Entangled time-crystal phase in an open quantum light-matter system

Mattes, Robert; Lesanovsky, Igor; Carollo, Federico

Abstract

Time crystals are nonequilibrium many-body phases in which the state of the system dynamically approaches a limit cycle. While these phases have recently been the focus of intensive research, it is still far from clear whether they can host quantum correlations. In fact, mostly classical correlations have been observed so far, and time crystals appear to be effectively classical high-entropy phases. Here, we consider the nonequilibrium behavior of an open quantum light-matter system, realizable in current experiments, which maps to a paradigmatic time-crystal model after an adiabatic elimination of the light field. The system displays a bistable regime with coexistent time-crystal and stationary phases, terminating at a tricritical point from which a second-order phase transition line departs. While light and matter are uncorrelated in the stationary phase, the time-crystal phase features bipartite correlations of both quantum and classical nature. Our work unveils that time-crystal phases in collective open quantum systems can sustain quantum correlations, including entanglement, and are thus more than effectively classical many-body phases.

Citation

Mattes, R., Lesanovsky, I., & Carollo, F. (2023). Entangled time-crystal phase in an open quantum light-matter system. Physical Review A, 108(6), Article 062216. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.108.062216

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 24, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 18, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-12
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 23, 2024
• Journal: Physical Review A
• Print ISSN: 2469-9926
• Electronic ISSN: 2469-9934
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 108
• Issue: 6
• Article Number: 062216
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.108.062216
• Keywords: Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics; Open quantum systems; Nonequilibrium systems; Mean field theory
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/28716272
• Publisher URL: https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.108.062216