One-half of the Kibble-Zurek quench followed by free evolution

Abstract: We drive the one-dimensional quantum Ising chain in the transverse field from the paramagnetic phase to the critical point and study its free evolution there. We analyze excitation of such a system at the critical point and dynamics of its transverse magnetization and Loschmidt echo during free evolution. We discuss how the system size and quench-induced scaling relations from the Kibble-Zurek theory of non-equilibrium phase transitions are encoded in quasi-periodic time evolution of the transverse magnetization and Loschmidt echo.