Dynamics of many-body localized systems: logarithmic lightcones and $\log \, t$-law of $\alpha$-R\'enyi entropies

In the context of the Many-Body-Localization phenomenology we consider arbitrarily large one-dimensional local spin systems, the XXZ model with random magnetic field is a prototypical example.

Without assuming the existence of exponentially localized integrals of motion (LIOM), but assuming instead that the system's dynamics gives rise to a Lieb-Robinson bound (L-R) with a logarithmic lightcone, we rigorously evaluate the dynamical generation, starting from a generic product state, of $ \alpha$-Rényi entropies, with $ \alpha $ close to one, obtaining a $\log \, t$-law, that denotes a slow spread of entanglement.

This is in sharp contrast with Anderson localized phases that show no dynamically generated entanglement.

To prove this result we apply a general theory recently developed by us in arXiv:2408.00743 that quantitatively relates the L-R bounds of a local Hamiltonian with the dynamical generation of entanglement.

Assuming instead the existence of LIOM we provide new independent proofs of the known facts that the L-R bound of the system's dynamics has a logarithmic lightcone and show that the dynamical generation of the von Neumann entropy has for large times a $ \log \, t$-shape.

L-R bounds, that quantify the dynamical spreading of local operators, may be easier to measure in experiments in comparison to global quantities such as entanglement.