Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2206.04422 · Physical review. E

Work statistics and thermal phase transitions

Ze-Zhou Zhang, Wei Wu

Published Sep 6, 2022• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Many previous studies have demonstrated that work statistics can exhibit certain singular behaviors in the quantum critical regimes of many-body systems at zero or very low temperatures. However, as the temperature increases, it is commonly believed that such singularities will vanish. Contrary to this common recognition, we report a nonanalytic behavior of the averaged work done, which occurs at finite temperature, in the Dicke model as well as the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model subjected to the sudden quenches of their work parameters. It is revealed that work statistics can be viewed as a signature of the thermal phase transition when the quenched parameters are tuned across the critical line that separates two different thermal phases.

DOI
10.1103/physreve.106.034104

Related papers

Work statistics and thermal phase transitions

Kwai-Kong Ng, Min-Fong Yang

The investigation of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in quantum many-body systems underscores the importance of quantum work, which differs from its classical counterpart due to its statistical nature. Recent studies have shown that quantum work can serve as an effective indicator of quantum phase transitions in systems subjected to sudden quenches. However, the potential of quantum work to identify thermal phase transitions remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we examine several types of thermal phase transitions in a sudden-quench hard-core boson model, including Ising, three-state Potts, and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions. Through finite-size scaling analysis, we conclude that work statistics can also characterize the critical behaviors of thermal phase transitions in generic many-body systems. This study lays the groundwork for broader applications of work statistics in analyzing critical phenomena across diverse settings.

Physical review. E•Jun 18, 2025•0 citations

Criticality revealed through quench dynamics in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model

Steve Campbell

We examine the dynamics after a sudden quench in the magnetic field of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Starting from the ground state and by employing the time-dependent fidelity, we see manifestly different dynamics are present if the system is quenched through the critical point. Furthermore, we show that the average work shows no sensitivity to the quantum phase transition; however, the free energy and irreversible work show markedly different rates of change in each phase. Finally, we assess the spectral function showing the fundamental excitations that dictate the dynamics of the postquenched system, further highlighting the qualitative differences between the dynamics in the two phases.

arXiv:1608.05325•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Nov 4, 2016•65 citations

Criticality revealed through quench dynamics in a many-body system

Steve Campbell

We examine the dynamics after a sudden quench in the magnetic field of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Starting from the groundstate and by employing the Loschmidt echo, we see manifestly different dynamics are present if the system is quenched through the critical point. Furthermore, we show that the average work shows no sensitivity to the quantum phase transition, however the free energy and irreversible work show markedly different rates of change in each phase. Finally, we assess the spectral function showing the fundamental excitations that dictate the dynamics of the post-quenched system, further highlighting the qualitative differences between the dynamics in the two phases.

•Aug 18, 2016•0 citations

Work statistics and symmetry breaking in an excited-state quantum phase transition

Zakaria Mzaouali, Ricardo Puebla, John Goold +2 more

We examine how the presence of an excited-state quantum phase transition manifests in the dynamics of a many-body system subject to a sudden quench. Focusing on the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model initialized in the ground state of the ferromagnetic phase, we demonstrate that the work probability distribution displays non-Gaussian behavior for quenches in the vicinity of the excited-state critical point. Furthermore, we show that the entropy of the diagonal ensemble is highly susceptible to critical regions, making it a robust and practical indicator of the associated spectral characteristics. We assess the role that symmetry breaking has on the ensuing dynamics, highlighting that its effect is only present for quenches beyond the critical point. Finally, we show that similar features persist when the system is initialized in an excited state and briefly explore the behavior for initial states in the paramagnetic phase.

arXiv:2101.04985•Physical review. E•Mar 25, 2021•23 citations

Detection of Quantum Phase Boundary at Finite Temperatures in Integrable Spin Models

Protyush Nandi, Sirshendu Bhattacharyya, Subinay Dasgupta

Quantum phase transitions occur when quantum fluctuation destroys order at zero temperature. With an increase in temperature, normally the thermal fluctuation wipes out any signs of this transition. Here, we identify a physical quantity that shows nonanalytic behavior at finite temperatures, when an interaction parameter is quenched across the line of quantum phase transition. This quantity under consideration is the long time limit of a form of quantum fidelity. Our treatment is analytic for XY chain and 2D Kitaev model and is numerical for a 3D Hamiltonian applicable to Weyl semimetals.

