Dynamics and universality in quantum quenches with ultracold atoms

TYPECondensed Matter Seminar
Speaker: Emanuele Dalla Torre
Location:Lidow Nathan Rosen (300)
Abstract:Which tools can we count-on to study the dynamics of interacting quantum systems following a quantum quench? I will open my talk with a (biased) review on recent experiments with ultracold atoms. I will than move to the theoretical efforts to explain them, focusing on the concepts of quantum criticality and universality. Finally, I will present our recent predictions for a quantum quench in which two independent condensates are suddenly coupled. Combining numerics, semi-classics, and field-theories, we find that appropriately rescaled physical observables follow a universal time-evolution. Using this method, we can hope to describe the dynamics of many-body quantum systems without knowing their microscopic details.

REFERENCE: arxiv:1211.5145 (PRL, in press)