  In the present work we investigate the existence of multiple nonequilibrium
steady states in a coherently driven XY lattice of dissipative two-level
systems. A commonly used mean-field ansatz, in which spatial correlations are
neglected, predicts a bistable behavior with a sharp shift between low- and
high-density states. In contrast one-dimensional matrix product methods reveal
these effects to be artifacts of the mean-field approach, with both
disappearing once correlations are taken fully into account. Instead, a
bunching-antibunching transition emerges. This indicates that alternative
approaches should be considered for higher spatial dimensions, where classical
simulations are currently infeasible. Thus we propose a circuit QED quantum
simulator implementable with current technology to enable an experimental
investigation of the model considered.
