Enhancing Initial-State Sensitivity through Time-Dependent Hamiltonian Readout in Ising Spin Chains

Abstract

Local observables can lose sensitivity to an initial state during strongly interacting many-body evolution even though the global dynamics remain unitary. We show that this sensitivity can be enhanced through a time-dependent Hamiltonian readout. Two orthogonal product states are first evolved under a slanted-field Ising Hamiltonian, where their distinction becomes strongly suppressed as observed through several local observables, including subsystem magnetizations and correlation functions, and are then quenched to the transverse-field Ising model at a tunable time. Exact simulations of chains up to $N=12$ show that the optimized time-averaged separation after the switch exceeds the residual slanted-field baseline for every observable and system size tested. In the strongest channels, the standardized readout separation remains robust over the accessible size range, with no clear systematic suppression at larger $N$. The enhancement recurs in widely separated late-time windows and persists qualitatively for open boundaries. These results establish Hamiltonian switching as an observable-selective mechanism for enhancing initial-state sensitivity without time reversal or implying recovery of the full reduced state.