Effects Induced by the Initial Condition in the Quantum Kibble–Zurek Scaling for Changing the Symmetry-Breaking Field

• Main Authors: Liang-Jun Zhai, Shuai Yin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-12-01
• Series: Entropy
• Subjects: Kibble–Zurek scaling; initial condition; symmetry-breaking field; finite temperature
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/18/12/446

The Kibble–Zurek scaling describes the driven critical dynamics starting with an equilibrium state far away from the critical point. Recently, it has been shown that scaling behaviors also exist when the fluctuation term changes starting near the critical point. In this case, the relevant initial conditions should be included in the scaling theory as additional scaling variables. Here, we study the driven quantum critical dynamics in which a symmetry-breaking field is linearly changed starting from the vicinity of the critical point. We find that, similar to the case of changing the fluctuation term, scaling behaviors in the driven dynamics can be described by the Kibble–Zurek scaling with the initial symmetry-breaking field being included as its additional scaling variable. Both the cases of zero and finite temperatures are considered, and the scaling forms of the order parameter and the entanglement entropy are obtained. We numerically verify the scaling theory by taking the quantum Ising model as an example.