The time-dependent numerical renormalization group method (TDNRG) [Anders et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 196801 (2005)] was recently generalized to multiple quenches and arbitrary finite temperatures [Nghiem et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 075118 (2014)] by using the full density matrix approach [Weichselbaum et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 076402 (2007)]. The formalism rests solely on the numerical renormalization group (NRG) approximation. In this paper, we numerically implement this formalism to study the response of a quantum impurity system to a general pulse and to periodic driving, in which a smooth pulse or a periodic train of pulses is approximated by a sufficient number of quenches. We show how the NRG approximation affects the trace of the projected density matrices and the continuity of the time evolution of a local observable. We also investigate the long-time limit of a local observable upon switching from a given initial state to a given final state as a function of both the pulse shape and the switch-on time, finding that this limit is improved for smoother pulse shapes and longer switch-on times. This lends support to our earlier suggestion that the long-time limit of observables, following a quench between a given initial state and a given final state, can be improved by replacing a sudden large and instantaneous quench by a sequence of smaller ones acting over a finite time interval: longer switch-on times and smoother pulses, i.e., increased adiabaticity, favor relaxation of the system to its correct thermodynamic long-time limit. For the case of periodic driving, we compare the TDNRG results to the exact analytic ones for the noninteracting resonant level model, finding better agreement at short to intermediate time scales in the case of smoother driving fields. Finally, we demonstrate the validity of the multiple-quench TDNRG formalism for arbitrary temperatures by studying the time evolution of the occupation number in the interacting Anderson impurity model in response to a periodic switching of the local level from the mixed valence to the Kondo regime at low, intermediate, and high temperatures.
We develop an alternative time-dependent numerical renormalization group (TDNRG) formalism for multiple quenches and implement it to study the response of a quantum impurity system to a general pulse. Within this approach, we reduce the contribution of the NRG approximation to numerical errors in the time evolution of observables by a formulation that avoids the use of the generalized overlap matrix elements in our previous multiple-quench TDNRG formalism [Nghiem et al., Phys. Rev. B 89, 075118 (2014); Phys. Rev. B 90, 035129 (2014)]. We demonstrate that the formalism yields a smaller cumulative error in the trace of the projected density matrix as a function of time and a smaller discontinuity of local observables between quenches than in our previous approach. Moreover, by increasing the switch-on time, the time between the first and last quench of the discretized pulse, the long-time limit of observables systematically converges to its expected value in the final state, i.e., the more adiabatic the switching, the more accurately is the long-time limit recovered. The present formalism can be straightforwardly extended to infinite switch-on times. We show that this yields highly accurate results for the long-time limit of both thermodynamic observables and spectral functions, and overcomes the significant errors within the single quench formalism [Anders et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 196801 (2005); Nghiem et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 156601 (2017)]. This improvement provides a first step towards an accurate description of nonequilibrium steady states of quantum impurity systems, e.g., within the scattering states NRG approach [Anders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 066804 (2008)].
We investigate the time evolution of the Kondo resonance in response to a quench by applying the time-dependent numerical renormalization group (TDNRG) approach to the Anderson impurity model in the strong correlation limit. For this purpose, we derive within the TDNRG approach a numerically tractable expression for the retarded two-time nonequilibrium Green function $G(t+{t}^{\ensuremath{'}},t)$, and its associated time-dependent spectral function, $A(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$, for times
t both before and after the quench. Quenches from both mixed valence and Kondo correlated initial states to Kondo correlated final states are considered. For both cases, we find that the Kondo resonance in the zero temperature spectral function, a preformed version of which is evident at very short times $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{0}^{+}$, only fully develops at very long times $t\ensuremath{\gtrsim}1/{T}_{K}$, where
TK is the Kondo temperature of the final state. In contrast, the final state satellite peaks develop on a fast time scale $1/\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ during the time interval $\ensuremath{-}1/\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}t\ensuremath{\lesssim}+1/\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$, where $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}$ is the hybridization strength. Initial and final state spectral functions are recovered in the limits $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\infty}$ and $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}+\ensuremath{\infty}$, respectively. Our formulation of two-time nonequilibrium Green functions within the TDNRG approach provides a first step towards using this method as an impurity solver within nonequilibrium dynamical mean field theory.
