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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21320 |
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| _version_ | 1866915951115501568 |
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| author | Xia, Gang Zheng, Yu-Jie Huang, Jing Wu, Chun-Wang Xie, Yi Chen, Ting Wu, Wei Li, Weibin Jing, Hui Zhang, Jie Zhou, Yan-Li Chen, Ping-Xing |
| author_facet | Xia, Gang Zheng, Yu-Jie Huang, Jing Wu, Chun-Wang Xie, Yi Chen, Ting Wu, Wei Li, Weibin Jing, Hui Zhang, Jie Zhou, Yan-Li Chen, Ping-Xing |
| contents | The quantum Mpemba effect (ME) in Markovian systems is conventionally explained by a smaller overlap between the initial state and the slowest decay mode (SDM). Such state, initially farther away from equilibrium or steady state, relaxes faster than closer ones, resulting to a crossing of their trajectories. This picture, by neglecting the transient dynamics, holds in the long-time limit. Here we experimentally observe multiple trajectory crossings (multi-ME) in the relaxation dynamics of a trapped ion. Such novel dynamics takes place in a unusual scenario where the initial state instead has a larger overlap with the SDM. We develop a theoretical framework based on relaxation speed to understand the multi-ME. We show that the initial relaxation speed is governed by the fastest decay mode, which together with the SDM overlap gives a phase diagram that reveals both the occurrence and the types of quantum ME observed in our experiment. Our study goes beyond the simple picture based on the long-time limit, tracks continuously the quantum ME dynamics, and establishes a comprehensive framework to describe the transient quantum relaxation. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21320 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Observation of quantum multi-Mpemba effect in a trapped-ion system Xia, Gang Zheng, Yu-Jie Huang, Jing Wu, Chun-Wang Xie, Yi Chen, Ting Wu, Wei Li, Weibin Jing, Hui Zhang, Jie Zhou, Yan-Li Chen, Ping-Xing Quantum Physics The quantum Mpemba effect (ME) in Markovian systems is conventionally explained by a smaller overlap between the initial state and the slowest decay mode (SDM). Such state, initially farther away from equilibrium or steady state, relaxes faster than closer ones, resulting to a crossing of their trajectories. This picture, by neglecting the transient dynamics, holds in the long-time limit. Here we experimentally observe multiple trajectory crossings (multi-ME) in the relaxation dynamics of a trapped ion. Such novel dynamics takes place in a unusual scenario where the initial state instead has a larger overlap with the SDM. We develop a theoretical framework based on relaxation speed to understand the multi-ME. We show that the initial relaxation speed is governed by the fastest decay mode, which together with the SDM overlap gives a phase diagram that reveals both the occurrence and the types of quantum ME observed in our experiment. Our study goes beyond the simple picture based on the long-time limit, tracks continuously the quantum ME dynamics, and establishes a comprehensive framework to describe the transient quantum relaxation. |
| title | Observation of quantum multi-Mpemba effect in a trapped-ion system |
| topic | Quantum Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21320 |