Title: Quenching the Kitaev honeycomb model,
Abstract: I studied the non-equilibrium response of an initial Néel state under
time evolution with the Kitaev honeycomb model. This time evolution can be
computed using a random sampling over all relevant flux configurations. With
isotropic interactions the system quickly equilibrates into a steady state
valence bond solid. Anisotropy induces an exponentially long prethermal regime
whose dynamics are governed by an effective toric code. Signatures of topology
are absent, however, due to the high energy density nature of the initial
state.