Abstract
Tensor network algorithms provide a suitable route for tackling real-time dependent problems in lattice gauge theories, enabling the investigation of out-of-equilibrium dynamics. We analyze a U(1) lattice gauge theory in (1+1) dimensions in the presence of dynamical matter for different mass and electric field couplings, a theory akin to quantum-electrodynamics in one-dimension, which displays string-breaking: the confining string between charges can spontaneously break during quench experiments, giving rise to charge-anticharge pairs according to the Schwinger mechanism. We study the real-time spreading of excitations in the system by means of electric field and particle fluctuations: we determine a dynamical state diagram for string breaking and quantitatively evaluate the time-scales for mass production. We also show that the time evolution of the quantum correlations can be detected via bipartite von Neumann entropies, thus demonstrating that the Schwinger mechanism is tightly linked to entanglement spreading. To present the variety of possible applications of this simulation platform, we show how one could follow the real-time scattering processes between mesons and the creation of entanglement during scattering processes. Finally, we test the quality of quantum simulations of these dynamics, quantifying the role of possible imperfections in cold atoms, trapped ions, and superconducting circuit systems. Our results demonstrate how entanglement properties can be used to deepen our understanding of basic phenomena in the real-time dynamics of gauge theories such as string breaking and collisions.
Highlights
The mechanism of quark confinement stands as a key concept in our understanding of the fundamental interactions in high-energy physics [1,2,3,4]
We presented a detailed tensor network study on the realtime dynamics of a lattice gauge theory in the presence of dynamical charges and quantum gauge fields
We investigated the primary and secondary string breaking in quantum electrodynamics (QED) in ð1 þ 1Þd, represented by an S 1⁄4 1 quantum link model with staggered fermions
Summary
The mechanism of quark confinement stands as a key concept in our understanding of the fundamental interactions in high-energy physics [1,2,3,4]. Efficient numerical methods based on TNs have found widespread applications to the real-time dynamics of strongly correlated low-dimensional systems [12] They are nowadays routinely used to tackle a variety of condensed-matter and atomic physics problems, such as the evaluation of spectral functions of low-dimensional magnets and the quench or controlled dynamics of ultracold quantum gases in optical lattices [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26].
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