arXiv:2111.11126•Physical Review Letters•Jun 13, 2022•11 citations

Singularities in large deviations of work in quantum quenches

Pietro Rotondo, Jiří Minář, Juan P. Garrahan +2 more

We investigate large deviations of the work performed in a quantum quench across two different phases separated by a quantum critical point, using as an example the Dicke model quenched from its superradiant to its normal phase. We extract the distribution of the work from the Loschmidt amplitude and compute for both the corresponding large-deviation forms. Comparing these findings with the predictions of the classification scheme put forward in Gambassi and Silva [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 250602 (2012)], we are able to identify a regime which is in fact distinct to the ones identified so far: here the rate function exhibits a nonanalytical point which is a strong indication of the existence of an out-of-equilibrium phase transition in the rare fluctuations of the work.

arXiv:1802.09293•Physical review. B./Physical review. B•Nov 16, 2018•8 citations
Many previous studies have demonstrated that work statistics can exhibit certain singular behaviors in the quantum critical regimes of many-body systems at zero or very low temperatures. However, as the temperature increases, it is commonly believed that such singularities will vanish. Contrary to this common recognition, we report a nonanalytic behavior of the averaged work done, which occurs at finite temperature, in the Dicke model as well as the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model subjected to the sudden quenches of their work parameters. It is revealed that work statistics can be viewed as a signature of the thermal phase transition when the quenched parameters are tuned across the critical line that separates two different thermal phases.
The investigation of nonequilibrium thermodynamics in quantum many-body systems underscores the importance of quantum work, which differs from its classical counterpart due to its statistical nature. Recent studies have shown that quantum work can serve as an effective indicator of quantum phase transitions in systems subjected to sudden quenches. However, the potential of quantum work to identify thermal phase transitions remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we examine several types of thermal phase transitions in a sudden-quench hard-core boson model, including Ising, three-state Potts, and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions. Through finite-size scaling analysis, we conclude that work statistics can also characterize the critical behaviors of thermal phase transitions in generic many-body systems. This study lays the groundwork for broader applications of work statistics in analyzing critical phenomena across diverse settings.
We examine the dynamics after a sudden quench in the magnetic field of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Starting from the ground state and by employing the time-dependent fidelity, we see manifestly different dynamics are present if the system is quenched through the critical point. Furthermore, we show that the average work shows no sensitivity to the quantum phase transition; however, the free energy and irreversible work show markedly different rates of change in each phase. Finally, we assess the spectral function showing the fundamental excitations that dictate the dynamics of the postquenched system, further highlighting the qualitative differences between the dynamics in the two phases.
We examine the dynamics after a sudden quench in the magnetic field of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model. Starting from the groundstate and by employing the Loschmidt echo, we see manifestly different dynamics are present if the system is quenched through the critical point. Furthermore, we show that the average work shows no sensitivity to the quantum phase transition, however the free energy and irreversible work show markedly different rates of change in each phase. Finally, we assess the spectral function showing the fundamental excitations that dictate the dynamics of the post-quenched system, further highlighting the qualitative differences between the dynamics in the two phases.
We examine how the presence of an excited-state quantum phase transition manifests in the dynamics of a many-body system subject to a sudden quench. Focusing on the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model initialized in the ground state of the ferromagnetic phase, we demonstrate that the work probability distribution displays non-Gaussian behavior for quenches in the vicinity of the excited-state critical point. Furthermore, we show that the entropy of the diagonal ensemble is highly susceptible to critical regions, making it a robust and practical indicator of the associated spectral characteristics. We assess the role that symmetry breaking has on the ensuing dynamics, highlighting that its effect is only present for quenches beyond the critical point. Finally, we show that similar features persist when the system is initialized in an excited state and briefly explore the behavior for initial states in the paramagnetic phase.
Quantum phase transitions occur when quantum fluctuation destroys order at zero temperature. With an increase in temperature, normally the thermal fluctuation wipes out any signs of this transition. Here, we identify a physical quantity that shows nonanalytic behavior at finite temperatures, when an interaction parameter is quenched across the line of quantum phase transition. This quantity under consideration is the long time limit of a form of quantum fidelity. Our treatment is analytic for XY chain and 2D Kitaev model and is numerical for a 3D Hamiltonian applicable to Weyl semimetals.
We investigate large deviations of the work performed in a quantum quench across two different phases separated by a quantum critical point, using as an example the Dicke model quenched from its superradiant to its normal phase. We extract the distribution of the work from the Loschmidt amplitude and compute for both the corresponding large-deviation forms. Comparing these findings with the predictions of the classification scheme put forward in Gambassi and Silva [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 250602 (2012)], we are able to identify a regime which is in fact distinct to the ones identified so far: here the rate function exhibits a nonanalytical point which is a strong indication of the existence of an out-of-equilibrium phase transition in the rare fluctuations of the work.