Quantum critical dynamics in a spinor Hubbard model quantum simulator

TL;DR

This study uses a 3D spinor Bose-Hubbard model quantum simulator to experimentally explore complex quantum critical dynamics across phase transitions, revealing novel behaviors and scaling effects beyond existing theories.

Contribution

It demonstrates that quantum critical dynamics in 3D strongly correlated systems can be effectively studied experimentally using a spinor Bose-Hubbard model quantum simulator, uncovering new phenomena.

Findings

Discovery of novel dynamics and scaling effects at quantum phase transitions.

Identification of spin populations as a new observable for probing critical dynamics.

Scaling exponents are independent of the transition type.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) strongly correlated many-body systems, especially their dynamics across quantum phase transitions, are prohibitively difficult to be numerically simulated. We experimentally demonstrate that such complex many-body dynamics can be efficiently studied in a 3D spinor Bose-Hubbard model quantum simulator, consisting of antiferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates confined in cubic optical lattices. We find novel dynamics and scaling effects beyond the scope of existing theories at superfluid-insulator quantum phase transitions and highlight spin populations as a new observable to probe the quantum critical dynamics. Our data indicate that the scaling exponents are independent of the nature of the quantum phase transitions. We also conduct numerical simulations in lower dimensions using time-dependent Gutzwiller approximations, which qualitatively describe our observations.