From quantum chaos and eigenstate thermalization to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics

• Published in: Advances in physics Vol. 65; no. 3; pp. 239 - 362
• Main Authors: D'Alessio, Luca, Kafri, Yariv, Polkovnikov, Anatoli, Rigol, Marcos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 03.05.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: 03.65.-w; 05.30.-d; 05.45.Mt; 05.70.-a; Chaos theory; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; eigenstate thermalization; Eigenvalues; Experiments; Fluctuation; generalized Gibbs ensemble; Mathematical models; Pedagogy; quantum chaos; Quantum dots; quantum quench; quantum statistical mechanics; quantum thermodynamics; random matrix theory; Statistical mechanics; Theorems; Thermodynamics

This review gives a pedagogical introduction to the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH), its basis, and its implications to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. In the first part, ETH is introduced as a natural extension of ideas from quantum chaos and random matrix theory (RMT). To this...