We investigate several definitions of the time-dependent spectral function $A(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$ of the Anderson impurity model following a quench and within the time-dependent numerical renormalization group (TDNRG) method. In terms of the single-particle two-time retarded Green function
Gr(t1,t2), the definitions we consider differ in the choice of the time variable
t with respect to
t1 and/or
t2 (which we refer to as the time reference). In a previous study [H. T. M. Nghiem et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 156601 (2017)], we investigated the spectral function $A(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$, obtained from the Fourier transform of
Im[Gr(t1,t2)] with respect to the time difference ${t}^{\ensuremath{'}}={t}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{t}_{2}$, with time reference
t=t2. Here, we complement this work by deriving expressions for the retarded Green function for the choices
t=t1 and the average, or Wigner, time
t=(t1+t2)/2, within the TDNRG approach. We compare and contrast the resulting $A(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$ for the different choices of time reference. While the choice
t=t1 results in a spectral function with no time dependence before the quench (
t<0) (being identical to the equilibrium initial-state spectral function for
t<0), the choices
t=(t1+t2)/2 and
t=t2 exhibit nontrivial time evolution both before and after the quench. Expressions for the lesser, greater, and advanced Green functions are also derived within TDNRG for all choices of time reference. The average-time lesser Green function ${G}^{<}(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$ is particularly interesting, as it determines the time-dependent occupied density of states $N(\ensuremath{\omega},t)={G}^{<}(\ensuremath{\omega},t)/(2\ensuremath{\pi}i)$, a quantity that determines the photoemission current in the context of time-resolved pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy. We present calculations for $N(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$ for the Anderson model following a quench, and discuss the resulting time evolution of the spectral features, such as the Kondo resonance and high-energy satellite peaks. We also discuss the issue of thermalization at long times for $N(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$. Finally, we use the results for $N(\ensuremath{\omega},t)$ to calculate the time-resolved photoemission current for the Anderson model following a quench (acting as the pump) and study the different behaviors that can be observed for different resolution times of a Gaussian probe pulse.
The time-dependent numerical renormalization-group approach (TD-NRG), originally devised for tracking the real-time dynamics of quantum-impurity systems following a single quantum quench, is extended to multiple switching events. This generalization of the TD-NRG encompasses the possibility of periodic switching, allowing for coherent control of strongly correlated systems by an external time-dependent field. To this end, we have embedded the TD-NRG in a hybrid framework that combines the outstanding capabilities of the numerical renormalization group to systematically construct the effective low-energy Hamiltonian of the system with the prowess of complementary approaches for calculating the real-time dynamics derived from this Hamiltonian. We demonstrate the power of our approach by hybridizing the TD-NRG with the Chebyshev expansion technique in order to investigate periodic switching in the interacting resonant-level model. Although the interacting model shares the same low-energy fixed point as its noninteracting counterpart, we surprisingly find the gradual emergence of damped oscillations as the interaction strength is increased. Focusing on a single quantum quench and using a strong-coupling analysis, we reveal the origin of these interaction-induced oscillations and provide an analytical estimate for their frequency. The latter agrees well with the numerical results.
A detailed derivation of the recently proposed time-dependent numerical renormalization-group (TD-NRG) approach to nonequilibrium dynamics in quantum-impurity systems is presented. We demonstrate that the method is suitable for fermionic as well as bosonic baths. Comparisons with exact analytical results for the charge relaxation in the resonant-level model and for dephasing in the spin-boson model establish the accuracy of the method. The real-time dynamics of a single spin coupled to each type of bath is investigated. We use the TD-NRG to calculate the spin relaxation and spin precession of a single Kondo impurity. The short- and long-time dynamics are studied as a function of temperature in the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regimes. The short-time dynamics agrees very well with analytical results obtained at second order in the exchange coupling
J. In the ferromagnetic regime, the transient spin decay is described by the scaling variable $x=2{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{F}\ensuremath{\mid}J(T)\ensuremath{\mid}Tt$. In the antiferromagnetic regime, the long-time decay is governed for
T<TK by the Kondo time scale
1∕TK. Here ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{F}$ is the conduction-electron density of states,
TK is the Kondo temperature, and
J(T) is the effective exchange coupling at temperature
T. Results for spin precession are obtained by rotating the external magnetic field from the
x axis to the
z axis.