Dephasing-induced growth of discrete time-crystalline order in spin networks

A discrete time crystal (DTC) is a quantum phase of matter related to the symmetries of a periodically driven system. It can appear when the initial state breaks these symmetries, and hence the observation of DTCs is intimately related to the symmetry of the initial state. In this paper, we investigate a nontrivial situation in which two interacting regions are simultaneously prepared in two initial states that preserve and break this symmetry. Specifically, we discuss the behavior of such a system under the influence of an environment by extending Floquet theory to the Liouvillian dynamics. Our analysis shows that the entire system evolves toward a DTC phase and is stabilized by the effect of dephasing. Our results provide a new understanding of quantum phases emerging from the competition between the coherent and incoherent dynamics in dissipative nonequilibrium quantum systems.

Automated summary

This paper investigates a nontrivial situation where two interacting regions are simultaneously prepared in two initial states that preserve and break symmetry, discussing the behavior of such a system under the influence of an environment by extending Floquet theory to Liouvillian dynamics. The analysis shows that the entire system evolves towards a DTC phase and is stabilized by the effect of dephasing, providing a new understanding of quantum phases emerging from the competition between coherent and incoherent dynamics in dissipative nonequilibrium quantum systems.