Excited-state Quantum Phase Transitions Research Articles

Jacobi-type transitions in the interacting boson model

We examine, within the framework of the interacting boson model, the structural evolution along the excitation energy across the saddle points of potential wells in a finite nuclear system, and its connection with excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs). We find that transitions between $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-rigid and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-soft shapes occur as a function of angular momentum, $L$, analogous to the Jacobi transitions occurring in rotating stars. Empirical evidence of these transitions is found in the rotational spectra of $^{156--162}\mathrm{Gd}$.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in a two-fluid Lipkin model

Background: Composed systems have became of great interest in the framework of the ground state quantum phase transitions (QPTs) and many of their properties have been studied in detail. However, in these systems the study of the so called excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) have not received so much attention. Purpose: A quantum analysis of the ESQPTs in the two-fluid Lipkin model is presented in this work. The study is performed through the Hamiltonian diagonalization for selected values of the control parameters in order to cover the most interesting regions of the system phase diagram. [Method:] A Hamiltonian that resembles the consistent-Q Hamiltonian of the interacting boson model (IBM) is diagonalized for selected values of the parameters and properties such as the density of states, the Peres lattices, the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution, and the participation ratio are analyzed. Results: An overview of the spectrum of the two-fluid Lipkin model for selected positions in the phase diagram has been obtained. The location of the excited-state quantum phase transition can be easily singled out with the Peres lattice, with the nearest-neighbor spacing distribution, with Poincar\'e sections or with the participation ratio. Conclusions: This study completes the analysis of QPTs for the two-fluid Lipkin model, extending the previous study to excited states. The ESQPT signatures in composed systems behave in the same way as in single ones, although the evidences of their presence can be sometimes blurred. The Peres lattice turns out to be a convenient tool to look into the position of the ESQPT and to define the concept of phase in the excited states realm.

Quantum phases and entanglement properties of an extended Dicke model

We study a simple model describing superradiance in a system of two-level atoms interacting with a single-mode bosonic field. The model permits a continuous crossover between integrable and partially chaotic regimes and shows a complex thermodynamic and quantum phase structure. Several types of excited-state quantum phase transitions separate quantum phases that are characterized by specific energy dependences of various observables and by different atom–field and atom–atom entanglement properties. We observe an approximate revival of some states from the weak atom–field coupling limit in the strong coupling regime.

Heat capacity for systems with excited-state quantum phase transitions

Heat capacities of model systems with finite numbers of effective degrees of freedom are evaluated using canonical and microcanonical thermodynamics. Discrepancies between both approaches, which are observed even in the infinite-size limit, are particularly large in systems that exhibit an excited-state quantum phase transition. The corresponding irregularity of the spectrum generates a singularity in the microcanonical heat capacity and affects smoothly the canonical heat capacity.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions studied from a non-Hermitian perspective

A main distinguishing feature of non-Hermitian quantum mechanics is the presence of exceptional points (EPs). They correspond to the coalescence of two energy levels and their respective eigenvectors. Here, we use the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model as a testbed to explore the strong connection between EPs and the onset of excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs). We show that for finite systems, the exact degeneracies (EPs) obtained with the non-Hermitian LMG Hamiltonian continued into the complex plane are directly linked with the avoided crossings that characterize the ESQPTs for the real (physical) LMG Hamiltonian. The values of the complex control parameter $\alpha$ that lead to the EPs approach the real axis as the system size $N\rightarrow \infty$. This happens for both, the EPs that are close to the separatrix that marks the ESQPT and also for those that are far away, although in the latter case, the rate the imaginary part of $\alpha$ reduces to zero as $N$ increases is smaller. With the method of Pad\'e approximants, we can extract the critical value of $\alpha$.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in the two-spin elliptic Gaudin model.

We study the integrability of the two-spin elliptic Gaudin model for arbitrary values of the Hamiltonian parameters. The limit of a very large spin coupled to a small one is well described by a semiclassical approximation with just one degree of freedom. Its spectrum is divided into bands that do not overlap if certain conditions are fulfilled. In spite of the fact that there are no quantum phase transitions in each of the band heads, the bands show excited-state quantum phase transitions separating a region in which the parity symmetry is broken from another region in which time-reversal symmetry is broken. We derive analytical expressions for the critical energies in the semiclassical approximation, and confirm the results by means of exact diagonalizations for large systems.

