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Quantum quenches and work distributions in ultralow-density systems
Yulia E Shchadilova1, Pedro Ribeiro2, Masudul Haque2
1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden, Germany and A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova 38, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
Physical Review Letters
|March 4, 2014
Summary
Quantum quenches in low-density lattice systems exhibit unique power-law work distributions. These "edge singularities" reveal large exponents and distinct intermediate power-law time evolution regimes.
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Condensed matter theory
- Statistical mechanics
Background:
- Quantum quenches probe non-equilibrium dynamics in many-body systems.
- Lattice systems with a fixed particle number in many sites present unique theoretical challenges.
- Power-law work distributions, or "edge singularities," are observed in quantum systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate quantum quenches in low-density lattice systems with a fixed particle number.
- To analyze the characteristics of work distributions and their exponents.
- To explore the observable consequences on the time evolution of these systems.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of quantum quenches in various lattice models.
- Focus on systems with a fixed number of particles in a large number of sites.
- Examination of both local and global quench protocols.
Main Results:
- Generic power-law work distributions ("edge singularities") are found in the low-density limit.
- Edge singularity exponents exceeding those allowed by the thermodynamic limit are demonstrated.
- A distinct intermediate power-law regime in time evolution is identified.
Conclusions:
- The low-density limit of lattice systems offers unique insights into quantum quench dynamics.
- Observable consequences of large edge singularity exponents provide new avenues for experimental verification.
- The findings are robust across different physical models, including Bose-Hubbard and Aubry-Andre systems.
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