Probing quench dynamics across a quantum phase transition into a 2D Ising antiferromagnet

Simulating the real-time evolution of quantum spin systems far out of equilibrium poses a major theoretical challenge, especially in more than one dimension. We experimentally explore the dynamics of a two-dimensional Ising spin system with transverse and longitudinal fields as we quench it across a quantum phase transition from a paramagnet to an antiferromagnet. We realize the system with a near unit-occupancy atomic array of over 200 atoms...