Universal Defect Statistics in Reverse Quenches

Abstract

We derive an extension of the generalized Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM), which provides a stochastic approach to defect formation, to reverse quench protocols. While the universal scaling behavior of defects in reverse quenches has been observed previously in certain 1D chains, we argument from a probability-theoretical perspective that this scaling persists in general, and is given by the double of the defect density variance in forward quenches. We validate these results analytically for the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model and numerically for its bond-disordered variant governed by an infinite randomness fixed point. Starting from the paramagnetic phase, this protocol relies solely on global control of the system's magnetic field and global magnetization measurements, enabling the extraction of critical exponents without microscopic access to individual defects. This approach offers a robust and experimentally feasible method for probing quantum critical behavior through entirely global operations.

16 pages, 6 figures