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arXiv · 2002.00812

Quantum walk versus classical wave: Distinguishing ground states of quantum magnets by spacetime dynamics

Piotr Wrzosek·Krzysztof Wohlfeld·Damian Hofmann·Tomasz Sowiński·Michael A. Sentef
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Abstract

We investigate the wavepacket spreading after a single spin flip in prototypical two-dimensional ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic quantum spin systems. We find characteristic spatial magnon density profiles: While the ferromagnet shows a square-shaped pattern reflecting the underlying lattice structure, as exhibited by quantum walkers, the antiferromagnet shows a circular-shaped pattern which hides the lattice structure and instead resembles a classical wave pattern. We trace these fundamentally different behaviors back to the distinctly different magnon energy-momentum dispersion relations and also provide a real-space interpretation. Our findings point to new opportunities for real-time, real-space imaging of quantum magnets both in materials science and in quantum simulators.

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Piotr Wrzosek, Krzysztof Wohlfeld, Damian Hofmann, Tomasz Sowiński, Michael A. Sentef. 2020-02-03. Quantum walk versus classical wave: Distinguishing ground states of quantum magnets by spacetime dynamics. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.102.024440

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