Phase transitions in electron spin resonance under continuous microwave driving

Karabanov, Alexander; Rose, Dominic C.; K�ckenberger, Walter; Garrahan, Juan P.; Lesanovsky, Igor

Abstract

We study an ensemble of strongly coupled electrons under continuous microwave irradiation interacting with a dissipative environment, a problem of relevance to the creation of highly polarized non-equilibrium states
in nuclear magnetic resonance. We analyze the stationary states of the dynamics, described within a Lindblad master equation framework, at the mean-field approximation level. This approach allows us to identify steady state phase transitions between phases of high and low polarization controlled by the distribution of disordered electronic interactions. We compare the mean-field predictions to numerically exact simulations of small systems and find good agreement. Our study highlights the possibility of observing collective phenomena, such as metastable states, phase transitions and critical behaviour in appropriately designed paramagnetic systems. These phenomena occur in a low-temperature regime which is not theoretically tractable by conventional methods, e.g., the spin-temperature approach.

Citation

Karabanov, A., Rose, D. C., Köckenberger, W., Garrahan, J. P., & Lesanovsky, I. (in press). Phase transitions in electron spin resonance under continuous microwave driving. Physical Review Letters, 119, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.150402

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 6, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 11, 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 8, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 11, 2017
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 119
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.150402
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/887148
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.150402
• Contract Date: Sep 8, 2017