Localization transitions represent a fundamental class of continuous phase transitions, yet they occur without any accompanying symmetry breaking. We resolve this by introducing the concept of dynamical translational symmetry (DTS), which is defined not by the Hamiltonian but by the long-time dynamics of local observables. Its order parameter, the time-averaged local translational contrast (TLTC), quantitatively diagnoses whether evolution restores or breaks translational equivalence. We demonstrate that the TLTC universally captures the Anderson localization transition, the many-body localization transition, and topological phase transitions, revealing that these disparate phenomena are unified by the emergent breaking of DTS. This work establishes a unified dynamical-symmetry framework for phases transitions beyond the equilibrium paradigm.
Localization transitions represent a fundamental class of continuous phase transitions, yet they occur without any accompanying symmetry breaking. We resolve this by introducing the concept of dynamical translational symmetry (DTS), which is defined not by the Hamiltonian but by the long-time dynamics of local observables. Its order parameter, the time-averaged local translational contrast (TLTC), quantitatively diagnoses whether evolution restores or breaks translational equivalence. We demonstrate that the TLTC universally captures the Anderson localization transition, the many-body localization transition, and topological phase transitions, revealing that these disparate phenomena are unified by the emergent breaking of DTS. This work establishes a unified dynamical-symmetry framework for phases transitions beyond the equilibrium paradigm.
Strongly disordered systems in the many-body localized (MBL) phase can exhibit ground state order in highly excited eigenstates. The interplay between localization, symmetry, and topology has led to the characterization of a broad landscape of MBL phases ranging from spin glasses and time crystals to symmetry protected topological phases. Understanding the nature of phase transitions between these different forms of eigenstate order remains an essential open question. Here, we conjecture that no direct transition between distinct MBL orders can occur in one dimension; rather, an ergodic phase always intervenes. Motivated by recent advances in Rydberg-atom-based quantum simulation, we propose an experimental protocol where the intervening ergodic phase can be diagnosed via the dynamics of local observables.
Uncovering and understanding universal dynamics in matter far from equilibrium remains a key challenge. In this work, we identify a so far unrecognized form of universal behavior that emerges after a sudden symmetry-breaking quench at continuous phase transitions. Our key observation is that the order-parameter fluctuations in Ising models exhibit a compelling temporal collapse across a wide range of system sizes and quench strengths, indicative of an emergent single-variable scaling form. This phenomenon can be explained by introducing a so far unknown dynamical critical exponent for the underlying continuous phase transition. We find evidence for a lower critical effective dimension of this universal regime: it is observed in the 2D quantum and 3D and 4D classical Ising models, but not in the 1D quantum or 2D classical cases. Our results suggest that our observed universal far-from-equilibrium scaling may extend beyond the Ising models studied here and could more broadly characterize systems with non-conserved order parameters, opening new avenues for exploring universal dynamics both theoretically and in current experimental platforms.
Recently, a generalized Landau paradigm has been proposed, in which a broad class of "unconventional" phase transitions lying beyond the original symmetry-breaking framework of Landau are understood as the symmetry-breaking transitions of generalized symmetries. In particular, in (1+1)D, such "topological" or "deconfined" transitions can be mapped to the symmetry-breaking transitions of non-invertible symmetries. How to extract the universal dynamical properties of the transitions from this understanding? In this paper, we follow the Ginzburg-Landau philosophy and develop a field-theoretic description of such critical points in terms of the fluctuations of local order parameters, now of non-invertible symmetries. The Symmetry Topological Field Theory formalism plays a central role in our analysis, allowing us to identify the algebra of local order parameters from the Lagrangian algebra of a (2+1)D topological order. We illustrate the key ideas and the full steps of this generalized Ginzburg-Landau procedure using the transitions between gapped phases with a simple non-invertible symmetry --- the Rep(S3) symmetry.
