Quench Dynamics in Holographic First-Order Phase Transition

Abstract: In this work, we investigate the real-time dynamics of quenching a state from phase separation in a holographic model of first-order phase transition. In addition to the typical phase-separated and high-energy final states, we have discovered a novel dynamical process that drives the system to a low-temperature supercooled final state within a narrow range of quench parameters. The critical behavior is also revealed during the fully non-linear dynamics. Following a sudden quench with critical parameters, the phase separation can be attracted to a critical nucleus. Specifically, the critical nucleus will subsequently shrink in size and eventually disappear for super-critical parameters, where the system is actually supercooled with a temperature lower than the initial one. While for sub-critical parameters, the nucleus will grow in size and finally reform a phase separation, where the absorbed quenching energy is reflected in the increment of the latent heat.