Chaos and Scrambling in Quantum Small Worlds

In this thesis, we introduce a novel class of many-body quantum system, which we term ‘quantum small worlds'. These are strongly-interacting systems that interpolate between completely ordered (nearest-neighbour, next-to-nearest-neighbour etc.) and completely random interactions. They are systems of quantum spin particles in which the network topology is given by the Watts-Strogatz model of network theory. As such, they furnish a novel laboratory for studying quantum systems transitioning between integrable and non-integrable behaviour. Our motivation is to understand how the dynamics of the system are affected by this transition, particularly with regards to the ability of the system to scramble (quantum) information, and potential emergence of chaotic behaviour. Our work begins with a review of the relevant literature regarding algebraic graph theory and quantum chaos. Next, we introduce the model by starting from a well understood integrable system, a spin- 1 2 Heisenberg, or Ising, chain. We then inject a small number of long-range interactions and study its ability to scramble quantum information using two primary devices: the out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) and the spectral form factor (SFF). We find that the system shows increasingly rapid scrambling as its interactions become progressively more random, with no evidence of quantum chaos as diagnosed by either of these devices