Rydberg Atoms & Quantum Integrability Depend on Initial State

Researchers at Université Paris-Saclay and the Institut Universitaire de France have demonstrated that the line between predictable and chaotic behavior in quantum systems isn’t fixed, but depends on how a system begins. The team’s work with Rydberg atom chains reveals that integrable and non-integrable dynamics can coexist within the same system, determined by the initial state of the atoms. They studied the dynamics generated by a protocol and found a sharp qualitative change in behavior as particle density varied, suggesting control over the degree of integrability breaking, allowing access to both weaker and stronger non-integrable dynamics within a…