Phase Transitions in Quantum Many-Body Scars

Abstract: We propose a type of phase transition in quantum many-body systems, which occurs in highly excited quantum many-body scar states, while most of the spectrum is largely unaffected. Such scar state phase transitions can be realized by embedding a matrix product state, known to undergo a phase transition, as a scar state into the thermal spectrum of a parent Hamiltonian. We find numerically that the mechanism for the scar state phase transition involves the formation or presence of low-entropy states at energies similar to the scar state in the vicinity of the phase transition point.