Dissipative Quantum Chaos — from Theory to the Lab
Pedro Ribeiro (Universidade de Lisboa)
Dissipative quantum chaos is an emerging field that investigates how chaotic behavior arises in quantum systems coupled to their environments. Understanding the dynamics of such open quantum systems is crucial, particularly for describing quantum matter in realistic scenarios where environmental interactions cannot be neglected. In this talk, I will outline recent theoretical advances in characterizing universal features of dissipative quantum systems using non-Hermitian random matrix theory. Key spectral signatures of dissipative chaos, such as complex spacing ratios (CSRs), universal ring-to-disk transitions, and a systematic symmetry-based classification of many-body superoperators under antiunitary involutions, will be discussed. Turning from theory to practice, I will present our recent experimental achievements demonstrating dissipative quantum chaos and integrability transitions. These results were obtained by measuring CSRs in the superoperator spectra of open many-body quantum systems implemented on a state-of-the-art superconducting quantum processor, providing the first direct laboratory observation of these theoretical predictions.