuum; up to logarithms, this lower bound matches, for the first time, explicit calculations using quantum field theory. We identify metastable states at finite energy density in the PXP model, along with exponentially many metastable states in "helical" spin chains and the two-dimensional Ising model. Our inherently quantum formalism reveals precise connections between many problems, including prethermalization, robust quantum scars, and quantum nucleation theory, and applies to systems without known semiclassical and/or field theoretic limits., Comment: 26+34 pages; 6+3 figures

Inspired by the hunt for new phases of matter in quantum mixed states, it has recently been proposed that the equivalence of microcanonical and canonical ensembles in statistical mechanics is a manifestation of strong-to-weak spontaneous symmetry breaking (SWSSB) in an underlying many-body quantum description. Here, we build an effective field theory for SWSSB of a global U(1) symmetry; the answer exactly reproduces the Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theory of diffusion for the conserved charge. We conclude that hydrodynamics can be understood as a theory of "superfluidity" for the broken strong symmetry: a non-vanishing susceptibility is a measurable order parameter for SWSSB, the diffusion mode is the Goldstone boson of the spontaneously broken continuous symmetry, and a generalization of Goldstone's Theorem implies that the diffusion mode is always long-lived. This perspective provides a transparent physical explanation for the unusual "reparameterization" symmetries which are a necessary ingredient of Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theories for "normal fluids".

We revisit the theory of dissipative mechanics in RLC circuits, allowing for circuit elements to have nonlinear constitutive relations, and for the circuit to have arbitrary topology. We systematically generalize the dissipationless Hamiltonian mechanics of an LC circuit to account for resistors and incorporate the physical postulate that the resulting RLC circuit thermalizes with its environment at a constant positive temperature. Our theory explains stochastic fluctuations, or Johnson noise, which are mandated by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Assuming Gaussian Markovian noise, we obtain exact expressions for multiplicative Johnson noise through nonlinear resistors in circuits with convenient (parasitic) capacitors and/or inductors. With linear resistors, our formalism is describable using a Kubo-Martin-Schwinger-invariant Lagrangian formalism for dissipative thermal systems. Generalizing our technique to quantum circuits could lead to an alternative way to study decoherence in nonlinear superconducting circuits without the Caldeira-Leggett formalism., Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures

We prove the existence of extensive many-body Hamiltonians with few-body interactions and a many-body mobility edge: all eigenstates below a nonzero energy density are localized in an exponentially small fraction of "energetically allowed configurations" within Hilbert space. Our construction is based on quantum perturbations to a classical low-density parity check code. In principle, it is possible to detect this eigenstate localization by measuring few-body correlation functions in efficiently preparable mixed states., Comment: 5+8 pages, 1+0 figures

Passive error correction protects logical information forever (in the thermodynamic limit) by updating the system based only on local information and few-body interactions. A paradigmatic example is the classical two-dimensional Ising model: a Metropolis-style Gibbs sampler retains the sign of the initial magnetization (a logical bit) for thermodynamically long times in the low-temperature phase. Known models of passive quantum error correction similarly exhibit thermodynamic phase transitions to a low-temperature phase wherein logical qubits are protected by thermally stable topological order. Here, in contrast, we show that certain families of constant-rate classical and quantum low-density parity check codes have no thermodynamic phase transitions at nonzero temperature, but nonetheless exhibit ergodicity-breaking dynamical transitions: below a critical nonzero temperature, the mixing time of local Gibbs sampling diverges in the thermodynamic limit. Slow Gibbs sampling of such codes enables fault-tolerant passive quantum error correction using finite-depth circuits. This strategy is well suited to measurement-free quantum error correction and may present a desirable experimental alternative to conventional quantum error correction based on syndrome measurements and active feedback., Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; v2 changes: added section on tree-codes, fixed typos

