Quantum coarsening and criticality in a programmable quantum simulator

Programmable Rydberg atom arrays enable precise, coherent control of hundreds of atoms in two dimensions, making them powerful platforms for exploring quantum many-body physics. In particular, they offer a unique and highly controlled setting for studying quantum phase transitions and quantum criticality—phenomena that are both fundamentally intriguing and experimentally challenging. In this talk, I will present recent experiments investigating the dynamics of a quantum magnet following a quantum phase transition. We observe coarsening dynamics in a strongly correlated quantum system and, using individual atom control, uncover universal aspects of coarsening and the interplay between quantum criticality and non-equilibrium phenomena. Notably, we find an accelerated coarsening process near the critical point and observe long-lived oscillations of the order parameter, analogous to an amplitude ("Higgs") mode. These results open new avenues for studying quantum criticality and out-of-equilibrium physics in highly controlled atomic systems.