Formation and critical dynamics of topological defects in Lifshitz holography

Abstract: We examine the formation and critical dynamics of topological defects via Kibble-Zurek mechanism in a (2+1)-dimensional quantum critical point, which is conjectured to dual to a Lifshitz geometry. Quantized magnetic fluxoids are spontaneously generated and trapped in the cores of order parameter vortices, which is a feature of type II superconductors. Time evolution of the average condensate is found to lag behind the instantaneous equilibrium value of the order parameter, a typical phenomenon in nonequilibrium dynamics. Scalings of vortex number density and the "freeze-out" time match the predictions from Kibble-Zurek mechanism. From these scalings, the dynamic and static critical exponents in the boundary field theory are found, at least at finite temperature, to be irrespective of the Lifshitz exponent in the bulk.