Quantum criticality at infinite temperature

Abstract

Quantum criticality, being important as an indicator of new quantum matters emerging, is known to occur only at zero or low temperature. We find that a quantum probe, if its coherence time is long, can detect quantum criticality at infinitely high temperature. In particular, the echo control over a spin probe can remove the thermal fluctuation effects and hence reveals the quantum fluctuation effects. Probes with quantum coherence time of milliseconds or seconds can be used to study emerging quantum orders that would occur at extremely low temperatures of nano- or pico-Kelvin. This discovery establishes a physical link between time and inverse temperature and provides a new route to the wonderland of quantum matters.