Ergodicity breaking meets criticality in a gauge-theory quantum simulator

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hudomal, Ana, Daniel, Aiden, Santo, Tiago Santiago do Espirito, Kornjača, Milan, Macrì, Tommaso, Halimeh, Jad C., Su, Guo-Xian, Balaž, Antun, Papić, Zlatko
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Hudomal, Ana
Daniel, Aiden
Santo, Tiago Santiago do Espirito
Kornjača, Milan
Macrì, Tommaso
Halimeh, Jad C.
Su, Guo-Xian
Balaž, Antun
Papić, Zlatko
author_facet Hudomal, Ana
Daniel, Aiden
Santo, Tiago Santiago do Espirito
Kornjača, Milan
Macrì, Tommaso
Halimeh, Jad C.
Su, Guo-Xian
Balaž, Antun
Papić, Zlatko
contents Recent advances in quantum simulations have opened access to the real-time dynamics of lattice gauge theories, providing a new setting to explore how quantum criticality influences thermalization and ergodicity far from equilibrium. Using QuEra's programmable Rydberg atom array, we map out the dynamical phase diagram of the spin-1/2 U(1) quantum link model in one spatial dimension by quenching the fermion mass. We reveal a tunable regime of ergodicity breaking due to quantum many-body scars, manifested as long-lived coherent oscillations that persist across a much broader range of parameters than previously observed, including at the equilibrium phase transition point. We further analyze the electron-positron pairs generated during state preparation via the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, which strongly affect the post-quench dynamics. Our results provide new insights into nonthermal dynamics in lattice gauge theories and establish Rydberg atom arrays as a powerful platform for probing the interplay between ergodicity breaking and quantum criticality.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_23794
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Ergodicity breaking meets criticality in a gauge-theory quantum simulator
Hudomal, Ana
Daniel, Aiden
Santo, Tiago Santiago do Espirito
Kornjača, Milan
Macrì, Tommaso
Halimeh, Jad C.
Su, Guo-Xian
Balaž, Antun
Papić, Zlatko
Quantum Gases
Statistical Mechanics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Lattice
Quantum Physics
Recent advances in quantum simulations have opened access to the real-time dynamics of lattice gauge theories, providing a new setting to explore how quantum criticality influences thermalization and ergodicity far from equilibrium. Using QuEra's programmable Rydberg atom array, we map out the dynamical phase diagram of the spin-1/2 U(1) quantum link model in one spatial dimension by quenching the fermion mass. We reveal a tunable regime of ergodicity breaking due to quantum many-body scars, manifested as long-lived coherent oscillations that persist across a much broader range of parameters than previously observed, including at the equilibrium phase transition point. We further analyze the electron-positron pairs generated during state preparation via the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, which strongly affect the post-quench dynamics. Our results provide new insights into nonthermal dynamics in lattice gauge theories and establish Rydberg atom arrays as a powerful platform for probing the interplay between ergodicity breaking and quantum criticality.
title Ergodicity breaking meets criticality in a gauge-theory quantum simulator
topic Quantum Gases
Statistical Mechanics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
High Energy Physics - Lattice
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.23794