Thermalization dynamics of a gauge theory on a quantum simulator
Year: 2022
Authors: Zhou Z.-Y.; Su G.-X.; Halimeh J.C.; Ott R.; Sun H.; Hauke P.; Yang B.; Yuan Z.-S.; Berges J.; Pan J.-W.
Autors Affiliation: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Schoolof Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitdt Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; CASCenter for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; INO-CNR BEC Center and Department ofPhysics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Trento, Italy; Institute for Theoretical Physics, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitdt Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Institut f
Abstract: Gauge theories form the foundation of modern physics, with applications ranging from elementary particle physics and early-universe cosmology to condensed matter systems. We perform quantum simulations of the unitary dynamics of a U(1) symmetric gauge field theory and demonstrate emergent irreversible behavior. The highly constrained gauge theory dynamics are encoded in a one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard simulator, which couples fermionic matter fields through dynamical gauge fields. We investigated global quantum quenches and the equilibration to a steady state well approximated by a thermal ensemble. Our work may enable the investigation of elusive phenomena, such as Schwinger pair production and string breaking, and paves the way for simulating more complex, higher-dimensional gauge theories on quantum synthetic matter devices.
Journal/Review: SCIENCE (NEW YORK, N.Y.)
Volume: 377 (6603) Pages from: 311 to: 314
KeyWords: INVARIANCEDOI: 10.1126/science.abl6277