J. Stefan Institute Maps Information Compression at Criticality

Researchers at the J. Stefan Institute, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Columbia University, and ICTP have demonstrated a principle governing quantum dynamics at criticality: efficient description of complex systems with limited information. The work, led by Simon Jiricek and Lev Vidmar, reveals that a small fraction of Hamiltonian eigenlevels, not a majority, is sufficient to accurately reproduce the power-law decay of survival probability in these quantum systems. This simplification is not random; the resulting truncated spectrum exhibits a power-law level-spacing distribution, indicating order at the edge of chaos. The spectral form factor displays the same asymptotic power-law decay as the survival probability, suggesting a connection…