Observation of many-body quantum phase transitions beyond the Kibble-Zurek mechanism
arXiv:2012.01734 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.200601
Abstract
Quantum critical behavior of many-body phase transitions is one of the most fascinating yet challenging questions in quantum physics. Here, we improved the band-mapping method to investigate the quantum phase transition from superfluid to Mott insulators, and we observed the critical behaviors of quantum phase transitions in both dynamical steady-state-relaxation region and phase-oscillation region. Based on various observables, two different values for the same quantum critical parameter are observed. This result is beyond a universal-scaling-law description of quantum phase transitions known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, and suggests that multiple quantum critical mechanisms are competing in many-body quantum phase transition experiments in inhomogeneous systems.
6 pages, 4 figures for main text
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