Topological and dynamical features of periodically driven spin ladders

Studies of periodically driven one-dimensional many-body systems have advanced our understanding of complex systems and stimulated promising developments in quantum simulation. It is hence of interest to go one step further, by investigating the topological and dynamical aspects of periodically driven spin ladders as clean quasi-one-dimensional systems with spin-spin interaction in the rung direction. Specifically, we find that such systems display subharmonic magnetization dynamics reminiscent to that of discrete time crystals (DTCs) at finite system sizes. Through the use of generalized Jordan-Wigner transformation, this feature can be attributed to the presence of corner Majorana p modes (MPMs), which are of topological origin, in the systems' equivalent Majorana lattice. Special emphasis is placed on how the coupling in the rung direction of the ladder prevents degeneracy from occurring between states differing by a single spin excitation, thus preserving the MPM-induced p/T quasienergy spacing of the Floquet eigenstates in the presence of parameter imperfection. This feature, which is absent in their strict one-dimensional counterparts, may yield fascinating consequences in future studies of higher dimensional Floquet many-body systems.

Automated summary

Studies of periodically driven spin ladders reveal subharmonic magnetization dynamics resembling discrete time crystals, attributed to corner Majorana p modes and preserved quasienergy spacing of Floquet eigenstates despite imperfections in the system's parameters. The coupling in the rung direction prevents degeneracy between states differing by a single spin excitation, a feature absent in strict one-dimensional counterparts, which may have intriguing implications for future studies of higher dimensional Floquet many-body systems.