The past decade has witnessed the development of systematic effective theories for dissipative thermal systems. Here, we describe an analogous effective theory framework that applies to the classical stochastic dynamics of nonequilibrium systems. We illustrate this approach using a range of examples, including nonreciprocal (predator-prey) dynamics, dissipative and driven rigid-body motion, and active chiral fluids and solids. Many of these systems exhibit a generalized time-reversal symmetry, which plays a crucial role within our formalism, and in many cases can be implemented within the Martin-Siggia-Rose path integral. This effective theory formalism yields generalizations of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem and second law of thermodynamics valid out of equilibrium. By stipulating a stationary distribution and a set of symmetries -- rather than postulating the stochastic equations of motion directly -- this formalism provides an alternative route to building phenomenological models of driven and active matter. We hope that this approach facilitates a systematic investigation of the universality classes of active matter, and provides a common language for nonequilibrium many-body physics from high energy to condensed matter., Comment: 74 pages, 6 figures

We build a minimal model of dissipative vortex dynamics in two spatial dimensions, subject to a kinematic constraint: dipole conservation. The additional conservation law implies anomalously slow decay rates for vortices. We argue that this model of vortex dynamics is relevant for a broad range of time scales during a quench into a uniaxial charge density wave state. Our predictions are consistent with recent experiments on uniaxial charge density wave formation in $\mathrm{LaTe}_3$.

The computational complexity of simulating quantum many-body systems generally scales exponentially with the number of particles. This enormous computational cost prohibits first principles simulations of many important problems throughout science, ranging from simulating quantum chemistry to discovering the thermodynamic phase diagram of quantum materials or high-density neutron stars. We present a classical algorithm that samples from a high-temperature quantum Gibbs state in a computational (product state) basis. The runtime grows polynomially with the number of particles, while error vanishes polynomially. This algorithm provides an alternative strategy to existing quantum Monte Carlo methods for overcoming the sign problem. Our result implies that measurement-based quantum computation on a Gibbs state can provide exponential speed up only at sufficiently low temperature, and further constrains what tasks can be exponentially faster on quantum computers., Comment: 4+4 pages; 0+1 figure

We examine the hydrodynamics of systems with spontaneously broken multipolar symmetries using a systematic effective field theory. We focus on the simplest non-trivial setting: a system with charge and dipole symmetry, but without momentum conservation. When no symmetries are broken, our formalism reproduces the quartic subdiffusion ($\omega \sim -i k^4$) characteristic of `fracton hydrodynamics' with conserved dipole moment. Our formalism also captures spontaneous breaking of charge and/or dipole symmetry. When charge symmetry is spontaneously broken, the hydrodynamic modes are quadratically propagating and quartically relaxing ($\omega \sim \pm k^2 - ik^4$). When the dipole symmetry is spontaneously broken but the charge symmetry is preserved, then we find quadratically relaxing (diffusive) transverse modes, plus another mode which depending on parameters may be either purely diffusive ($\omega \sim -i k^2$) or quadratically propagating and quadratically relaxing ($\omega \sim \pm k^2 -i k^2$). Our work provides concrete predictions that may be tested in near-term cold atom experiments, and also lays out a general framework that may be applied to study systems with spontaneously broken multipolar symmetries., Comment: 4+2+epsilon pages, 3 figures

We develop a Schwinger-Keldysh effective field theory describing the hydrodynamics of a fluid with conserved charge and dipole moments, together with conserved momentum. The resulting hydrodynamic modes are highly unusual, including sound waves with quadratic (magnon-like) dispersion relation and subdiffusive decay rate. Hydrodynamics itself is unstable below four spatial dimensions. We show that the momentum density is, at leading order, the Goldstone boson for a dipole symmetry which appears spontaneously broken at finite charge density. Unlike an ordinary fluid, the presence or absence of energy conservation qualitatively changes the decay rates of the hydrodynamic modes. This effective field theory naturally couples to curved spacetime and background gauge fields; in the flat spacetime limit, we reproduce the "mixed rank tensor fields" previously coupled to fracton matter., Comment: 20+10 pages. v2, v3, v4: minor edits

