Quantum scarring enhances non-Markovianity of subsystem dynamics

Abstract

Given that any subsystem of a closed out-of-equilibrium quantum system is an open quantum system, its dynamics (reduced from the full system's unitary evolution) can be either Markovian (memory-less) or non-Markovian, with the latter necessarily impeding the process of relaxation and thermalization. Seemingly independently, such non-ergodic dynamics occurs when an initial state has spectral weight on the so-called quantum many-body scar states, which are non-thermalizing eigenstates embedded deep in the spectrum of otherwise thermal eigenstates. In this article, we present numerical evidence that, in the class of systems which exhibit scars-induced entanglement oscillations, the presence of quantum scars is a microscopic ingredient that enables and enhances non-Markovianity of the dynamics of subsystems. We exemplify this with the PXP model and its deformations which either enhance or erase the signatures of scarred dynamics when quenched from simple product states with significant overlaps with the scarred states. The effect of thermalizing or scarring initial states is also similarly investigated. By probing information backflows with the dynamical behaviour of the distances between temporally-separated transient states of small subsystems, systematic signatures of subsystem non-Markovianity in these models are presented. It is seen that scarring-enhancing (erasing) deformations also exhibit enhanced (diminished) subsystem non-Markovianity. Likewise, results relating scarring (thermalizing) initial states to stronger (weaker) subsystem non-Markovianity are also presented. The retention of memory and revivals between transient subsystem states is a finer form of memory effect than captured by the revivals of full system's fidelity with the initial states. This sheds new light on the dynamical memories associated with quantum scarring (abstract shortened due to arxiv limitations).