Epidemic Dynamics in Open Quantum Spin Systems

Carlos Pérez-Espigares, Matteo Marcuzzi, Ricardo Gutiérrez, and Igor Lesanovsky
Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 140401 – Published 4 October 2017
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Abstract

We explore the nonequilibrium evolution and stationary states of an open many-body system that displays epidemic spreading dynamics in a classical and a quantum regime. Our study is motivated by recent experiments conducted in strongly interacting gases of highly excited Rydberg atoms where the facilitated excitation of Rydberg states competes with radiative decay. These systems approximately implement open quantum versions of models for population dynamics or disease spreading where species can be in a healthy, infected or immune state. We show that in a two-dimensional lattice, depending on the dominance of either classical or quantum effects, the system may display a different kind of nonequilibrium phase transition. We moreover discuss the observability of our findings in laser driven Rydberg gases with particular focus on the role of long-range interactions.

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  • Received 6 June 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.140401

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & OpticalStatistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Authors & Affiliations

Carlos Pérez-Espigares1, Matteo Marcuzzi1, Ricardo Gutiérrez1,2, and Igor Lesanovsky1

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom and Centre for the Mathematics and Theoretical Physics of Quantum Non-equilibrium Systems, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
  • 2Complex Systems Group, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.

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Issue

Vol. 119, Iss. 14 — 6 October 2017

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