We present a theory of hydrodynamics for a vector U(1) charge in 2+1 dimensions, whose rotational symmetry is broken to the point group of an equilateral triangle. We show that it is possible for this U(1) to have a chiral anomaly. The hydrodynamic consequence of this anomaly is the introduction of a ballistic contribution to the dispersion relation for the hydrodynamic modes. We simulate classical Markov chains and find compelling numerical evidence for the anomalous hydrodynamic universality class. Generalizations of our theory to other symmetry groups are also discussed.

We present the hydrodynamics of fluids in three spatial dimensions with helical symmetry, wherein only a linear combination of a rotation and translation is conserved in one of the three directions. The hydrodynamic degrees of freedom consist of scalar densities (e.g. energy or charge) along with two velocity fields transverse to the helical axis when the corresponding momenta are conserved. Nondissipative hydrodynamic coefficients reminiscent of chiral vortical coefficients arise. We write down microscopic Hamiltonian dynamical systems exhibiting helical symmetry, and we demonstrate using kinetic theory that these systems will generically exhibit the new helical phenomena that we predicted within hydrodynamics. We also confirm our findings using modern effective field theory techniques for hydrodynamics. We postulate regimes where pinned cholesteric liquid crystals may possess transport coefficients of a helical fluid, which appear to have been overlooked in previous literature., Comment: 24 pages, 1 figure

We extend recent work on hydrodynamics with global multipolar symmetries -- known as "fracton hydrodynamics" -- to systems in which the multipolar symmetries are gauged. We refer to the latter as "fracton magnetohydrodynamics", in analogy to conventional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which governs systems with gauged charge conservation. We show that fracton MHD arises naturally from higher-rank Maxwell's equations and in systems with one-form symmetries obeying certain constraints; while we focus on "minimal" higher-rank generalizations of MHD that realize diffusion, our methods may also be used to identify other, more exotic hydrodynamic theories (e.g., with magnetic subdiffusion). In contrast to semi-microscopic derivations of MHD, our approach elucidates the origin of the hydrodynamic modes by identifying the corresponding higher-form symmetries. Being rooted in symmetries, the hydrodynamic modes may persist even when the semi-microscopic equations no longer provide an accurate description of the system., Comment: 44 pages, 2 figures; "Microscopic Hamiltonians" section added in v2

We present an effective field theory for the nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamics of a single conserved charge with or without time-reversal symmetry, based on the Martin-Siggia-Rose formalism. Applying this formalism to fluids with only charge and multipole conservation, and with broken time-reversal symmetry, we predict infinitely many new dynamical universality classes, including some with arbitrarily large upper critical dimensions. Using large scale simulations of classical Markov chains, we find numerical evidence for a breakdown of hydrodynamics in quadrupole-conserving models with broken time-reversal symmetry in one spatial dimension., Comment: 5+3 pages; 1+1 figures

Network effects are the added value derived solely from the popularity of a product in an economic market. Using agent-based models inspired by statistical physics, we propose a minimal theory of a competitive market for (nearly) indistinguishable goods with demand-side network effects, sold by statistically identical sellers. With weak network effects, the model reproduces conventional microeconomics: there is a statistical steady state of (nearly) perfect competition. Increasing network effects, we find a phase transition to a robust non-equilibrium phase driven by the spontaneous formation and collapse of fads in the market. When sellers update prices sufficiently quickly, an emergent monopolist can capture the market and undercut competition, leading to a symmetry- and ergodicity-breaking transition. The non-equilibrium phase simultaneously exhibits three empirically established phenomena not contained in the standard theory of competitive markets: spontaneous price fluctuations, persistent seller profits, and broad distributions of firm market shares., Comment: 7+12 pages; 4+13 figures. v2: greatly expanded and published version, merged SI into main text