Thermal and quantum phase transitions in atom-field systems: a microcanonical analysis

The thermodynamical properties of a generalized Dicke model are calculated and related with the critical properties of its energy spectrum, namely the quantum phase transitions (QPT) and excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPT). The thermal properties are calculated both in the canonical and the microcanonical ensembles. The latter deduction allows for an explicit description of the relation between thermal and energy spectrum properties. While in an isolated system the subspaces with different pseudospin are disconnected, and the whole energy spectrum is accessible, in the statistical ensemble the situation is radically different. The multiplicity of the lowest energy states for each pseudospin completely dominates the thermal behavior, making the set of degenerate states with the smallest pseudospin at a given energy the only ones playing a role in the thermal properties. As a result, the states in the region with positive thermal energy cannot be thermally populated because their negligible probability, making that energy region thermally unreachable at finite temperatures. The quantum phase transitions of the lowest energy states, from a normal to a superradiant phase, produce the thermal transition. The other critical phenomena, the ESQPTs occurring at excited energies, have no manifestation in the thermodynamics, although their effects could be seen in finite size corrections. A new superradiant phase is found, which only exists in the generalized model, and can be relevant in finite size systems.

Excited-state quantum phase transition in the Rabi model

The Rabi model, a two-level atom coupled to a harmonic oscillator, can undergo a second-order quantum phase transition (QPT) [M. -J. Hwang et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 180404 (2015)]. Here we show that the Rabi QPT accompanies critical behavior in the higher energy excited states, i.e., the excited-state QPT (ESQPT). We derive analytic expressions for the semiclassical density of states, which shows a logarithmic divergence at a critical energy eigenvalue in the broken symmetry (superradiant) phase. Moreover, we find that the logarithmic singularities in the density of states leads to singularities in the relevant observables in the system such as photon number and atomic polarization. We corroborate our analytical semiclassical prediction of the ESQPT in the Rabi model with its numerically exact quantum mechanical solution.

Classical chaos in atom-field systems.

The relation between the onset of chaos and critical phenomena, like quantum phase transitions (QPTs) and excited-state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs), is analyzed for atom-field systems. While it has been speculated that the onset of hard chaos is associated with ESQPTs based in the resonant case, the off-resonant cases, and a close look at the vicinity of the QPTs in resonance, show clearly that both phenomena, ESQPTs and chaos, respond to different mechanisms. The results are supported in a detailed numerical study of the dynamics of the semiclassical Hamiltonian of the Dicke model. The appearance of chaos is quantified calculating the largest Lyapunov exponent for a wide sample of initial conditions in the whole available phase space for a given energy. The percentage of the available phase space with chaotic trajectories is evaluated as a function of energy and coupling between the qubit and bosonic part, allowing us to obtain maps in the space of coupling and energy, where ergodic properties are observed in the model. Different sets of Hamiltonian parameters are considered, including resonant and off-resonant cases.

Entropy, chaos, and excited-state quantum phase transitions in the Dicke model.

We study nonequilibrium processes in an isolated quantum system-the Dicke model-focusing on the role played by the transition from integrability to chaos and the presence of excited-state quantum phase transitions. We show that both diagonal and entanglement entropies are abruptly increased by the onset of chaos. Also, this increase ends in both cases just after the system crosses the critical energy of the excited-state quantum phase transition. The link between entropy production, the development of chaos, and the excited-state quantum phase transition is more clear for the entanglement entropy.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in many-body systems with infinite-range interaction: Localization, dynamics, and bifurcation

Excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) are generalizations of quantum phase transitions (QPTs) to excited levels. They are associated with local divergences in the density of states. Here, we investigate how the presence of an ESQPT can be detected from the analysis of the structure of the Hamiltonian matrix, the level of localization of the eigenstates, the onset of bifurcation, and the speed of the system evolution. Our findings are illustrated for a Hamiltonian with infinite-range Ising interaction in a transverse field. This is a version of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model and the limiting case of the one-dimensional spin-1/2 system with tunable interactions realized with ion traps. From our studies for the dynamics, we uncover similarities between the LMG and the noninteracting XX models.

Effects of excited state quantum phase transitions on system dynamics

This work is concerned with the excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPTs) defined in Ann. Phys. 323, 1106 (2008). In many‐body models that exhibit such transitions, the ground state quantum phase transition (QPT) occurs in parallel with a singularity in the energy spectrum that propagates to higher energies as the control parameter increases beyond the QPT critical point. The analysis of the spectrum has been a main tool for the detection of these ESQPTs. Studies of the effects of this transition on the system dynamics are more limited. Here, we extend our previous works and show that the evolution of an initial state with energy close to the ESQPT critical point may be extremely slow. This result is surprising, because it may take place in systems with long‐range interactions, where the dynamics is usually expected to be very fast. A timely example is the one‐dimensional spin‐1/2 model with infinite‐range Ising interaction studied in experiments with ion traps. Its Hamiltonian has a U(2) algebraic structure. More generally, the slow dynamics described here occurs in two‐level bosonic or fermionic models with pairing interactions and a Hamiltonian exhibiting a QPT between its limiting and dynamical symmetries. In this work, we compare the results for , and 3.

