András Grabarits

Abstract We investigate quantum quenches starting from a critical point and experimentally probe the associated defect statistics using a trapped-ion quantum simulator of the transverse-field Ising model. The cumulants of the defect number distribution exhibit universal scaling with quench depth, featuring Gaussian behavior at leading order and systematic subleading corrections.

Abstract We experimentally demonstrate that a digitized counterdiabatic quantum protocol reduces the number of topological defects created during a fast quench across a quantum phase transition. To show this, we perform quantum simulations of one- and two-dimensional transverse-field Ising models driven from the paramagnetic to the ferromagnetic phase. We utilize superconducting cloud-based quantum processors with up to 156 qubits.

Abstract Crossing a continuous phase transition in finite time induces spontaneous symmetry breaking and the formation of topological defects, such as domain walls and vortices. The AdS/CFT correspondence provides a framework for studying strongly coupled critical dynamics via a dual gravitational theory.