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Dynamical topological quantum phase transitions for mixed states

M. Heyl and J. C. Budich
Phys. Rev. B 96, 180304(R) – Published 21 November 2017

Abstract

We introduce and study the dynamical probes of band-structure topology in the postquench time evolution of quantum many-body systems initialized in mixed states. Our construction generalizes the notion of dynamical quantum phase transitions (DQPTs), a real-time counterpart of conventional equilibrium phase transitions in quantum dynamics, to finite temperatures and generalized Gibbs ensembles. The nonanalytical signatures hallmarking these mixed-state DQPTs are found to be characterized by observable phase singularities manifesting in the dynamical formation of vortex-antivortex pairs in the interferometric phase of the density matrix. Studying quenches in Chern insulators, we find that changes in the topological properties of the Hamiltonian can be identified in this scenario, without ever preparing a topologically nontrivial or low-temperature initial state. Our observations are of immediate relevance for current experiments aimed at realizing topological phases in ultracold atomic gases.

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  • Received 29 May 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.180304

©2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

M. Heyl1 and J. C. Budich2

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Straße 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden

See Also

Mixed state dynamical quantum phase transitions

Utso Bhattacharya, Souvik Bandyopadhyay, and Amit Dutta
Phys. Rev. B 96, 180303(R) (2017)

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Issue

Vol. 96, Iss. 18 — 1 November 2017

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