Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations

Stochastic processes with absorbing states feature examples of non-equilibrium universal phenomena. While the classical regime has been thoroughly investigated in the past, relatively little is known about the behavior of these non-equilibrium systems in the presence of quantum fluctuations. Here we...

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Main Authors: Marcuzzi, Matteo, Buchhold, Michael, Diehl, Sebastian, Lesanovsky, Igor
Format: Article
Published: American Physical Society 2016
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34313/
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author Marcuzzi, Matteo
Buchhold, Michael
Diehl, Sebastian
Lesanovsky, Igor
author_facet Marcuzzi, Matteo
Buchhold, Michael
Diehl, Sebastian
Lesanovsky, Igor
author_sort Marcuzzi, Matteo
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Stochastic processes with absorbing states feature examples of non-equilibrium universal phenomena. While the classical regime has been thoroughly investigated in the past, relatively little is known about the behavior of these non-equilibrium systems in the presence of quantum fluctuations. Here we theoretically address such a scenario in an open quantum spin model which in its classical limit undergoes a directed percolation phase transition. By mapping the problem to a non-equilibrium field theory, we show that the introduction of quantum fluctuations stemming from coherent, rather than statistical, spin-flips alters the nature of the transition such that it becomes first-order. In the intermediate regime, where classical and quantum dynamics compete on equal terms, we highlight the presence of a bicritical point with universal features different from the directed percolation class in low dimension. We finally propose how this physics could be explored within gases of interacting atoms excited to Rydberg states.
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spelling nottingham-343132020-05-04T17:56:11Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34313/ Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations Marcuzzi, Matteo Buchhold, Michael Diehl, Sebastian Lesanovsky, Igor Stochastic processes with absorbing states feature examples of non-equilibrium universal phenomena. While the classical regime has been thoroughly investigated in the past, relatively little is known about the behavior of these non-equilibrium systems in the presence of quantum fluctuations. Here we theoretically address such a scenario in an open quantum spin model which in its classical limit undergoes a directed percolation phase transition. By mapping the problem to a non-equilibrium field theory, we show that the introduction of quantum fluctuations stemming from coherent, rather than statistical, spin-flips alters the nature of the transition such that it becomes first-order. In the intermediate regime, where classical and quantum dynamics compete on equal terms, we highlight the presence of a bicritical point with universal features different from the directed percolation class in low dimension. We finally propose how this physics could be explored within gases of interacting atoms excited to Rydberg states. American Physical Society 2016-06-17 Article PeerReviewed Marcuzzi, Matteo, Buchhold, Michael, Diehl, Sebastian and Lesanovsky, Igor (2016) Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations. Physical Review Letters, 116 (24). p. 245701. ISSN 0031-9007 http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.245701 doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.245701 doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.245701
spellingShingle Marcuzzi, Matteo
Buchhold, Michael
Diehl, Sebastian
Lesanovsky, Igor
Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title_full Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title_fullStr Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title_full_unstemmed Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title_short Absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
title_sort absorbing state phase transition with competing quantum and classical fluctuations
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34313/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34313/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/34313/