Physical origin of prethermalization and its relation to quasi-integrability

Ascertain whether prethermalization in isolated quantum systems is attributable to quasi-integrability, and identify the physical mechanism underlying prethermalization in such systems.

Background

The paper reviews prior work on prethermalization in various platforms and interaction regimes, noting that although signatures are widely observed, the underlying mechanism remains unresolved.

The authors explicitly state uncertainty about whether prethermalization is related to quasi-integrability, motivating a precise determination of its physical origin and the role of near-integrability in producing prethermal states.

References

Although significant amount of work both theoretical and experimental has been devoted to understanding the prethermalization process, its physical origin is still elusive. It is also not clear whether it can be related to the quasi-integrability of the system.

— Unbounded entropy production and violent fragmentation for repulsive-to-attractive interaction quench in long-range interacting systems  (2405.14928 - Molignini et al., 2024) in Section 1, Introduction

Although the case for prethermal behavior in this system is clear, many questions remain unanswered. For example: what are the specific processes leading to the initial prethermal configuration, and what processes control its relaxation?

— Prethermal ripplons in quenched binary Bose-Einstein condensates  (2609.09464 - Geng et al., 8 Sep 2026) in Outlook