We develop a hydrodynamic effective field theory on the Schwinger-Keldysh contour for fluids with charge, energy, and momentum conservation, but only discrete rotational symmetry. The consequences of anisotropy on thermodynamics and first-order dissipative hydrodynamics are detailed in some simple examples in two spatial dimensions, but our construction extends to any spatial dimension and any rotation group (discrete or continuous). We find many possible terms in the equations of motion which are compatible with the existence of an entropy current, but not with the ability to couple the fluid to background gauge fields and vielbein., Comment: 20 + 6 pages

We construct infinite families of new universality classes of fracton hydrodynamics with momentum conservation, both with multipole conservation laws and/or subsystem symmetry. We explore the effects of broken inversion and/or time-reversal symmetry at the ideal fluid level, along with momentum relaxation. In the case of one-dimensional multipole-conserving models, we write down explicit microscopic Hamiltonian systems realizing these new universality classes. All of these hydrodynamic universality classes exhibit instabilities and will flow to new non-equilibrium fixed points. Such fixed points are predicted to exist in arbitrarily large spatial dimensions., Comment: 15 pages

We develop a renormalization group for weak Harris-marginal disorder in otherwise strongly interacting quantum critical theories, focusing on systems which have emergent conformal invariance. Using conformal perturbation theory, we argue that previously proposed random lines of fixed points with Lifshitz scaling in fact flow towards other universal fixed points, and this flow is captured by a "one-loop" analysis. Our approach appears best controlled in theories with only a few operators with low scaling dimension. In this regime, we compare our predictions for the flow of disorder to holographic models, and find complete agreement., Comment: 15 pages

We show that the simplest universality classes of fracton hydrodynamics in more than one spatial dimension, including isotropic theories of charge and dipole conservation, can exhibit hidden "quasiconservation laws", in which certain higher multipole moments can only decay due to dangerously irrelevant corrections to hydrodynamics. We present two simple examples of this phenomenon. Firstly, an isotropic dipole-conserving fluid in the infinite plane conserves an infinite number of "harmonic multipole charges" within linear response; we calculate the decay or growth of these charges due to dangerously irrelevant nonlinearities. Secondly, we consider a model with $xy$ and $x^2-y^2$ quadrupole conservation, in addition to dipole conservation, which is described by isotropic fourth-order subdiffusion, yet has dangerously irrelevant sixth-order corrections necessary to relax the harmonic multipole charges. We confirm our predictions for the anomalously slow decay of the harmonic conserved charges in each setting by using numerical simulations, both of the nonlinear hydrodynamic differential equations, and in quantum automaton circuits on a square lattice., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures; v2 is published version

We present the nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamics which governs the late time dynamics of a chaotic many-body system with simultaneous charge/mass, dipole/center of mass, and momentum conservation. This hydrodynamic effective theory is unstable below four spatial dimensions: dipole-conserving fluids at rest become unstable to fluctuations, and are governed not by hydrodynamics, but by a fractonic generalization of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class. We numerically simulate many-body classical dynamics in one-dimensional models with dipole and momentum conservation, and find evidence for a breakdown of hydrodynamics, along with a new universality class of undriven yet non-equilbrium dynamics., Comment: 6+5 pages, 4 figures

We study the entanglement dynamics in a generic quantum automaton circuit subjected to projective measurements. We design an efficient algorithm which not only allows us to perform large scale simulation for the R\'enyi entropy but also provides a physical picture for the entanglement dynamics, which can be interpreted in terms of a classical bit-string model which belongs to the directed percolation universality class. We study the purification dynamics of a state formed by EPR pairs, and the growth of entanglement starting from a product state. In both cases, we verify numerically that the dynamics is in the universality class of classical directed percolation., Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures

Subdiffusion is a generic feature of chaotic many-body dynamics with multipole conservation laws and subsystem symmetries. We numerically study this subdiffusive dynamics, using quantum automaton random unitary circuits, in a broad range of models including one dimensional models with dipole and quadrupole conservation, two dimensional models with dipole conservation, and two dimensional models with subsystem symmetry on the triangular lattice. Our results are in complete agreement with recent hydrodynamic predictions for such theories., Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures

We develop a systematic effective field theory of hydrodynamics for many-body systems on the lattice with global continuous non-Abelian symmetries. Models with continuous non-Abelian symmetries are ubiquitous in physics, arising in diverse settings ranging from hot nuclear matter to cold atomic gases and quantum spin chains. In every dimension and for every flavor symmetry group, the low energy theory is a set of coupled noisy diffusion equations. Independence of the physics on the choice of canonical or microcanonical ensemble is manifest in our hydrodynamic expansion, even though the ensemble choice causes an apparent shift in quasinormal mode spectra. We use our formalism to explain why flavor symmetry is qualitatively different from hydrodynamics with other non-Abelian conservation laws, including angular momentum and charge multipoles. As a significant application of our framework, we study spin and energy diffusion in classical one-dimensional SU(2)-invariant spin chains, including the Heisenberg model along with multiple generalizations. We argue based on both numerical simulations and our effective field theory framework that non-integrable spin chains on a lattice exhibit conventional spin diffusion, in contrast to some recent predictions that diffusion constants grow logarithmically at late times. We show that the apparent enhancement of diffusion is due to slow equilibration caused by (non-Abelian) hydrodynamic fluctuations., Comment: 30 pages, 22 figures. v2: 32 pages, 25 figures, added sec. 6.4 with explanation of the apparent enhancement of diffusion

We present random quantum circuit models for non-unitary quantum dynamics of free fermions in one spatial dimension. Numerical simulations reveal that the dynamics tends towards steady states with logarithmic violations of the entanglement area law and power law correlation functions. Moreover, starting with a short-range entangled many-body state, the dynamical evolution of entanglement and correlations quantitatively agrees with the predictions of two-dimensional conformal field theory with a space-like time direction. We argue that this behavior is generic in non-unitary free quantum dynamics with time-dependent randomness, and show that the emergent conformal dynamics of two-point functions arises out of a simple "nonlinear master equation".

We introduce new classes of hydrodynamic theories inspired by the recently discovered fracton phases of quantum matter. Fracton phases are characterized by elementary excitations (fractons) with restricted mobility. The hydrodynamic theories we introduce describe thermalization in systems with fracton-like mobility constraints, including fluids where charge and dipole moment are both locally conserved, and fluids where charge is conserved along every line or plane of a lattice. Each of these fluids is subdiffusive, and constitutes a new universality class of hydrodynamic behavior. There are infinitely many such classes, each with distinct subdiffusive exponents, all of which are captured by our formalism. Our framework naturally explains recent results on dynamics with constrained quantum circuits, as well as recent experiments with ultracold atoms in tilted optical lattices. We identify crisp experimental signatures of these novel hydrodynamics, and explain how they may be realized in near term ultracold atom experiments., Comment: 5 + 10 pages. v2: minor revisions; references added. v3: published version, with a few additional results

We explore quantum dynamics in Floquet many-body systems with local conservation laws in one spatial dimension, focusing on sectors of the Hilbert space which are highly polarized. We numerically compare the predicted charge diffusion constants and quantum butterfly velocity of operator growth between models of chaotic Floquet dynamics (with discrete spacetime translation invariance) and random unitary circuits which vary both in space and time. We find that for small but finite polarization per length (in the thermodynamic limit), the random unitary circuit correctly predicts the scaling of the butterfly velocity but incorrectly predicts the scaling of the diffusion constant. We argue that this is a consequence of quantum coherence on short time scales. Our work clarifies the settings in which random unitary circuits provide correct physical predictions for non-random chaotic systems, and sheds light into the origin of the slow down of the butterfly effect in highly polarized systems or at low temperature., Comment: 9 + 4 pages; 7 figures; v2: published version