Classification of excited-state quantum phase transitions for arbitrary number of degrees of freedom

Classical stationary points of an analytic Hamiltonian induce singularities of the density of quantum energy levels and their flow with a control parameter in the system's infinite-size limit. We show that for a system with f degrees of freedom, a non-degenerate stationary point with index r causes a discontinuity (for r even) or divergence (r odd) of the (f−1) th derivative of both density and flow of the spectrum. An increase of flatness for a degenerate stationary point shifts the singularity to lower derivatives. The findings are verified in an f=3 toy model.

Structure of eigenstates and quench dynamics at an excited-state quantum phase transition

We study the structure of the eigenstates and the dynamics of a system that undergoes an excited state quantum phase transition (ESQPT). The analysis is performed for two-level pairing models characterized by a U(n+1) algebraic structure. They exhibit a second order phase transition between two limiting dynamical symmetries represented by the U(n) and SO(n+1) subalgebras. They are, or can be mapped onto, models of interacting bosons. We show that the eigenstates with energies very close to the ESQPT critical point, E_{ESQPT}, are highly localized in the U(n)-basis. Consequently, the dynamics of a system initially prepared in a U(n)-basis vector with energy close to E_{ESQPT} may be extremely slow. Signatures of an ESQPT can therefore be found in the structures of the eigenstates and in the speed of the system evolution after a sudden quench. Our findings can be tested experimentally with trapped ions.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in finite many-body systems

Quantum spectra of excited states of numerous collective many-body models show singularities related to stable and unstable stationary points of the corresponding classical dynamics. We show several examples of these singularities and discuss some of their consequences.

Time delayed control of excited state quantum phase transitions in the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model

We theoretically investigate the role of dissipation in excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPT) within the Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick model. Signatures of the ESQPT are directly visible in the complex spectrum of an effective Hamiltonian, whereas they get smeared out in the time-dependence of system observables. In the latter case, we show how delayed feedback control can be used to restore the visibility of the ESQPT signals.

Critical Behavior of the Energy Gap and Its Relation with the Berry Phase Close to the Excited State Quantum Phase Transition in the Lipkin Model**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11204012 and 91321103.

In our previous work [Phys. Rev. A 85 (2012) 044102], we studied the Berry phase of the ground state and exited states in the Lipkin model. In this work, using the Hellmann—Feynman theorem, we derive the relation between the energy gap and the Berry phase closed to the excited state quantum phase transition (ESQPT) in the Lipkin model. It is found that the energy gap is approximately linearly dependent on the Berry phase being closed to the ESQPT for large N. As a result, the critical behavior of the energy gap is similar to that of the Berry phase. In addition, we also perform a semiclassical qualitative analysis about the critical behavior of the energy gap.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions in systems with two degrees of freedom: II. Finite-size effects

This article extends our previous analysis Stránský et al. (2014) of Excited-State Quantum Phase Transitions (ESQPTs) in systems of dimension two. We focus on the oscillatory component of the quantum state density in connection with ESQPT structures accompanying a first-order ground-state transition. It is shown that a separable (integrable) system can develop rather strong finite-size precursors of ESQPT expressed as singularities in the oscillatory component of the state density. The singularities originate in effectively 1-dimensional dynamics and in some cases appear in multiple replicas with increasing excitation energy. Using a specific model example, we demonstrate that these precursors are rather resistant to proliferation of chaotic dynamics.

Excited-state quantum phase transitions and periodic dynamics

We investigate signatures of the excited-state quantum phase transition in the periodic dynamics of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model and the Tavis-Cummings model. In the thermodynamic limit, expectation values of observables in eigenstates of the system can be calculated using classical trajectories. Motivated by this, we suggest a method based on the time evolution of the finite-size system, to find singularities in observables, which arise due to the excited-state quantum phase transition.

Quantum phase transitions of atom-molecule Bose mixtures in a double-well potential.

The ground state and spectral properties of Bose gases in double-well potentials are studied in two different scenarios: (i) an interacting atomic Bose gas, and (ii) a mixture of an atomic gas interacting with diatomic molecules. A ground state second-order quantum phase transition is observed in both scenarios. For large attractive values of the atom-atom interaction, the ground state is degenerate. For repulsive and small attractive interaction, the ground state is not degenerate and is well approximated by a boson coherent state. Both systems depict an excited state quantum phase transition. In both cases, a critical energy separates a region in which all the energy levels are degenerate in pairs, from another region in which there are no degeneracies. For the atomic system, the critical point displays a singularity in the density of states, whereas this behavior is largely smoothed for the mixed atom-molecule system.