On Thermalization in A Nonlinear Variant of the Discrete NLS Equation

Abstract

We study the thermalization properties of a fully nonlinear lattice model originally derived from the two-dimensional cubic defocusing nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation (NLS) using analytical and numerical methods. Our analysis reveals both ergodic and nonergodic regimes; importantly, we find broad parameter ranges where the dynamics is ergodic even though it lies outside the Gibbsian parameter regime (for both $D=0.25$ and $D=2$), and a higher-energy range where ergodicity breaks down. We observe that in a certain range of parameters, the system requires non-standard statistical descriptions, indicating a breakdown of conventional thermalization. We examine the influence of the nonlinear dispersion parameter $D$ on the system's behavior, showing that increasing $D$ enhances fluctuations and speeds up the crossover of $q(T)$ toward the $\sim 1/T$ scaling. By analyzing excursion times, probability density functions, and localization patterns, we characterize transitions between ergodic and nonergodic behavior. In long-time numerical simulations within the non-ergodic regime for $D>1$, stable localization over two sites is observed, while $D<1$ favors single-site localization in the high energy density regimes. Our results provide insights into the interplay between thermalization, localization, and non-standard statistical behavior in genuinely nonlinear systems.