On quantum quenches at one loop

TL;DR

This paper investigates the effects of one-loop quantum corrections on global quenches in interacting quantum field theories, revealing how renormalization influences early-time dynamics beyond conformal approximations.

Contribution

It introduces a perturbative renormalization approach at one-loop level to analyze quench protocols and their modifications due to RG flow in non-conformal quantum field theories.

Findings

Renormalization modifies quench protocols at one-loop level.

Early-time observable scaling is affected by quantum corrections.

Finite order conformal perturbation theory cannot capture leading order effects.

Abstract

We study global quenches in a number of interacting quantum field theory models away from the conformal regime. We conduct a perturbative renormalization at one-loop level and track the modifications of the quench protocol induced by the renormalization group flow. The scaling of various observables at early times is evaluated in the regime of rapid quench rates, with a particular emphasis placed on the leading order effects that cannot be recovered using the finite order conformal perturbation theory. We employ the canonical ideas of effective action to verify our results and discuss a potential route towards understanding the late time dynamics.