Isolated quantum many-body systems with integrable dynamics generically do
not thermalize when taken far from equilibrium. As one perturbs such systems
away from the integrable point, thermalization sets in, but the nature of the
crossover from integrable to thermalizing behavior is an unresolved and
actively discussed question. We explore this question by studying the dynamics
of the momentum distribution function in a dipolar quantum Newton's cradle
consisting of highly magnetic dysprosium atoms. This is accomplished by
creating the first one-dimensional Bose gas with strong magnetic dipole-dipole
interactions. These interactions provide tunability of both the strength of the
integrability-breaking perturbation and the nature of the near-integrable
dynamics. We provide the first experimental evidence that thermalization close
to a strongly interacting integrable point occurs in two steps:
prethermalization followed by near-exponential thermalization. Exact numerical
calculations on a two-rung lattice model yield a similar two-timescale process,
suggesting that this is generic in strongly interacting near-integrable models.
Moreover, the measured thermalization rate is consistent with a parameter-free
theoretical estimate, based on identifying the types of collisions that
dominate thermalization. By providing tunability between regimes of integrable
and nonintegrable dynamics, our work sheds light both on the mechanisms by
which isolated quantum many-body systems thermalize, and on the temporal
structure of the onset of thermalization.Comment: 6 figures, 9 pages main text; 12 appendices with 12 figure
