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arXiv:1804.09794 · Quantum Science and Technology

Non-equilibrium absorbing state phase transitions in discrete-time quantum cellular automaton dynamics on spin lattices

Igor Lesanovsky, Katarzyna Macieszczak, Juan P. Garrahan

Published Dec 12, 2018• 30 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We introduce a discrete-time quantum dynamics on a two-dimensional lattice that describes the evolution of a 1 + 1-dimensional spin system. The underlying quantum map is constructed such that the reduced state at each time step is separable. We show that for long times this state becomes stationary and displays a continuous phase transition in the density of excited spins. This phenomenon can be understood through a connection to the so-called Domany–Kinzel automaton, which implements a classical non-equilibrium process that features a transition to an absorbing state. Near the transition density–density correlations become long-ranged, and interestingly the same is the case for quantum correlations despite the separability of the stationary state. We quantify quantum correlations through the local quantum uncertainty and show that in some cases they may be determined experimentally solely by measuring expectation values of classical observables. This work is inspired by recent experimental progress in the realization of Rydberg lattice quantum simulators, which—in a rather natural way—permit the realization of conditional quantum gates underlying the discrete-time dynamics discussed here.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/aaf831

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We introduce a discrete-time quantum dynamics on a two-dimensional lattice that describes the evolution of a 1 + 1-dimensional spin system. The underlying quantum map is constructed such that the reduced state at each time step is separable. We show that for long times this state becomes stationary and displays a continuous phase transition in the density of excited spins. This phenomenon can be understood through a connection to the so-called Domany–Kinzel automaton, which implements a classical non-equilibrium process that features a transition to an absorbing state. Near the transition density–density correlations become long-ranged, and interestingly the same is the case for quantum correlations despite the separability of the stationary state. We quantify quantum correlations through the local quantum uncertainty and show that in some cases they may be determined experimentally solely by measuring expectation values of classical observables. This work is inspired by recent experimental progress in the realization of Rydberg lattice quantum simulators, which—in a rather natural way—permit the realization of conditional quantum gates underlying the discrete-time dynamics discussed here.
Motivated by recent progress in the experimental development of quantum simulators based on Rydberg atoms, we introduce and investigate the dynamics of a class of (1+1)-dimensional quantum cellular automata. These nonequilibrium many-body models, which are quantum generalizations of the Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton, possess two key features: they display stationary behavior and nonequilibrium phase transitions despite being isolated systems. Moreover, they permit the controlled introduction of local quantum correlations, which allows for the impact of quantumness on the dynamics and phase transition to be assessed. We show that projected entangled pair state tensor networks permit a natural and efficient representation of the cellular automaton. Here, the degree of quantumness and complexity of the dynamics is reflected in the difficulty of contracting the tensor network.
Classical (1+1)(1+1)(1+1)-dimensional (D) cellular automata, as for instance Domany-Kinzel cellular automata, are paradigmatic systems for the study of nonequilibrium phenomena. Such systems evolve in discrete time steps, and are thus free of time-discretization errors. Moreover, they display nonequilibrium phase transitions which can be studied by simulating the evolution of an initial seed. At any finite time, this has support only on a finite light cone. Thus, essentially numerically exact simulations free of finite-size errors or boundary effects are possible, leading to high-accuracy estimates of critical exponents. Here, we show how similar advantages can be gained in the quantum regime: The many-body critical dynamics occurring in (1+1)D(1+1)\mathrm{D}(1+1)D quantum cellular automata with an absorbing state can be studied directly on an infinite lattice when starting from seed initial conditions. This can be achieved efficiently by simulating the dynamics of an associated one-dimensional, nonunitary quantum cellular automaton using tensor networks. We apply our method to a model introduced recently and find accurate values for universal exponents, suggesting that this approach can be a powerful tool for precisely studying nonequilibrium universal physics in quantum systems.
Probabilistic cellular automata (CA) provide a classic framework for studying nonequilibrium statistical physics on lattices. A notable example is the Domany-Kinzel CA, which has been used to investigate the process of directed percolation and the critical dynamics of the nonequilibrium phase transition between absorbing and percolating phases. In this work, we construct a nonunitary quantum CA that generalizes the Domany-Kinzel CA and study the resulting dynamical evolution using numerical simulations using the tensor network infinite time-evolving block decimation (iTEBD) algorithm. We demonstrate that the system undergoes the absorbing/percolating phase transition and that the addition of the Hamiltonian generates coherences, which are a distinct feature of quantum dynamics. A proposal for the implementation of the model with Rydberg array is put forward, which does not require local addressing of individual sites.
We employ (1+11+11+1)-dimensional quantum cellular automata to study the evolution of entanglement and coherence near criticality in quantum systems that display nonequilibrium steady-state phase transitions. This construction permits direct access to the entire space-time structure of the underlying nonequilibrium dynamics, and allows for the analysis of unconventional correlations, such as entanglement in the time direction between the ``present'' and the ``past.'' We show how the uniquely quantum part of these correlations---the coherence---can be isolated and that, close to criticality, its dynamics displays a universal power-law behavior on approach to stationarity. Focusing on quantum generalizations of classical nonequilibrium systems: the Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton and the Bagnoli-Boccara-Rechtman model, we estimate the universal critical exponents for both the entanglement and coherence. As these models belong to the one-dimensional directed percolation universality class, the latter provides a key new critical exponent, one that is unique to quantum systems.
Changes in the entanglement structure and critical phenomena are hallmarks of quantum phase transitions. Here, we discuss how they appear in transitions between classes of states with distinct entanglement patterns beyond the paradigm of stable equilibrium phases of matter. Using a mapping between stochastic automata and isometric Tensor Network States (isoTNS), we construct a two-dimensional quantum state from the Domany-Kinzel automaton, which is a (1+1)D process with an absorbing phase transition in the directed percolation class. At the critical point of the automaton, the corresponding isoTNS hosts algebraic correlations in all spatial directions. The continuous parent Hamiltonian of this state has a degenerate ground state manifold. It consists of a product state (the absorbing state) and a second state that undergoes a transition from pairwise entanglement between distant regions, similarly to the W state, to a state with trivial entanglement. Our results demonstrate how the correspondence between isoTNS and classical stochastic evolution can be used to probe the Hilbert space structure beyond stable ground state manifolds.
Quantum and classical temporal correlations in (1+1)D(1 + 1)D(1+1)D Quantum Cellular Automata
We employ (1+1)-dimensional quantum cellular automata to study the evolution of entanglement and coherence near criticality in quantum systems that display nonequilibrium steady-state phase transitions. This construction permits direct access to the entire space-time structure of the underlying nonequilibrium dynamics, and allows for the analysis of unconventional correlations, such as entanglement in the time direction between the "present" and the "past." We show how the uniquely quantum part of these correlations-the coherence-can be isolated and that, close to criticality, its dynamics displays a universal power-law behavior on approach to stationarity. Focusing on quantum generalizations of classical nonequilibrium systems: the Domany-Kinzel cellular automaton and the Bagnoli-Boccara-Rechtman model, we estimate the universal critical exponents for both the entanglement and coherence. As these models belong to the one-dimensional directed percolation universality class, the latter provides a key new critical exponent, one that is unique to quantum systems.