Fractionalized Prethermalization in the One-Dimensional Hubbard Model

Abstract

Prethermalization phenomena in driven systems are generally understood via a local Floquet Hamiltonian obtained from a high-frequency expansion. Remarkably, recently it has been shown that a driven Kitaev spin liquid with fractionalized excitations can realize a quasi-stationary state that is not captured by this paradigm. Instead distinct types of fractionalized excitations are characterized by vastly different temperatures-a phenomenon dubbed "fractionalized prethermalization". In our work, we analyze fractionalized prethermalization in a driven one-dimensional Hubbard model at strong coupling which hosts spin-charge fractionalization. At intermediate frequencies quasi-steady states emerge which are characterized by a low spin and high charge temperature with lifetimes set by two competing processes: the lifetime of the quasiparticles determined by Fermi's Golden rule and the exponentially long lifetime of a Floquet prethermal plateau. We classify drives into three categories, each giving rise to distinct (fractional) prethermalization dynamics. Resorting to a time-dependent variant of the Schrieffer-Wolff transformation, we systematically analyze how these drive categories are linked to the underlying driven Hubbard model, thereby providing a general understanding of the emergent thermalization dynamics. We discuss routes towards an experimental realization of this phenomenon in quantum simulation platforms.