Chaotic dynamics in a single excitation subspace: deviations from the ETH via long time correlations

Abstract: In this work we study a scenario where dynamics is restricted to a single excitation manifold, for particular physical observables with support in the manifold, which we label a `correlated quench'. We ask how such dynamics may in general differ from predictions of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH). We show that if thermalization occurs, it will not fulfil other key predictions of the ETH; instead following differing generic behaviours. We show this by analysing long-time fluctuations, two-point correlation functions, and the out-of-time-ordered correlator; analytically detailing deviation from ETH predictions. We derive instead an ETH-like relation, with non-random off-diagonals, for matrix elements of observables, with correlations that alter long-time behaviour and constrain dynamics. Further, we analytically compute the time-dependence of the decay to equilibrium, showing that it is proportional to the survival probability of the initial state. We finally note that the conditions studied are common in many physical scenarios, such as under the rotating-wave approximation. We show numerically that predictions are robust to perturbations that break this approximation.