Quantum synchronization at the critical point of Floquet driven Rydberg atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates quantum synchronization at the critical point of Floquet-driven Rydberg atoms using a microwave seed, revealing how criticality enhances collective quantum behavior and synchronization.

Contribution

It introduces a method to induce and study quantum synchronization at a critical point in a driven Rydberg atom system, highlighting the role of seeding in non-equilibrium quantum order.

Findings

Microwave pulses can seed synchronization in Rydberg atoms.

Synchronization depends on seed phase and frequency.

Criticality enhances susceptibility and collective behavior.

Abstract

The criticality enhanced correlations and susceptibility allow weak periodic driving to induce collective synchronization due to critical slowing down, providing a unique platform to study non-equilibrium order emergence. This establishes a powerful paradigm for investigating non-equilibrium order formation, yet the fundamental mechanisms of critical-point synchronization remain poorly understood. Here, we utilize a microwave pulse as a seed to induce quantum synchronization at the critical point of Floquet driven Rydberg atoms. In the experiment, the microwave periodic driving on Rydberg states acts as a seeded temporal order in subspace, which triggers synchronization across the entire ensemble. The behavior of the emergent synchronized oscillation is elaborately linked to alterations in the seed, such as the relative phase shift and the frequency difference, which result in phase-dependent seeding and embryonic synchronization. This result opens up new possibilities for studying and harnessing time-dependent quantum many-body phenomena, offering insight into the behavior of complex many-body systems under seeding.