Dynamical entanglement transition in the probabilistic control of chaos

Abstract: We uncover a dynamical entanglement transition in a monitored quantum system that is heralded by a local order parameter. Classically, chaotic systems can be stochastically controlled onto unstable periodic orbits and exhibit controlled and uncontrolled phases as a function of the rate at which the control is applied. We show that such control transitions persist in open quantum systems where control is implemented with local measurements and unitary feedback. Starting from a simple classical model with a known control transition, we define a quantum model that exhibits a diffusive transition between a chaotic volume-law entangled phase and a disentangled controlled phase. Unlike other entanglement transitions in monitored quantum circuits, this transition can also be probed by correlation functions without resolving individual quantum trajectories.