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arXiv:2409.13293

Unique and Universal scaling in dynamical quantum phase transitions

Zhang, Xiang, Liangdong Hu, Fuxiang Li

Published Sep 20, 2024• 0 citations
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Abstract

Universality and scaling are fundamental concepts in equilibrium continuous phase transitions. Here, we unveil a unique and universal scaling behavior of the critical time in slowly driven dynamical quantum phase transition. Going beyond the analogy with equilibrium phase transition, we find that the critical time exhibits a power-law scaling with quenching rate and the scaling exponent is fully determined by underlining universality class. We explain this unique scaling behavior based on the adiabatic-impulse scenario in the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. This universal scaling behavior is verified to be valid not only in noninteracting single-particle system, but also in many-body interacting system, and not only in Hermitian system, but also in non-Hermitian system. Our study unravels a deep and fundamental relationship between dynamical phase transition and equilibrium phase tranition.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2409.13293

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Universality and scaling are fundamental concepts in equilibrium continuous phase transitions. Here, we unveil a unique and universal scaling behavior of the critical time in slowly driven dynamical quantum phase transition. Going beyond the analogy with equilibrium phase transition, we find that the critical time exhibits a power-law scaling with quenching rate and the scaling exponent is fully determined by underlining universality class. We explain this unique scaling behavior based on the adiabatic-impulse scenario in the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. This universal scaling behavior is verified to be valid not only in noninteracting single-particle system, but also in many-body interacting system, and not only in Hermitian system, but also in non-Hermitian system. Our study unravels a deep and fundamental relationship between dynamical phase transition and equilibrium phase tranition.
We investigate the quench dynamics of an open quantum system involving a quantum phase transition. In the isolated case, the quench dynamics involving the phase transition exhibits a number of scaling relations with the quench rate as predicted by the celebrated Kibble-Zurek mechanism. In contact with an environment however, these scaling laws break down and one may observe an anti-Kibble-Zurek behavior: slower ramps lead to less adiabatic dynamics, increasing thus nonadiabatic effects with the quench time. In contrast to previous works, we show here that such anti-Kibble-Zurek scaling can acquire a universal form in the sense that it is determined by the equilibrium critical exponents of the phase transition, provided the excited states of the system exhibit singular behavior, as observed in fully connected models. This demonstrates novel universal scaling laws granted by a system-environment interaction in a critical system. We illustrate these findings in two fully connected models, namely, the quantum Rabi and the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick models. In addition, we discuss the impact of nonlinear ramps and finite-size systems.
Universal scaling laws govern the density of topological defects generated while crossing an equilibrium continuous phase transition. The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) predicts the dependence on the quench time for slow quenches. By contrast, for fast quenches, the defect density scales universally with the amplitude of the quench. We show that universal scaling laws apply to dynamic phase transitions driven by an oscillating external field. The difference in the energy response of the system to a periodic potential field leads to energy absorption, spontaneous breaking of symmetry, and its restoration. We verify the associated universal scaling laws, providing evidence that the critical behavior of nonequilibrium phase transitions can be described by time-average critical exponents combined with the KZM. Our results demonstrate that the universality of critical dynamics extends beyond equilibrium criticality, facilitating the understanding of complex nonequilibrium systems.
When a system is swept through a quantum critical point (QCP), the Kibble-Zurek mechanism predicts that the average number of topological defects follows a universal power-law scaling with the ramp time scale. This scaling behavior is determined by the equilibrium critical exponents of the underlying phase transition. We show that the correspondence between Kibble-Zurek scaling and quantum criticality does not hold generally. In particular, the defect density can exhibit a suppression faster than the Kibble-Zurek prediction even when the quench crosses a critical point, while conventional Kibble-Zurek scaling may persist for quenches through a non-critical point. Our results, based on models representative of a broad class of quasi-one-dimensional Fermi systems, identify the dynamical conditions under which universal defect scaling emerges and clarify the relation between defect generation and equilibrium criticality.
When a system is swept through a quantum critical point, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism predicts that the average number of topological defects follows a universal power-law scaling with the ramp timescale. This scaling behavior is determined by the equilibrium critical exponents of the underlying phase transition. We show that the correspondence between Kibble-Zurek scaling and quantum criticality does not hold generally. In particular, the defect density can exhibit a suppression faster than the Kibble-Zurek prediction even when the quench crosses a critical point, while conventional Kibble-Zurek scaling may persist for quenches through a noncritical point. Our results, based on models representative of a broad class of quasi-one-dimensional Fermi systems, identify the dynamical conditions under which universal defect scaling emerges and clarify the relation between defect generation and equilibrium criticality. © 2026 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.
Dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs) at critical times appear as nonanalyticities during nonequilibrium quantum real-time evolution. Although there is evidence for a close relationship between DQPTs and equilibrium phase transitions, a major challenge is still to connect to fundamental concepts such as scaling and universality. In this work, renormalization group transformations in complex parameter space are formulated for quantum quenches in Ising models showing that the DQPTs are critical points associated with unstable fixed points of equilibrium Ising models. Therefore, these DQPTs obey scaling and universality. On the basis of numerical simulations, signatures of these DQPTs in the dynamical buildup of spin correlations are found with an associated power-law scaling determined solely by the fixed point's universality class. An outlook is given on how to explore this dynamical scaling experimentally in systems of trapped ions.
We study the non-equilibrium dynamics due to slowly taking a quasiperiodic Hamiltonian across its quantum critical point. The special quasiperiodic Hamiltonian that we study here has two different types of critical lines belonging to two different universality classes, one of them being the well known quantum Ising universality class. In this paper, we verify the Kibble Zurek scaling which predicts a power law scaling of the density of defects generated as a function of the rate of variation of the Hamiltonian. The exponent of this power law is related to the equilibrium critical exponents associated with the critical point crossed. We show that the power-law behavior is indeed obeyed when the two types of critical lines are crossed, with the exponents that are correctly predicted by Kibble Zurek scaling.