Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions in Spin Chains with Long-Range Interactions: Merging Different Concepts of Nonequilibrium Criticality

Mar 27, 2018
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 120 (2018) 13, 130601
  • Published: Mar 27, 2018

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Abstract: (APS)
We theoretically study the dynamics of a transverse-field Ising chain with power-law decaying interactions characterized by an exponent \ensuremath{\alpha}, which can be experimentally realized in ion traps. We focus on two classes of emergent dynamical critical phenomena following a quantum quench from a ferromagnetic initial state: The first one manifests in the time-averaged order parameter, which vanishes at a critical transverse field. We argue that such a transition occurs only for long-range interactions \ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}2. The second class corresponds to the emergence of time-periodic singularities in the return probability to the ground-state manifold which is obtained for all values of \ensuremath{\alpha} and agrees with the order parameter transition for \ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\le}2. We characterize how the two classes of nonequilibrium criticality correspond to each other and give a physical interpretation based on the symmetry of the time-evolved quantum states.
  • Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics
  • Statistical Physics & Thermodynamics
  • Long-range interactions
  • Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics
  • Quantum criticality
  • Quantum phase transitions