Critical Thermalization of a Disordered Dipolar Spin System in Diamond

G. Kucsko, S. Choi, J. Choi, P. C. Maurer, H. Zhou, R. Landig, H. Sumiya, S. Onoda, J. Isoya, F. Jelezko, E. Demler, N. Y. Yao, and M. D. Lukin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 023601 – Published 9 July 2018
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Abstract

Statistical mechanics underlies our understanding of macroscopic quantum systems. It is based on the assumption that out-of-equilibrium systems rapidly approach their equilibrium states, forgetting any information about their microscopic initial conditions. This fundamental paradigm is challenged by disordered systems, in which a slowdown or even absence of thermalization is expected. We report the observation of critical thermalization in a three dimensional ensemble of 106 electronic spins coupled via dipolar interactions. By controlling the spin states of nitrogen vacancy color centers in diamond, we observe slow, subexponential relaxation dynamics and identify a regime of power-law decay with disorder-dependent exponents; this behavior is modified at late times owing to many-body interactions. These observations are quantitatively explained by a resonance counting theory that incorporates the effects of both disorder and interactions.

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  • Received 3 January 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.023601

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Statistical Physics & ThermodynamicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

G. Kucsko1, S. Choi1, J. Choi1,2, P. C. Maurer3, H. Zhou1, R. Landig1, H. Sumiya4, S. Onoda5, J. Isoya6, F. Jelezko7, E. Demler1, N. Y. Yao8, and M. D. Lukin1,*

  • 1Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 2School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
  • 3Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
  • 4Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Itami, Hyougo, 664-0016, Japan
  • 5Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292, Japan
  • 6Research Centre for Knowledge Communities, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8550, Japan
  • 7Institut für Quantenoptik, Universität Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
  • 8Department of Physics, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

  • *To whom correspondence should be addressed. lukin@physics.harvard.edu.

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Issue

Vol. 121, Iss. 2 — 13 July 2018

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