arXiv:1012.3001 · Physical Review A
Quantum quench influenced by an excited-state phase transition
P. Pérez-Fernández, Pavel Cejnar, J. M. Arias, J. Dukelsky, J. E. García-Ramos, Armando Relaño
Abstract
We analyze excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) in three schematic (integrable and nonintegrable) models describing a single-mode bosonic field coupled to a collection of atoms. It is shown that the presence of the ESQPT in these models affects the quantum relaxation processes following an abrupt quench in the control parameter. Clear-cut evidence of the ESQPT effects is presented in integrable models, while in a nonintegrable model the evidence is blurred due to chaotic behavior of the system in the region around the critical energy.