The Kibble-Zurek Mechanism in a Topological Phase Transition

Abstract

The Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM) is generalized to a class of multi-level systems and applied to study the quenching dynamics of one-dimensional (1D) topological superconductors (TS) with open ends. Unlike the periodic boundary condition, the open boundary condition, that is crucial for the zero-mode Majorana states localized at the boundaries, requires to consider many coupled levels. which is ultimately related to the zero-mode Majorana modes. Our generalized KZM predictions agree well with the numerically exact results for the 1D TS.

5 pages, 2 figures; The last section completely rewritten with more relevant plots in Fig. 2 (Fig 3 removed)

References in corpus (4)

• Superconducting proximity effect and Majorana fermions at the surface of a topological insulator
• Topology induced anomalous defect production by crossing a quantum critical point
• Dynamical formation and manipulation of Majorana fermions in driven quantum wires
• Universal nonequilibrium signatures of Majorana zero modes in quench dynamics

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Floquet topological phase of nondriven $p$-wave nonequilibrium excitonic insulators
• Universal driven critical dynamics across a quantum phase transition in ferromagnetic spinor atomic Bose-Einstein condensates
• Quench Dynamics Across Topological Quantum Phase Transitions
• Kibble-Zurek mechanism in a one-dimensional incarnation of deconfined quantum critical point
• Evidence of a first-order smectic -- hexatic transition and its proximity to tricritical point in smectic films
• Spatiotemporal Evolution of Topological Order Upon Quantum Quench Across the Critical Point
• Kibble-Zurek scaling immune to anti-Kibble-Zurek behavior in driven open systems at the limit of loss difference
• Separation of the Kibble-Zurek Mechanism from Quantum Criticality
• Multipartite Entanglement in Crossing the Quantum Critical Point
• Finite-rate quench in disordered Chern and $Z_2$ topological insulators
• Dynamical Phase Transitions in Periodically Driving 1D Ising Model
• Anomalous Dynamical Scaling at Topological Quantum Criticality