Dynamical critical scaling and effective thermalization in quantum quenches: the role of the initial state

TL;DR

This paper investigates how universal dynamical scaling and effective thermalization in quantum quenches depend on the initial state, focusing on a transverse-field XY spin chain near criticality, and identifies conditions for the persistence of Kibble-Zurek scaling.

Contribution

It demonstrates that critical exponents can be encoded in dynamical scaling even from excited states and clarifies when thermalization occurs after a quench to critical points.

Findings

Dynamical scaling exponents reflect ground-state criticality despite finite initial energy.

Kibble-Zurek scaling persists under specific initial excitation conditions.

Thermalization occurs at high initial temperatures for regular critical points but not for multicritical points.

Abstract

We explore the robustness of universal dynamical scaling behavior in a quantum system near criticality with respect to initialization in a large class of states with finite energy. By focusing on a homogeneous XY quantum spin chain in a transverse field, we characterize the non-equilibrium response under adiabatic and sudden quench processes originating from a pure as well as a mixed excited initial state, and involving either a regular quantum critical or a multicritical point. We find that the critical exponents of the ground-state quantum phase transition can be encoded in the dynamical scaling exponents despite the finite energy of the initial state. In particular, we identify conditions on the initial distribution of quasi-particle excitation which ensure Kibble-Zurek scaling to persist. The emergence of effective thermal equilibrium behavior following a sudden quench towards criticality is also investigated, with focus on the long-time dynamics of the quasi-particle excitation. For a quench to a regular quantum critical point, this observable is found to behave thermally provided that the system is prepared at sufficiently high temperature, whereas thermalization fails to occur in quenches taking the system towards a multi-critical point. We argue that the observed lack of thermalization originates in this case in the asymmetry of the impulse region that is also responsible for anomalous multicritical dynamical scaling.