We study 2-local Hamiltonian quantum systems, consisting of qubits interacting on the star graph of N vertices. We numerically demonstrate that these models are generically non-integrable at infinite temperature, and find evidence for a finite temperature phase transition to a glassy phase in generic models. Operators can become complicated in constant time: we explicitly find that there is no bound on out-of-time-ordered correlators, even at finite temperature. Operator growth is not correctly modeled by stochastic quantum dynamics, including Brownian Hamiltonian dynamics or random unitary circuits. The star graph (and similar constructions) may serve as a useful testing ground for conjectures about universality, quantum chaos and Planckian dissipation in k-local systems, including in experimental quantum simulators., Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures; v2: minor changes

We study dynamics of a locally conserved energy in ergodic, local many-body quantum systems on a lattice with no additional symmetry. The resulting dynamics is well approximated by a coarse grained, classical linear functional diffusion equation for the probability of all spatial configurations of energy. This is equivalent to nonlinear stochastic hydrodynamics, describing the diffusion of energy in physical spacetime. We find the absence of non-hydrodynamic slow degrees of freedom, a nonlinear fluctuation-dissipation theorem, and the emergence of a (weakly interacting) kinetic theory for hydrodynamic modes near thermal equilibrium. The observable part of the microscopic entropy obeys the local second law of thermodynamics, and quantitatively agrees with the phenomenological predictions of hydrodynamics. Our approach naturally generalizes to ergodic systems with additional symmetries, may lead to numerical algorithms to calculate diffusion constants for lattice models, and implies sufficiency conditions for a rigorous derivation of hydrodynamics in quantum systems., Comment: 28 pages, 2 figures. v2: published version

Given a quantum many-body system with few-body interactions, how rapidly can quantum information be hidden during time evolution? The fast scrambling conjecture is that the time to thoroughly mix information among N degrees of freedom grows at least logarithmically in N. We derive this inequality for generic quantum systems at infinite temperature, bounding the scrambling time by a finite decay time of local quantum correlations at late times. Using Lieb-Robinson bounds, generalized Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models, and random unitary circuits, we propose that a logarithmic scrambling time can be achieved in most quantum systems with sparse connectivity. These models also elucidate how quantum chaos is not universally related to scrambling: we construct random few-body circuits with infinite Lyapunov exponent but logarithmic scrambling time. We discuss analogies between quantum models on graphs and quantum black holes, and suggest methods to experimentally study scrambling with as many as 100 sparsely-connected quantum degrees of freedom., Comment: 11+24 pages; 1+3 figures. v2: minor revisions, added references. v3: many revisions to improve presentation

Is the hydrodynamics of an interacting many-body system fundamentally limited by basic principles of quantum mechanics? Starting with the conjecture that viscosity is at least as large as entropy density (as measured in fundamental units), there has been a long search for a precise answer to this question. In this work, we identify a simple relationship between hydrodynamics and many-body quantum chaos in a broad class of experimentally realizable systems. Consistency with the quantum butterfly effect leads to upper bounds on the speed of sound and diffusion constants of hydrodynamics. These bounds link two very different theories of quantum many-body dynamics, clarify the relationship between classical hydrodynamics and quantum information loss, and provide a simple way to constrain theories of thermalization and quantum chaos in experiments., Comment: 7 + 19 pages, 1+0 figures. v2: revised presentation of key results, added small calculations on SYK chains

