No Arabic abstract
We construct a class of period-$n$-tupling discrete time crystals based on $mathbb{Z}_n$ clock variables, for all the integers $n$. We consider two classes of systems where this phenomenology occurs, disordered models with short-range interactions and fully connected models. In the case of short-range models we provide a complete classification of time-crystal phases for generic $n$. For the specific cases of $n=3$ and $n=4$ we study in details the dynamics by means of exact diagonalisation. In both cases, through an extensive analysis of the Floquet spectrum, we are able to fully map the phase diagram. In the case of infinite-range models, the mapping onto an effective bosonic Hamiltonian allows us to investigate the scaling to the thermodynamic limit. After a general discussion of the problem, we focus on $n=3$ and $n=4$, representative examples of the generic behaviour. Remarkably, for $n=4$ we find clear evidence of a new crystal-to-crystal transition between period $n$-tupling and period $n/2$-tupling.
We explore adiabatic pumping in the presence of periodic drive, finding a new phase in which the topologically quantized pumped quantity is energy rather than charge. The topological invariant is given by the winding number of the micromotion with respect to time within each cycle, momentum, and adiabatic tuning parameter. We show numerically that this pump is highly robust against both disorder and interactions, breaking down at large values of either in a manner identical to the Thouless charge pump. Finally, we suggest experimental protocols for measuring this phenomenon.
We propose and analyze two distinct routes toward realizing interacting symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases via periodic driving. First, we demonstrate that a driven transverse-field Ising model can be used to engineer complex interactions which enable the emulation of an equilibrium SPT phase. This phase remains stable only within a parametric time scale controlled by the driving frequency, beyond which its topological features break down. To overcome this issue, we consider an alternate route based upon realizing an intrinsically Floquet SPT phase that does not have any equilibrium analog. In both cases, we show that disorder, leading to many-body localization, prevents runaway heating and enables the observation of coherent quantum dynamics at high energy densities. Furthermore, we clarify the distinction between the equilibrium and Floquet SPT phases by identifying a unique micromotion-based entanglement spectrum signature of the latter. Finally, we propose a unifying implementation in a one-dimensional chain of Rydberg-dressed atoms and show that protected edge modes are observable on realistic experimental time scales.
We investigate an unconventional symmetry in time-periodically driven systems, the Floquet dynamical symmetry (FDS). Unlike the usual symmetries, the FDS gives symmetry sectors that are equidistant in the Floquet spectrum and protects quantum coherence between them from dissipation and dephasing, leading to two kinds of time crystals: the discrete time crystal and discrete time quasicrystal that have different periodicity in time. We show that these time crystals appear in the Bose- and Fermi-Hubbard models under ac fields and their periodicity can be tuned only by adjusting the strength of the field. These time crystals arise only from the FDS and thus appear in both dissipative and isolated systems and in the presence of disorder as long as the FDS is respected. We discuss their experimental realizations in cold atom experiments and generalization to the SU($N$)-symmetric Hubbard models.
By analogy with the formation of space crystals, crystalline structures can also appear in the time domain. While in the case of space crystals we often ask about periodic arrangements of atoms in space at a moment of a detection, in time crystals the role of space and time is exchanged. That is, we fix a space point and ask if the probability density for detection of a system at this point behaves periodically in time. Here, we show that in periodically driven systems it is possible to realize topological insulators, which can be observed in time. The bulk-edge correspondence is related to the edge in time, where edge states localize. We focus on two examples: Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model in time and Bose Haldane insulator which emerges in the dynamics of a periodically driven many-body system.
One of the most important applications of quantum mechanics is the thermodynamic description of quantum gases. Despite the fundamental importance of this topic, a comprehensive description of the thermodynamic properties of non-Hermitian quantum gases is still lacking. Here, we investigate the properties of bosonic and fermionic non-Hermitian systems at finite temperatures. We show that non-Hermitian systems exihibit oscillations both in temperature and imaginary time. As such, they can be a possible platform to realize an imaginary time crystal (iTC) phase. The Hatano-Nelson model is identified as a simple lattice model to reveal this effect. In addition, we show that the conditions for the iTC to be manifest are the same as the conditions for the presence of disorder points, where the correlation functions show oscillating behavior. This analysis makes clear that our realization of iTC is effectively a way to filter one specific Matsubara mode. In this realization, the Matsubara frequency, that enters as a mathematical tool to compute correlation functions for finite temperatures, can be measured experimentally.