On the emergence of memory in equilibrium versus non-equilibrium systems

Abstract: Experiments often probe observables that correspond to low-dimensional projections of highdimensional dynamics. In such situations distinct microscopic configurations become lumped into the same observable state. It is well known that correlations between the observable and the hidden degrees of freedom give rise to memory effects. However, how and under which conditions these correlations emerge remains poorly understood. Here we shed light on two fundamentally different scenarios of the emergence of memory in minimal stationary systems, where observed and hidden degrees of freedom evolve either cooperatively or are coupled by a hidden non-equilibrium current. In the reversible setting strongest memory manifests when the time-scales of hidden and observed dynamics overlap, whereas, strikingly, in the driven setting maximal memory emerges under a clear time-scale separation. Our results hint at the possibility of fundamental differences in the way memory emerges in equilibrium versus driven systems that may be utilized as a "diagnostic" of the underlying hidden transport mechanism.