Quantum scar states in coupled random graph models

Abstract

We analyze the Hilbert space connectivity of the L site PXP model by constructing the Hamiltonian matrices via a Gray code numbering of basis states. The matrices are all formed out of a single Hamiltonian-path backbone and entries on skew diagonals. Starting from this observation, we construct an ensemble of related Hamiltonians based on random graphs with tunable constraint degree and variable network topology. We study the entanglement structure of their energy eigenstates and find two classes of weakly entangled midspectrum states. The first class contains scars that are approximate products of eigenstates of the subsystems. Their origin can be traced to the near orthogonality of random vectors in high-dimensional spaces. The second class of scars has log 2 entanglement entropy and is tied to the occurrence of special types of subgraphs. The latter states have some resemblance to the Lin-Motrunich \sqrt{2} scars.