Abstract

This program will focus on the manifestations of quantum mechanics in highly excited many-body systems. The common assumption that interacting systems equilibrate under their own dynamics has been challenged by recent studies. Several concrete examples, united under the moniker of many-body localization, demonstrate that interacting systems can instead exist in localized states, which retain quantum coherence.; In contrast to equilibrated systems, localized systems may exhibit quantum order even at high temperature and thus act as interacting quantum memories for extended periods.; Alternatively, many-body systems may exhibit very slow dynamics and long pre-thermal behavior as a consequence of emergent constants of motion.