Quantum chaos and chiral symmetry at the QCD and QED phase transition

Abstract

We investigate the eigenvalue spectrum of the staggered Dirac matrix in SU(3) gauge theory and in full QCD as well as in quenched U(1) theory. As a measure of the fluctuation properties of the eigenvalues, we consider the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution. We find that in all regions of their phase diagrams, compact lattice gauge theories have bulk spectral correlations given by random matrix theory, which is an indication for quantum chaos. In the confinement phase, the low-lying Dirac spectrum of these quantum field theories is well described by random matrix theory, exhibiting universal behavior. Related results for gauge theories with minimal coupling are now discussed also in the chirally symmetric phase.