We propose a new approach to extract the important degrees of freedom in quantum dynamics induced by an external stimulus. We calculate the coefficient matrix numerically, where the $i-l$ element of the matrix is the coefficient of the $l\mathrm{th}$ basis state at the $i\mathrm{th}$ discretized time in the solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation induced by the external stimulus. By performing a randomized singular value decomposition of the coefficient matrix, a practically exact solution is obtained using a linear combination of the important modes, where the number of modes is much smaller than the dimensions of the Hilbert space in many cases. We apply this method to the analysis of the light absorption spectrum in two-dimensional (2D) Mott insulators using an effective model of the 2D Hubbard model in the strong interaction case. From the dynamics induced by an ultrashort weak light pulse, we find that the practically exact light absorption spectrum can be reproduced by as few as 1000 energy eigenstates in the $1.7\times {10}^7$-dimension Hilbert space of a 26-site cluster. These one-photon active energy eigenstates are classified into free holon and doublon (H-D) and localized H-D states. In the free H-D states, the main effect of the spin degrees of freedom on the transfer of a holon (H) and a doublon (D) is the phase shift, and the H and the D move freely. In the localized H-D states, an H and a D are localized with relative distances of $\sqrt{5}$ or $\sqrt{13}$. The antiferromagnetic (AF) spin orders in the localized H-D states are much stronger than those in the free H-D states, and the charge localization is of magnetic origin. There are sharp peaks caused by excitations to the localized H-D states below the broad band caused by excitations to the free H-D states in the light absorption spectrum.

• Received 12 December 2023
• Revised 11 March 2024
• Accepted 12 March 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.109.195150