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Connecting Magic Dynamics in Thermofield Double States to Spectral Form Factors

Ning Sun1 and Pengfei Zhang1,2,*

  • *Contact author: PengfeiZhang.physics@gmail.com
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 030401 – Published 13 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/p4s9-9smn

Abstract

Under unitary evolution, chaotic quantum systems initialized in simple states rapidly develop high complexity, precluding any efficient classical description. The hardness of classical simulation within the stabilizer formalism, commonly referred to as magic resources, can be quantified by the stabilizer Rényi entropy, while quantum chaos can be characterized by spectral properties of the Hamiltonian, most notably through the spectral form factor. In this Letter, we propose a relation between the dynamics of the stabilizer Rényi entropy for thermofield double states and the spectral form factor, based on general arguments for chaotic systems with all-to-all interactions. This relation implies that the saturation of the stabilizer Rényi entropy is governed by a first-order dynamical transition. We then demonstrate this relation explicitly in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model, using an auxiliary-spin representation of the stabilizer Rényi entropy that exhibits an emergent Z2 symmetry. We further find that, in the high-temperature regime of the SYK model, the transition occurs at a finite time, with the long-time phase marked by spontaneous Z2 symmetry breaking. By contrast, at low temperatures, the transition is pushed to times exponentially long in the system size. Our results reveal an intriguing interplay between quantum chaos and magic resources.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 030401– Published 13 July, 2026
  • Received 6 February 2026
  • Accepted 12 June 2026
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