FIG. 3.

Real-time dynamics of string breaking in the long-range Ising model. (a) String breaking as a two-stage process when the exponent α = 1.435 is such that a resonance condition is satisfied. (b) String breaking also takes place with an nonresonant exponent α = 1.1. Note the lack of transient string oscillations, as opposed to the resonant case. Both instances show the domain-wall dynamics ν_i(t), for a system of size L = 17 and ℓ = 3, h_x/J = 0.25. (c) Graphical solution of the resonance condition for the example in (a). $\Delta {\mathcal{E}}_{2,4}$ is the energy difference (in units of J) between the initial state with two kinks and a four-kink state, in which the central spin is flipped.