Chaos-protected locality

Abstract

Microscopic speed limits that constrain the motion of matter, energy, and information abound in physics, from the “ultimate” speed limit set by light to Lieb-Robinson speed limits in quantum spin systems. In addition to these state-independent speed limits, systems can also be governed by emergent state-dependent speed limits indicating slow dynamics arising, for example, from slow low-energy quasiparticles. Here we describe a different kind of speed limit: a situation where complex information/entanglement spreads rapidly, in a fashion inconsistent with any speed limit, but where simple signals continue to obey an approximate speed limit. If we take the point of view that the motion of simple signals defines the local spacetime geometry of the universe, then the effects we describe show that spacetime locality can be compatible with a high degree of non-local interactions provided these are sufficiently chaotic. With this perspective, we sharpen a puzzle about black holes recently raised by Shor and propose a schematic resolution.