Related papers: Decay of Metastable States: Sharp Transition from …
We investigate the metastability of scalar fields in quantum field theories at finite temperature, focusing on a detailed understanding of the bounce solution. At finite temperature, the bounce solution depends on two variables: the…
We present a mathematical theory of metastable pure states in closed many-body quantum systems with finite-dimensional Hilbert space. Given a Hamiltonian, a pure state is defined to be metastable when all sufficiently local operators either…
It has previously been pointed out that the coexistence of infinite-range and short-range interactions causes a system to have a phase transition of the mean-field universality class, in which the cluster size is finite even at the critical…
We show that the duality phase transition in the unoriented type I theory of open and closed strings is_first order_. The order parameter is the semiclassical approximation to the heavy quark-antiquark potential at finite temperature,…
The asymptotic behavior of the integrated density of states for a randomly perturbed lattice at the infimum of the spectrum is investigated. The leading term is determined when the decay of the single site potential is slow. The leading…
We consider decay of metastable states of forced vibrations of a quantum oscillator close to bifurcation points, where dissipation becomes effectively strong. We show that decay occurs via quantum activation over an effective barrier. The…
The many-body physics at quantum phase transitions shows a subtle interplay between quantum and thermal fluctuations, emerging in the low-temperature limit. In this review, we first give a pedagogical introduction to the equilibrium…
Dielectric measurements at very low temperature indicate that in a glass with the eutectic composition BaO-Al$_2$O$_3$-SiO$_2$ a phase transition occurs at 5.84 mK. Below that temperature small magnetic fields of the order of 10 $\mu$T…
We investigate the phenomenon of sudden transition between classical and quantum decoherence in the study of quantum discord for a dissipative cavity QED system, which consists of two noninteracting two-level atoms, each trapped in a…
For a system near a quantum critical point (QCP), above its lower critical dimension $d_L$, there is in general a critical line of second order phase transitions that separates the broken symmetry phase at finite temperatures from the…
When liquids are cooled sufficiently rapidly below their melting temperature, they may bypass crystalization and, instead, enter a long-lived metastable supercooled state that has long been the focus of intense research. Although they…
We study the critical phenomena of the dynamical transition from a metastable state to a stable state in the model of first-order phase transition via two different triggering mechanisms. Three universal stages during the fully nonlinear…
Amorphous solids exhibit quasi-universal low-temperature anomalies whose origin has been ascribed to localized tunneling defects. Using an advanced Monte Carlo procedure, we create {\it in silico} glasses spanning from hyperquenched to…
Metastable `false' vacuum states are an important feature of the Standard Model of particle physics and many theories beyond it. Describing the dynamics of a phase transition out of a false vacuum via the nucleation of bubbles is essential…
The effect of finite temperature $T$ and finite strain rate $\dot\gamma$ on the statistical physics of plastic deformations in amorphous solids made of $N$ particles is investigated. We recognize three regimes of temperature where the…
We report results of a classical simulation of thermal phase slips, and the associated relaxation of supercurrent, in a ring-shaped one-dimensional superfluid. We find that the classical relaxation rate vanishes in the uniform limit. This…
We study switching between period-two states of an underdamped quantum oscillator modulated at nearly twice its natural frequency. For all temperatures and parameter values switching occurs via quantum activation: it is determined by…
Experimentally observable Quantum Accelerator Modes are used as a test case for the study of some general aspects of quantum decay from classical stable islands immersed in a chaotic sea. The modes are shown to correspond to metastable…
The spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry in periodically driven quantum systems leads to a new phase of matter: discrete time crystals (DTC). This phase exhibits collective subharmonic oscillations that depend upon an interplay…
Ultracold polar molecules, in highly anisotropic traps and interacting via a repulsive dipolar potential, may form one-dimensional chains at high densities. According to classical theory, at low temperatures there exists a critical value of…