Research

Quantum devices rely on quantum coherence, which is lost during thermalization. Thus, it is crucial to understand mechanisms of nonergodicity, i.e., how thermalization can be avoided. My research concerns exotic nonergodic phenomena such as Hilbert space fragmentation, fine-tuned time-crystalline behaviour, glassy dynamics, and large-scale effects of localized perturbations. I am especially interested in exact solutions that could explain the emergence of such phenomena.

[1] M. Medenjak, T. Prosen, LZ, SciPost Phys. 9, 003 (2020)

[2] LZ, Maurizio Fagotti, SciPost Phys. Core 4, 010 (2021)

[3] K. Bidzhiev, M. Fagotti, LZ, PRL 128, 130603 (2022)

[4] LZ,  J. P.  Garrahan,  PRB 108, L100304 (2023)
[5] V. Marić, L. Paljk, LZ, arXiv preprint (2025)

One of my long-standing research interests is integrability. Integrable models of statistical physics are (in principle) exactly solvable, due to abundance of symmetries. I am interested in how such models can be constructed from the basic building blocks of the underlying symmetry group, and whether one can use these elementary objects to construct integrable quantum circuits that fit the architecture of modern quantum computers.

[1] M. Vanicat, LZ, T. Prosen, PRL 121, 030606 (2018)
[2] LZ, M. Ljubotina, Ž. Krajnik, E. Ilievski, T. Prosen, PRX Quantum 5, 030356 (2024)
[3] M. Žnidarič, U. Duh, LZ, PRB 112, L020302 (2025)
[4] C. Paletta, U. Duh, B. Pozsgay, LZ, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 58, 275001 (2025)

How do transport properties emerge from the microscopic dynamics in quantum materials? Can one predict universality classes of transport phenomena from the microscopic details of the dynamics? One of my aims is to answer such questions by using methods of hydrodynamics and exact solutions of quantum spin chains coupled to reservoirs. In the long term this could prove essential to improve the design of quantum devices.

[1] M. Ljubotina, LZ, T. Prosen, PRL 122, 150605 (2019)
[2] V. Popkov, T. Prosen, LZ, PRL 124, 160403 (2020)
[3] LZ, K. Bidzhiev, M. Fagotti, SciPost Phys. 10, 099 (2021)
[4] LZ, M. Ljubotina, Ž. Krajnik, E. Ilievski, T. Prosen, PRX Quantum 5, 030356 (2024)
[5] C. Muzzi, D. S. Bhakuni, M. Dalmonte, LZ, H. B. Xavier, arXiv preprint (2025)