Far-from-equilibrium universality in the two-dimensional Heisenberg model

We characterize the universal far-from-equilibrium dynamics of the two-dimensional quantum Heisenberg magnet isolated from its environment. For a broad range of initial conditions, we find a long-lived universal prethermal regime characterized by self-similar behavior of spin-spin correlations. We analytically derive the spatial-temporal scaling exponents and find excellent agreement with numerics using phase space methods. The scaling exponents are insensitive to the choice of initial conditions, which include coherent and incoherent spin states with values of total magnetization and energy in a wide range. Compared to previously studied self-similar dynamics in nonequilibrium O(n) field theories and Bose gases, we find qualitatively distinct scaling behavior originating from the presence of spin modes that remain gapless at long times and are protected by the global SU(2) symmetry. Our predictions, which suggest a distinct nonequilibrium universality class from Bose gases and O(n) theories, are readily testable in ultracold atoms simulators of Heisenberg magnets.

Automated summary

We characterize the universal far-from-equilibrium dynamics of a two-dimensional quantum Heisenberg magnet isolated from its environment. We find a long-lived universal prethermal regime characterized by self-similar behavior of spin-spin correlations. The scaling exponents are insensitive to the choice of initial conditions and exhibit qualitatively distinct behavior from other nonequilibrium systems.