Chaos and hyperchaos in driven interacting quantum systems

We investigate theoretically the dynamics of one-dimensional coupled quantum systems with energy pumping and dissipation. Our study focusses on coupled Rydberg atoms driven by an external laser field and undergoing spontaneous emission. We show that this class of quantum systems is able to demonstrate a spontaneous onset of chaotic, and even hyperchaotic oscillations, which are characterized by one or several positive Lyapunov exponents. The number of positive Lyapunov exponents grows with the number of coupled elements. Remarkably, hyperchaotic dynamics appears in short chains of only five units, while large chains can demonstrate a highly randomized behavior. We investigate the transition from regular to chaotic behavior and analyze the underlying instabilities.