We obtain a rigorous upper bound on the resistivity $\rho$ of an electron fluid whose electronic mean free path is short compared to the scale of spatial inhomogeneities. When such a hydrodynamic electron fluid supports a non-thermal diffusion process -- such as an imbalance mode between different bands -- we show that the resistivity bound becomes $\rho \lesssim A \, \Gamma$. The coefficient $A$ is independent of temperature and inhomogeneity lengthscale, and $\Gamma$ is a microscopic momentum-preserving scattering rate. In this way we obtain a unified and novel mechanism -- without umklapp -- for $\rho \sim T^2$ in a Fermi liquid and the crossover to $\rho \sim T$ in quantum critical regimes. This behavior is widely observed in transition metal oxides, organic metals, pnictides and heavy fermion compounds and has presented a longstanding challenge to transport theory. Our hydrodynamic bound allows phonon contributions to diffusion constants, including thermal diffusion, to directly affect the electrical resistivity., Comment: 1 + 11 + 9 pages; 1 figure

We discuss dynamical response functions near quantum critical points, allowing for both a finite temperature and detuning by a relevant operator. When the quantum critical point is described by a conformal field theory (CFT), conformal perturbation theory and the operator product expansion can be used to fix the first few leading terms at high frequencies. Knowledge of the high frequency response allows us then to derive non-perturbative sum rules. We show, via explicit computations, how holography recovers the general results of CFT, and the associated sum rules, for any holographic field theory with a conformal UV completion -- regardless of any possible new ordering and/or scaling physics in the IR. We numerically obtain holographic response functions at all frequencies, allowing us to probe the breakdown of the asymptotic high-frequency regime. Finally, we show that high frequency response functions in holographic Lifshitz theories are quite similar to their conformal counterparts, even though they are not strongly constrained by symmetry., Comment: 45+14 pages, 9 figures. v2: small clarifications, added references

We study high frequency response functions, notably the optical conductivity, in the vicinity of quantum critical points (QCPs) by allowing for both detuning from the critical coupling and finite temperature. We consider general dimensions and dynamical exponents. This leads to a unified understanding of sum rules. In systems with emergent Lorentz invariance, powerful methods from conformal field theory allow us to fix the high frequency response in terms of universal coefficients. We test our predictions analytically in the large-N O(N) model and using the gauge-gravity duality, and numerically via Quantum Monte Carlo simulations on a lattice model hosting the interacting superfluid-insulator QCP. In superfluid phases, interacting Goldstone bosons qualitatively change the high frequency optical conductivity, and the corresponding sum rule., Comment: 4+12 pages. 2+2 figures. v2: Added explanations throughout, and new results in Appendix C for the ordered phase. Published version

We discuss upper and lower bounds on the electrical conductivity of finite temperature strongly coupled quantum field theories, holographically dual to probe brane models, within linear response. In a probe limit where disorder is introduced entirely through an inhomogeneous background charge density, we find simple lower and upper bounds on the electrical conductivity in arbitrary dimensions. In field theories in two spatial dimensions, we show that both bounds persist even when disorder is included in the bulk metric. We discuss the challenges with finding sharp lower bounds on conductivity in three or more spatial dimensions when the metric is inhomogeneous., Comment: 16 pages; v2: minor changes, published version

We construct non-equilibrium steady states in the Klein-Gordon theory in arbitrary space dimension $d$ following a local quench. We consider the approach where two independently thermalized semi-infinite systems, with temperatures $T_{\rm L}$ and $T_{\rm R}$, are connected along a $d-1$-dimensional hypersurface. A current-carrying steady state, described by thermally distributed modes with temperatures $T_{\rm L}$ and $T_{\rm R}$ for left and right-moving modes, respectively, emerges at late times. The non-equilibrium density matrix is the exponential of a non-local conserved charge. We obtain exact results for the average energy current and the complete distribution of energy current fluctuations. The latter shows that the long-time energy transfer can be described by a continuum of independent Poisson processes, for which we provide the exact weights. We further describe the full time evolution of local observables following the quench. Averages of generic local observables, including the stress-energy tensor, approach the steady state with a power-law in time, where the exponent depends on the initial conditions at the connection hypersurface. We describe boundary conditions and special operators for which the steady state is reached instantaneously on the connection hypersurface. A semiclassical analysis of freely propagating modes yields the average energy current at large distances and late times. We conclude by comparing and contrasting our findings with results for interacting theories and provide an estimate for the timescale governing the crossover to hydrodynamics. As a modification of our Klein-Gordon analysis we also include exact results for free Dirac fermions., Comment: 42 pages, 7 figures

