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Main Authors: Altland, Alex, Divi, Francisco, Micklitz, Tobias, Pappalardi, Silvia, Rezaei, Maedeh
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21386
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author Altland, Alex
Divi, Francisco
Micklitz, Tobias
Pappalardi, Silvia
Rezaei, Maedeh
author_facet Altland, Alex
Divi, Francisco
Micklitz, Tobias
Pappalardi, Silvia
Rezaei, Maedeh
contents The spectral form factor of random matrix theory plays a key role in the description of disordered and chaotic quantum systems. While its moments are known to be approximately Gaussian, corrections subleading in the matrix dimension, $D$, have recently come to attention, with conflicting results in the literature. In this work, we investigate these departures from Gaussianity for both circular and Gaussian ensembles. Using two independent approaches -- sine-kernel techniques and supersymmetric field theory -- we identify the form factor statistics to next leading order in a $D^{-1}$ expansion. Our sine-kernel analysis highlights inconsistencies with previous studies, while the supersymmetric approach backs these findings and suggests an understanding of the statistics from a complementary perspective. Our findings fully agree with numerics. They are presented in a pedagogical way, highlighting new pathways (and pitfalls) in the study of statistical signatures at next leading order, which are increasingly becoming important in applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_21386
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Statistics of the Random Matrix Spectral Form Factor
Altland, Alex
Divi, Francisco
Micklitz, Tobias
Pappalardi, Silvia
Rezaei, Maedeh
Quantum Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
High Energy Physics - Theory
The spectral form factor of random matrix theory plays a key role in the description of disordered and chaotic quantum systems. While its moments are known to be approximately Gaussian, corrections subleading in the matrix dimension, $D$, have recently come to attention, with conflicting results in the literature. In this work, we investigate these departures from Gaussianity for both circular and Gaussian ensembles. Using two independent approaches -- sine-kernel techniques and supersymmetric field theory -- we identify the form factor statistics to next leading order in a $D^{-1}$ expansion. Our sine-kernel analysis highlights inconsistencies with previous studies, while the supersymmetric approach backs these findings and suggests an understanding of the statistics from a complementary perspective. Our findings fully agree with numerics. They are presented in a pedagogical way, highlighting new pathways (and pitfalls) in the study of statistical signatures at next leading order, which are increasingly becoming important in applications.
title Statistics of the Random Matrix Spectral Form Factor
topic Quantum Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21386