Non-equilibration, synchronization, and time crystals in isotropic Heisenberg models

Abstract

Isotropic but otherwise largely arbitrary Heisenberg models in the presence of a homogeneous magnetic field are considered, including various integrable, non-integrable, as well as disordered examples, and not necessarily restricted to one dimension or short-range interactions. Taking for granted that the non-equilibrium initial condition and the spectrum of the field-free model satisfy some very weak requirements, expectation values of generic observables are analytically shown to exhibit permanent long-time oscillations, thus ruling out equilibration. If the model (but not necessarily the initial condition) is translationally invariant, the long-time oscillations are moreover shown to exhibit synchronization in the long run, meaning that they are invariant under arbitrary translations of the observable. Analogous long-time oscillations are also recovered for temporal correlation functions when the system is already at thermal equilibrium from the outset, thus realizing a so-called time crystal.