2025/11/12 by Andrew Yates, Jordan Cotler, Yates, Andrew G. +5
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #Quantum many-body systems #Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2511.09758
openalex publication_date 2025/11/12 · openalex created_date 2025/11/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We demonstrate that in quantum many-body systems, local arrows of time can differ from the global time t induced by Hamiltonian evolution. That is, within a quantum many-body system, the flow of time can be relative to each observer or by proxy each local subsystem. We provide a definition of local arrows of time in quantum many-body systems, and explain their relation to spacetime quantum entropies. Then we give a variety of numerical and analytical examples which explore different ways in which local arrows of time can manifest in quantum many-body dynamics, including exotic arrows of time arising from quantum thermalization and quantum error correction.