Abstract
We propose a general strategy for generating synthetic magnetic fields in complex lattices with non-trivial connectivity based on light–matter coupling in cold atomic gases. Our approach starts from an underlying optical flux lattice in which a synthetic magnetic field is generated by coupling several internal states. Starting from a high-symmetry optical flux lattice, we superpose a scalar potential with a super- or sublattice period in order to eliminate links between the original lattice sites. As an alternative to changing connectivity, the approach can also be used to create or remove lattice sites from the underlying parent lattice. To demonstrate our concept, we consider the dice lattice geometry as an explicit example, and construct a dice lattice with a flux density of half a flux quantum per plaquette, providing a pathway to flat bands with a large band gap. While the intuition for our proposal stems from the analysis of deep optical lattices, we demonstrate that the approach is robust even for shallow optical flux lattices far from the tight-binding limit. We also provide an alternative experimental proposal to realise a synthetic gauge field in a fully frustrated dice lattice based on laser-induced hoppings along individual bonds of the lattice, again involving a superlattice potential. In this approach, atoms with a long-lived excited state are trapped using an ‘anti-magic’ wavelength of light, allowing the desired complex hopping elements to be induced in a specific laser coupling scheme for the dice lattice geometry. We conclude by comparing the complexity of these alternative approaches, and advocate that complex optical flux lattices provide the more elegant and easily generalisable strategy.
Highlights
The creation of synthetic gauge fields in cold atomic gases provides new opportunities for realising exotic emergent quantum phases [1,2,3,4,5]
While the intuition for our proposal stems from the analysis of deep optical lattices, we demonstrate that the approach is robust even for shallow optical flux lattices far from the tight-binding limit
We demonstrate that a scalar potential may be used to either remove bonds or sites from an underlying optical flux lattice of simpler geometry, as well as to split individual sites into multiple wells, all the while keeping the synthetic field intact
Summary
Our approach starts from an this work must maintain attribution to the underlying optical flux lattice in which a synthetic magnetic field is generated by coupling several author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation internal states. We provide an alternative experimental proposal to realise a synthetic gauge field in a fully frustrated dice lattice based on laserinduced hoppings along individual bonds of the lattice, again involving a superlattice potential. In this approach, atoms with a long-lived excited state are trapped using an ‘anti-magic’ wavelength of light, allowing the desired complex hopping elements to be induced in a specific laser coupling scheme for the dice lattice geometry.
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