The random-matrix theory for the effects of time-reversal non-invariance (TRNI) on energy level, strength and cross-section fluctuations in complex systems is reviewed. Applied to the compound-nuclear data this gives bounds on rms TRNI matrix elements. Using a fluctuation-free form of statistical spectroscopy bounds on α, the relative magnitude of the TRNI nucleon-nucleon interaction, is deduced. In all three cases we find α ≲ (2–3) × 10⁻³ at high (∼ 99%) statistical confidence. Suggestions are made about experiments which should improve the bounds.

We show, using semiclassical methods, that as a symmetry is broken, the transition between universality classes for the spectral correlations of quantum chaotic systems is governed by the same parametrization as in the theory of random matrices. The theory is quantitatively verified for the kicked rotor quantum map. We also provide an explicit substantiation of the random matrix hypothesis, namely that in the symmetry-adapted basis the symmetry-violating operator is random.

Transitions to universality classes of random matrix ensembles have been useful in the study of weakly-broken symmetries in quantum chaotic systems. Transitions involving Poisson as the initial ensemble have been particularly interesting. The exact two-point correlation function was derived by one of the present authors for the Poisson to circular unitary ensemble (CUE) transition with uniform initial density. This is given in terms of a rescaled symmetry breaking parameter Λ. The same result was obtained for Poisson to Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE) transition by Kunz and Shapiro, using the contour-integral method of Brezin and Hikami. We show that their method is applicable to Poisson to CUE transition with arbitrary initial density. Their method is also applicable to the more general $\ell$CUE to CUE transition where CUE refers to the superposition of $\ell$ independent CUE spectra in arbitrary ratio.