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arXiv:2203.01468

Quasi time crystal

Xintian Wu

Published Mar 3, 2022• 0 citations
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Abstract

We discuss the possibility of making a quasi time crystal. A simple two-state model is studied to clarify our definition. In a superposition of the ground state and the excited state and the probability of observation varies periodically in time during the lifetime of the excited state. The quasi time crystal is also discussed around the first order quantum phase transition, which is characterized by the degeneracy and crossing of the two lowest-energy states in the infinite-volume limit. Our results have broad validity. As an example, the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model with surface fields is shown to have similar behavior. The oscillating magnetization profile is solved exactly.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2203.01468

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We discuss the possibility of making a quasi time crystal. A simple two-state model is studied to clarify our definition. In a superposition of the ground state and the excited state and the probability of observation varies periodically in time during the lifetime of the excited state. The quasi time crystal is also discussed around the first order quantum phase transition, which is characterized by the degeneracy and crossing of the two lowest-energy states in the infinite-volume limit. Our results have broad validity. As an example, the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model with surface fields is shown to have similar behavior. The oscillating magnetization profile is solved exactly.
We investigate a time-independent many-boson system, whose ground states are quasi-degenerate and become infinitely degenerate in the thermodynamic limit. Out of these quasi-degenerate ground states we construct a quantum state that evolves in time with a period that is logarithmically proportional to the number of particles, that is, T ∼ log N. This boson system in such a state is a quantum time crystal as it approaches the ground state in the thermodynamic limit. The logarithmic dependence of its period on the total particle number N makes it observable experimentally even for systems with very large number of particles. Possible experimental proposals are discussed.
A discrete time crystal (DTC) is a remarkable non-equilibrium phase of matter characterized by the persistent sub-harmonic oscillations of physical observables in periodically driven many-body systems. Motivated by the question of whether such a temporal periodic order can persist when the drive becomes aperiodic, we investigate the dynamics of a Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model under quasi-periodic Thue-Morse (TM) driving. Intriguingly, this infinite-range-interacting spin system can host "quasi-discrete time crystal" (quasi-DTC) phases characterized by periodic oscillations of the magnetization. We demonstrate that our model can host the quasi-DTC analog of both period-doubling DTCs as well as higher-order DTCs. These quasi-DTCs are robust to various perturbations, and they originate from the interplay of "all-to-all" interactions and the recursive structure of the TM sequence. Our results suggest that quasi-periodic driving protocols can provide a promising route for realizing novel non-equilibrium phases of matter in long-range interacting systems.
Abstract Discrete time quasi-crystals are non-equilibrium phenomena with quasi-periodic order in time domain, an extension of the discrete time-crystal phase. As a natural platform to explore the non-equilibrium phases, Rydberg atomic arrays have demonstrated the quantum simulation of the discrete-time crystal phase, associated with quantum many-body scar state. However, the existence of discrete time quasi-crystal in this platform has yet to be conceived. Here, we propose a method to generate the discrete time quasi-crystal behavior by coupling two discrete time-crystals, where two external driving frequencies have the maximum incommensurability. Upon the characterization of the phase diagram and the robustness, we explore the entanglement entropy between two subsystems. We find that the emergence of the aperiodic response appears at an appropriate driving frequency, which could be well interpreted by the model with two coupled oscillators. Our method thus offers the possibilities to explore the phases of matters in the quantum simulator.
Time quasicrystals (TQCs) represent a compelling extension of the concept of time crystals (TCs). While TCs break discrete time-translation symmetry by exhibiting a periodic response at a subharmonic of the driving frequency, TQCs display a more complex temporal order. They respond at multiple incommensurate frequencies, values that are not integer multiples of the fundamental driving frequency, resulting in quasiperiodic dynamics. In this work, we investigate the emergence of a TQC in a disordered quantum Ising chain subjected to a quasiperiodic transverse field. Using exact diagonalization, we find that the transverse magnetization exhibits quasiperiodic oscillations which persist over extended prethermal timescales before eventual decay. This indicates that the TQC exists as a long-lived, prethermal dynamical phase rather than a true equilibrium state. We further assess the robustness of this prethermal TQC against interactions and driving imperfections, confirming its stability under realistic experimental conditions. Finite-size analysis reveals that the prethermal TQC lifetime exhibits minimal dependence on system size. Additionally, we explore the emergence of TQCs in the same chain under symmetric sampling of exchange couplings. Our results demonstrate that the TQC phase is highly sensitive to both the choice of coupling distribution and the values of the driving frequencies. These findings highlight promising experimental prospects for realizing TQCs in cold atomic systems and quantum simulators, providing valuable insights into their stability, dynamical properties, and potential for exploring novel non-equilibrium quantum phases.
Time crystals are nonequilibrium phases of matter characterized by the emergence of temporal ordering, in which an interacting many-body system develops robust structure in its time evolution that is not trivially dictated by the external driving or environment. While related phenomena have long been studied in classical nonlinear systems, their realization in entangled quantum matter represents a distinct frontier. The theoretical understanding of discrete time crystals has substantially advanced, yet recent experiments using modern quantum devices and quantum processors reveal regimes beyond established paradigms. These developments call for an extended classification of time-crystalline phases according to both their stabilization mechanisms and their physical character, including discrete and continuous, closed and open, critical, topological, quasiperiodic, and controlled realizations. We review recent implementations of time crystals on quantum platforms and propose such a classification framework, identifying promising directions for the discovery of novel time-crystalline phases of matter.
We study finite-size effects at first-order quantum transitions (FOQTs). We show that the low-energy properties show a finite-size scaling (FSS) behavior, the relevant scaling variable being the ratio of the energy associated with the perturbation driving the transition and the finite-size energy gap at the FOQT point. The size dependence of the scaling variable is therefore essentially determined by the size dependence of the gap at the transition, which in turn depends on the boundary conditions. Our results have broad validity and, in particular, apply to any FOQT characterized by the degeneracy and crossing of the two lowest-energy states in the infinite-volume limit. In this case, a phenomenological two-level theory provides exact expressions for the scaling functions. Numerical results for the quantum Ising chain in transverse and parallel magnetic fields support the FSS Ansätzes.