The breaking of the continuous time-translation symmetry manifests, in Markovian open quantum systems, through the emergence of nonstationary dynamical phases. Systems that display nonequilibrium transitions into these phases are referred to as time crystals, and they can be realized, for example, in many-body systems governed by collective dissipation and long-ranged interactions. Here, we provide a complete analytical characterization of a boundary time-crystal phase transition. This involves exact expressions for the order parameter and for the dynamics of quantum fluctuations, which, in the time-crystalline phase, remains asymptotically non-Markovian as a consequence of the time-translation symmetry breaking. We demonstrate that boundary time crystals are intrinsically critical phases, where fluctuations exhibit a power-law divergence with time. Our results show that a dissipative time-crystal phase is far more than merely a classical nonlinear and nonstationary (limit cycle) dynamics of a macroscopic order parameter. It is rather a genuine many-body phase where the properties of correlations distinctly differ from those of stationary ones.
Topological phase transitions represent a new paradigm beyond conventional Landau-Ginzburg symmetry breaking. Even in the absence of symmetry breaking, the symmetries of a Hamiltonian play an important role in stabilizing topological signatures. In this thesis, we will study the interplay between symmetry and topology in many-body systems, with three distinct physical setups in mind. First, we investigate a two-dimensional system of ultracold bosons which is condensed in the p-band of a triangular lattice. Certain smooth interaction profiles result in non-Abelian symmetry generators of the order parameter manifold, leading to anomalous physical consequences. These include a lack of Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition due to unstable vortex configurations, additional Goldstone modes, and a marginally divergent normal fluid density which implies lack of superfluidity in the thermodynamic limit. Our results suggest possible connections to solid state experiments on 4He films. We then show that disorder which keeps a Hamiltonian in the same Altland-Zirnbauer symmetry class is capable of inducing a topological transition. This is achieved by considering the normalizability of Majorana edge modes in a topological superconductor, and corroborated with entanglement metrics. While degeneracies of the many-body spectrum are robust with respect to weak perturbations, strong disorder can both promote and destroy a topological index. Lastly, we study topological edge modes and degeneracies in atomic, molecular, and optical systems which evolve non-unitarily in time or space due to non-equilibrium effects, including: condensate instabilities after a quench, decoherence channels from an external environment, and dissipation into a medium. Mathematically, the non-unitary evolution is generated by effective Hamiltonians which break Hermiticity. These systems can possess uniquely non-Hermitian symmetries which are absent from equilibrium counterparts. We present a symmetry-based classification, and investigate several systems which can be solved exactly.
Localization-delocalization transition and PT-symmetry breaking via second-neighbor coupling in a Heisenberg spin chain
The exploration of non-Hermitian quantum systems, particularly those governed by parity-time ([Formula: see text])-symmetry, has revealed a rich landscape of unconventional phase transitions and localization phenomena. Spin chains with quasiperiodic potentials and competing Heisenberg interactions provide a versatile framework for probing these effects. In this study, we investigate the dynamical and spectral signatures of [Formula: see text]-symmetry breaking and localization-delocalization transitions in spin chains subjected to a non-Hermitian Aubry-André potential and tunable Heisenberg couplings across nearest ([Formula: see text]) and next-nearest neighbors ([Formula: see text]). Our analysis reveals that increasing [Formula: see text] monotonically shifts the critical point [Formula: see text], while [Formula: see text] induces a non-linear response, generating a distinct minimum in [Formula: see text]. Notably, [Formula: see text] leads to the emergence of partially imaginary eigenvalues beyond [Formula: see text], decoupling the onset of [Formula: see text]-symmetry breaking from the localization transition. Using inverse and normalized participation ratios, we identify three distinct phases: extended, localized, and an intermediate hybrid regime characterized by a mobility edge. To capture the dynamical fingerprints of these phases, we employ time-dependent density distribution, long-time survival probability [Formula: see text], analysis. Extended phases exhibit ballistic spreading and algebraic decay, while localized regimes show spatial confinement and exponential decay. These observables serve as robust indicators of non-Hermitian phase transitions, offering insights beyond static spectral measures. Overall, our findings underscore the critical role of dynamical metrics in characterizing phase structure in non-Hermitian spin systems. As interest in non-equilibrium quantum dynamics continues to grow, such models provide a compelling platform for understanding the interplay between [Formula: see text]-symmetry, localization, and quantum coherence in complex many-body systems.