Quantitative verification of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism in quantum non-equilibrium dynamics

TL;DR

This study experimentally verifies the core prediction of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism regarding defect density scaling in quantum phase transitions, using a high-fidelity nine-stage optical interferometer.

Contribution

It provides the first direct experimental support for the KZM scaling laws in quantum non-equilibrium dynamics with a high-fidelity optical setup.

Findings

Supports the central prediction of KZM in quantum systems

Demonstrates high-fidelity nine-stage optical interferometry

Enhances optical quantum simulation capabilities

Abstract

The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) captures the key physics in the non-equilibrium dynamics of second-order phase transitions, and accurately predict the density of the topological defects formed in this process. However, despite much effort, the veracity of the central prediction of KZM, i.e., the scaling of the density production and the transit rate, is still an open question. Here, we performed an experiment, based on a nine-stage optical interferometer with an overall fidelity up to 0.975$\pm$0.008, that directly supports the central prediction of KZM in quantum non-equilibrium dynamics. In addition, our work has significantly upgraded the number of stages of the optical interferometer to nine with a high fidelity, this technique can also help to push forward the linear optical quantum simulation and computation.