Abstract:

In this paper, we investigate the dynamical quantum phase transitions appearing in the Loschmidt echo and the time-dependent order parameter of a quantum system of harmonically coupled degenerate bosons as a function of the power-law decay σ of long-range interactions. Following a sudden quench, the nonequilibrium dynamics of this system are governed by a set of nonlinear coupled Ermakov equations. To solve them, we develop an analytical approximation valid at late times. Based on this approximation, we show that the emergence of a dynamical quantum phase transition hinges on the generation of a finite mass gap following the quench, starting from a massless initial state. In general, we can define two distinct dynamical phases characterized by the finiteness of the post-quench mass gap. The Loschmidt echo exhibits periodical nonanalytic cusps whenever the initial state has a vanishing mass gap and the final state has a finite mass gap. These cusps are shown to coincide with the maxima of the time-dependent long-range correlations.

M. Syed, T. Enss, and N. Defenu, “Dynamical quantum phase transition in a bosonic system with long-range interactions”, Phys. Rev. B 103, 064306 (2021).

https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.064306

Related to Project: C02, C03