Fermionization in an expanding 1D gas of hard-core bosons

We show by means of an exact numerical approach that the momentum distribution of a free expanding gas of hard-core bosons on a one-dimensional lattice approaches that of noninteracting fermions, acquiring a Fermi edge. Yet there is a power-law decay of the one-particle density matrix ρx∼1/x, as usual for hard-core bosons in the ground state, which accounts for a large occupation of the lowest natural orbitals for all expansion times. The fermionization of the momentum distribution function, which is not observed in equilibrium, is analyzed in detail.