---
_id: '9428'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Thermalization is the inevitable fate of many complex quantum systems, whose
    dynamics allow them to fully explore the vast configuration space regardless of
    the initial state---the behaviour known as quantum ergodicity. In a quest for
    experimental realizations of coherent long-time dynamics, efforts have focused
    on ergodicity-breaking mechanisms, such as integrability and localization. The
    recent discovery of persistent revivals in quantum simulators based on Rydberg
    atoms have pointed to the existence of a new type of behaviour where the system
    rapidly relaxes for most initial conditions, while certain initial states give
    rise to non-ergodic dynamics. This collective effect has been named ”quantum many-body
    scarring’by analogy with a related form of weak ergodicity breaking that occurs
    for a single particle inside a stadium billiard potential. In this Review, we
    provide a pedagogical introduction to quantum many-body scars and highlight the
    emerging connections with the semiclassical quantization of many-body systems.
    We discuss the relation between scars and more general routes towards weak violations
    of ergodicity due to embedded algebras and non-thermal eigenstates, and highlight
    possible applications of scars in quantum technology.
acknowledgement: We thank our collaborators K. Bull, S. Choi, J.-Y. Desaules, W. W.
  Ho, A. Hudomal, M. Lukin, I. Martin, H. Pichler, N. Regnault, I. Vasić and in particular
  A. Michailidis and C. Turner, without whom this work would not have been possible.
  We also benefited from discussions with E. Altman, B. A. Bernevig, A. Chandran,
  P. Fendley, V. Khemani and L. Motrunich. M.S. was supported by the European Research
  Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
  (grant agreement no. 850899). D.A.A. was supported by the Swiss National Science
  Foundation and by the ERC under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
  programme (grant agreement no. 864597). Z.P. acknowledges support by the Leverhulme
  Trust Research Leadership Award RL-2019-015.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: review
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Maksym
  full_name: Serbyn, Maksym
  id: 47809E7E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Serbyn
  orcid: 0000-0002-2399-5827
- first_name: Dmitry A.
  full_name: Abanin, Dmitry A.
  last_name: Abanin
- first_name: Zlatko
  full_name: Papić, Zlatko
  last_name: Papić
citation:
  ama: Serbyn M, Abanin DA, Papić Z. Quantum many-body scars and weak breaking of
    ergodicity. <i>Nature Physics</i>. 2021;17(6):675–685. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2">10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2</a>
  apa: Serbyn, M., Abanin, D. A., &#38; Papić, Z. (2021). Quantum many-body scars
    and weak breaking of ergodicity. <i>Nature Physics</i>. Nature Research. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2</a>
  chicago: Serbyn, Maksym, Dmitry A. Abanin, and Zlatko Papić. “Quantum Many-Body
    Scars and Weak Breaking of Ergodicity.” <i>Nature Physics</i>. Nature Research,
    2021. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2</a>.
  ieee: M. Serbyn, D. A. Abanin, and Z. Papić, “Quantum many-body scars and weak breaking
    of ergodicity,” <i>Nature Physics</i>, vol. 17, no. 6. Nature Research, pp. 675–685,
    2021.
  ista: Serbyn M, Abanin DA, Papić Z. 2021. Quantum many-body scars and weak breaking
    of ergodicity. Nature Physics. 17(6), 675–685.
  mla: Serbyn, Maksym, et al. “Quantum Many-Body Scars and Weak Breaking of Ergodicity.”
    <i>Nature Physics</i>, vol. 17, no. 6, Nature Research, 2021, pp. 675–685, doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2">10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2</a>.
  short: M. Serbyn, D.A. Abanin, Z. Papić, Nature Physics 17 (2021) 675–685.
date_created: 2021-05-28T09:03:50Z
date_published: 2021-06-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-04-14T07:52:09Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '539'
department:
- _id: MaSe
doi: 10.1038/s41567-021-01230-2
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2011.09486'
  isi:
  - '000655563800002'
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: 316ed42ea1b42b0f1a3025bb476266fc
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: patrickd
  date_created: 2021-09-20T09:27:43Z
  date_updated: 2021-12-02T23:30:03Z
  embargo: 2021-12-01
  file_id: '10026'
  file_name: RevisedQMBSreview.pdf
  file_size: 10028836
  relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2021-12-02T23:30:03Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '        17'
isi: 1
issue: '6'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 675–685
project:
- _id: 23841C26-32DE-11EA-91FC-C7463DDC885E
  call_identifier: H2020
  grant_number: '850899'
  name: 'Non-Ergodic Quantum Matter: Universality, Dynamics and Control'
publication: Nature Physics
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1745-2481
publication_status: published
publisher: Nature Research
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Quantum many-body scars and weak breaking of ergodicity
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 17
year: '2021'
...