In this paper we analyze a family of one dimensional fully analytically solvable models, named the n-cluster models in a transverse magnetic field, in which a many-body cluster interaction competes with a uniform transverse magnetic field. These models, independently by the cluster size n + 2, exhibit a quantum phase transition, that separates a paramagnetic phase from a cluster one, that corresponds to a nematic ordered phase or a symmetry-protected topological ordered phase for even or odd n respectively. Due to the symmetries of the spin correlation functions, we prove that these models have no genuine multipartite entanglement. On the contrary, for a magnetic field strong enough, a non vanishing concurrence arises between spins at the endpoints of the cluster. Due to their integrability and entanglement properties, the n-cluster models in a transverse magnetic field may serve as a prototype for studying non trivial-spin orderings and as a potential reference system for the applications of quantum information tasks.

We investigate the nature of spontaneous symmetry breaking in complex quantum systems by conjecturing that the maximally symmetry-breaking quantum ground states are the most classical ones corresponding to an ordered phase. We make this argument quantitatively precise by showing that the ground states which realize the maximum breaking of the Hamiltonian symmetries are the only ones that: I) are always locally convertible, i.e. can be obtained from all other ground states by local operations and classical communication, while the reverse is never possible; II) minimize the monogamy inequality for bipartite entanglement; III) minimize quantum correlations, as measured by the quantum discord, for all pairs of dynamical variables and are the only ground states for which the pairwise quantum correlations vanish asymptotically with the intra-pair distance.

We analyze the problem of how different ground states associated to the same set of the Hamiltonian parameters evolve after a sudden quench. To realize our analysis we define a quantitative approach to the local distinguishability between different ground states of a magnetically ordered phase in terms of the trace distance between the reduced density matrices obtained projecting two ground states in the same subset. Before the quench, regardless the particular choice of the subset, any system in a magnetically ordered phase is characterized by ground states that are locally distinguishable. On the other hand, after the quench, the maximum of the distinguishability shows an exponential decay in time. Hence, in the limit of very large time, all the informations about the particular initial ground state are lost even if the systems are integrable. We prove our claims in the framework of the magnetically ordered phases that characterize both the XY model and N -cluster Ising models. The fact that we find similar behavior in models within different classes of symmetry makes us confident about the generality of our results.

Local unitary operations allow for a unifying approach to the quantification of quantum correlations among the constituents of a bipartite quantum system. For pure states, the distance between a given state and its image under least-perturbing local unitary operations is a bona fide measure of quantum entanglement, the so-called entanglement of response, which can be extended to mixed states via the convex roof construction. On the other hand, when defined directly on mixed states perturbed by local unitary operations, such a distance turns out to be a bona fide measure of quantum correlations, the so-called discord of response. Exploiting this unified framework, we perform a detailed comparison between two-body entanglement and two-body quantum discord in infinite XY quantum spin chains both in symmetry-preserving and symmetry-breaking ground states as well as in thermal states at finite temperature. The results of the investigation show that in symmetry-preserving ground states the two-point quantum discord dominates over the two-point entanglement, while in symmetrybreaking ground states the two-point quantum discord is strongly suppressed and the two-point entanglement is essentially unchanged. In thermal states, for certain regimes of Hamiltonian parameters, we show that the pairwise quantum discord and the pairwise entanglement can increase with increasing thermal fluctuations.

We consider a one dimensional spin-1/2 many body systems which initial state is a symmetry broken ground state and in which an evolution is induced by a sudden quench of the Hamiltonian parameters. We show that the long-time behavior of the spin state, can be approximated by the one of an open two level system in which the evolution preserves all the symmetries of the Hamiltonian. Exploiting such a result we analyze the geometric phase associated with the evolution of the single spin state and we prove analytically that its long-time behavior depends on the physical phase realized after the quench. When the system arrives in a paramagnetic phase, the geometric phase shows a periodicity that is absent in the other cases. Such a difference also survives in finite size systems until boundary effects come into play. We also discuss the effects of a explicit violation of the parity symmetry of the Hamiltonian and possible applications to the problem of the entanglement thermalization.