We describe a simple model of heterogeneous, interacting agents making decisions between $n\ge 2$ discrete choices. For a special class of interactions, our model is the mean field description of random-field Potts-like models, and is effectively solved by finding the extrema of the average energy $E$ per agent. In these cases, by studying the propagation of decision changes via avalanches, we argue that macroscopic dynamics is well-captured by a gradient flow along $E$. We focus on the permutation-symmetric case, where all $n$ choices are (on average) the same, and spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) arises purely from cooperative social interactions. As examples, we show that bimodal heterogeneity naturally provides a mechanism for the spontaneous formation of hierarchies between decisions, and that SSB is a preferred instability to discontinuous phase transitions between two symmetric points. Beyond the mean field limit, exponentially many stable equilibria emerge when we place this model on a graph of finite mean degree. We conclude with speculation on decision making with persistent collective oscillations. Throughout the paper, we emphasize analogies between methods of solution to our model and common intuition from diverse areas of physics, including statistical physics and electromagnetism., Comment: 1+18 pages (main text) + 12 pages (appendices/references). 8 + 3 figures. v2: more references, a couple more comments/explanations and a short new section on finite size effects added

We investigate far from equilibrium energy transport in strongly coupled quantum critical systems. Combining results from gauge-gravity duality, relativistic hydrodynamics, and quantum field theory, we argue that long-time energy transport occurs via a universal steady-state for any spatial dimensionality. This is described by a boosted thermal state. We determine the transport properties of this emergent steady state, including the average energy flow and its long-time fluctuations., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

We consider an extension of a binary decision model in which nodes make decisions based on influence-biased averages of their neighbors' states, similar to Ising spin glasses with on-site random fields. In the limit where these influences become very heavy-tailed, the behavior of the model dramatically changes. On complete graphs, or graphs where nodes with large influence have large degree, this model is characterized by a new "phase" with an unpredictable number of macroscopic shocks, with no associated critical phenomena. On random graphs where the degree of the most influential nodes is small compared to population size, a predictable glassy phase without phase transitions emerges. Analytic results about both of these new phases are obtainable in limiting cases. We use numerical simulations to explore the model for more general scenarios. The phases associated with very influential decision makers are easily distinguishable experimentally from a homogeneous influence phase in many circumstances, in the context of our simple model., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures; v2: published version

We provide Ising formulations for many NP-complete and NP-hard problems, including all of Karp's 21 NP-complete problems. This collects and extends mappings to the Ising model from partitioning, covering and satisfiability. In each case, the required number of spins is at most cubic in the size of the problem. This work may be useful in designing adiabatic quantum optimization algorithms., Comment: 27 pages; v2: substantial revision to intro/conclusion, many more references; v3: substantial revision and extension, to-be-published version

We propose a simple model for a binary decision making process on a graph, motivated by modeling social decision making with cooperative individuals. The model is similar to a random field Ising model or fiber bundle model, but with key differences on heterogeneous networks. For many types of disorder and interactions between the nodes, we predict discontinuous phase transitions with mean field theory which are largely independent of network structure. We show how these phase transitions can also be understood by studying microscopic avalanches, and describe how network structure enhances fluctuations in the distribution of avalanches. We suggest theoretically the existence of a "glassy" spectrum of equilibria associated with a typical phase, even on infinite graphs, so long as the first moment of the degree distribution is finite. This behavior implies that the model is robust against noise below a certain scale, and also that phase transitions can switch from discontinuous to continuous on networks with too few edges. Numerical simulations suggest that our theory is accurate., Comment: v3: mostly published version; v2: fixed minor textual errors; 21 pages, 8 figures, 1 table