Quantum Chaos & Level Statistics

Wigner-Dyson vs Poisson — chaos leaves a fingerprint in quantum spectra

Billiard Geometry

Nearest-Neighbor Spacing Distribution P(s)

Wigner-Dyson (GOE) Poisson Simulated histogram

Energy Level Ladder

Theory

P_GOE(s) = (π/2) s · exp(−πs²/4) [Wigner surmise]
P_Poisson(s) = exp(−s) [integrable]
Δ₃ statistic: long-range spectral rigidity

Level repulsion: in chaotic (non-integrable) quantum systems, eigenstates avoid having the same energy — small spacings are suppressed. This is the quantum fingerprint of classical chaos.


Bohigas-Giannoni-Schmit conjecture (1984): quantum systems whose classical limit is chaotic have level statistics following Random Matrix Theory (GOE/GUE/GSE ensembles). Integrable systems show Poisson statistics.


Stadium billiard: a rectangle capped by two semicircles (Bunimovich stadium). For a > 0, the classical dynamics is ergodic and chaotic. For a = 0 (rectangle), classical orbits are integrable.