One-half of the Kibble-Zurek quench followed by free evolution

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamics of a 1D quantum Ising chain driven through a critical point, focusing on free evolution and how Kibble-Zurek scaling influences observable quantities like magnetization and Loschmidt echo.

Contribution

It demonstrates how quench-induced scaling relations manifest in the quasi-periodic time evolution of key physical observables at the critical point.

Findings

Quasi-periodic behavior of transverse magnetization during free evolution.

Scaling relations from Kibble-Zurek theory are reflected in the dynamics.

System size influences the periodicity and scaling of observables.

Abstract

We drive the one-dimensional quantum Ising chain in the transverse field from the paramagnetic phase to the critical point and study its free evolution there. We analyze excitation of such a system at the critical point and dynamics of its transverse magnetization and Loschmidt echo during free evolution. We discuss how the system size and quench-induced scaling relations from the Kibble-Zurek theory of non-equilibrium phase transitions are encoded in quasi-periodic time evolution of the transverse magnetization and Loschmidt echo.