  Understanding various phenomena in non-equilibrium dynamics of closed quantum
many-body systems, such as quantum thermalization, information scrambling, and
nonergodic dynamics, is a crucial for modern physics. Using a ladder-type
superconducting quantum processor, we perform analog quantum simulations of
both the $XX$ ladder and one-dimensional (1D) $XX$ model. By measuring the
dynamics of local observables, entanglement entropy and tripartite mutual
information, we signal quantum thermalization and information scrambling in the
$XX$ ladder. In contrast, we show that the $XX$ chain, as free fermions on a 1D
lattice, fails to thermalize, and local information does not scramble in the
integrable channel. Our experiments reveal ergodicity and scrambling in the
controllable qubit ladder, and opens the door to further investigations on the
thermodynamics and chaos in quantum many-body systems.
