Published September 26, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article

Quantum Mpemba effect without global symmetries

  • 1. University of Leeds
  • 2. University of Chicago
  • 3. Argonne National Laboratory

Description

The Mpemba effect, where a system initially farther from equilibrium relaxes faster than one closer to equilibrium, has been extensively studied in classical systems and recently explored in quantum settings. While previous studies of the quantum Mpemba effect (QME) have largely focused on isolated systems with global symmetries, we argue that the QME is ubiquitous in generic, nonintegrable many-body systems lacking such symmetries, including U(1) charge conservation, spatial symmetries, and even energy conservation. Using paradigmatic models such as the quantum Ising model with transverse and longitudinal fields, we show that the QME can be understood through the energy density of initial states and their inverse participation ratio in the energy eigenbasis. Our findings provide a unified framework for the QME, linking it with classical thermal relaxation.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this article are openly available [77], embargo periods may apply.

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1103/1td3-2vwf
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:16353

Funding

Leverhulme Trust
RL-2019-015
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
EP/Z533634/1
United States Department of Energy
Simons Foundation
669487
U.S. National Science Foundation
PHY-2309135
University of California, Santa Barbara

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Physical Sciences Division, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
Department(s)
Physics