Event description
Abstract: Viewed through the lens of quantum theory, Boltzmann’s H-theorem can be understood as a consequence of the emergence of continuous quasi-particles spectra in quantum systems approaching the thermodynamic limit. Continuous spectra, in turns,lead to divergent Poincarè recurrence times, effectively enabling thermalization. However, this mechanism breaks down in long-range interacting models, which retain discrete quasi-particle spectra even in the thermodynamic limit. While such behavior is well-documented in systems of coherent quasi-particles, long-range chaotic systems present a more intricate challenge. In this work, we investigate a chain of Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) dots with power-law decaying couplings to explore how long-range interactions influence equilibration. We find that increasing the interaction range induces a transition from a non-Fermi liquid phase (characteristic of the local SYK model) to a long-range Fermi-liquid phase, ultimately dissolving the black-hole-like phase associated with finite residual entropy. These results shed new light on the role of interaction range in quantum thermalization, black hole thermodynamics, and the organization of quantum information in non-local systems.