Speaker
Description
How does a far-from-equilibrium quantum system reach thermal equilibrium, and what role does entanglement play? We address these questions in the massive Schwinger model — a non-integrable (1+1)-dimensional gauge theory — subjected to a quench by a pair of charges receding at the speed of light. Using tensor network methods, we study the resulting string breaking dynamics, which serve as a direct analogue of jet fragmentation. In the aftermath of string breaking, we find thermal behavior confirmed by multiple independent temperature measures yielding a single consistent value. We further demonstrate that the entanglement entropy of the evolving state quantitatively matches the Gibbs entropy at this temperature, establishing a precise link between quantum entanglement and thermalization.