Non-ergodic dynamical phase transition via a zero-mode exceptional point in a non-Markov atomic Josephson junction

Abstract

Open quantum systems typically lose their initial memory due to the environmental decoherence resulting in thermalization. We demonstrate a striking breakdown of this paradigm in a head-to-tail Bose-Josephson junction, which is described by an intrinsically momentum-coupled Caldeira-Leggett model. Through exact non-Markov Langevin simulations, we discover a novel type of non-ergodic dynamical phase transitions into a running state, which has no counterpart in Markov limit. Crucially, we reveal that this transition is fundamentally governed by a zero-mode exceptional point emerging from the non-Markov friction. This topological origin is characterized by the winding of the response function. Finally, numerical quantum simulations of an equivalent driven XXZ spin chain confirm that this exceptional-point-induced signature robustly survives as a dynamical crossover against strong quantum fluctuations and the dynamical backreaction of the environment. This macroscopic robustness offers a promising platform for long-lived quantum memories in dissipative environments.