We show that the standard approach to characterize collective entanglement via genuine multiparty entanglement (GME) leads to an area law in ground and thermal Gibbs states of local Hamiltonians. To capture the truly collective part one needs to go beyond this short-range contribution tied to interfaces between subregions. Genuine network multiparty entanglement (GNME) achieves a systematic resolution of this goal by analyzing whether a $k$-party state can be prepared by a quantum network consisting of ($k-1$)-partite resources. We develop tools to certify and quantify GNME, and benchmark them for GHZ, W and Dicke states. We then study the 1d transverse field Ising model, where we find a sharp peak of GNME near the critical phase transition, and rapid suppression elsewhere. Finite temperature leads to a faster death of GNME compared to GME. Furthermore, certain 2d quantum spin liquids do not have GNME in microscopic subregions, while possessing strong GME. This approach will allow us to chart truly collective entanglement in quantum matter both in and out of equilibrium.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Quantum entanglement
• Quantum information theory
• Quantum phase transitions
• Quantum spin models
• Critical phenomena
• Ising model