Bosonic Atoms In Optical Lattices Research Articles

Genuine multipartite entanglement in a one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model with frustrated hopping

Frustration and quantum entanglement are two exotic quantum properties in quantum many-body systems. However, despite several efforts, an exact relation between them remains elusive. In this work, we explore the relationship between frustration and quantum entanglement in a physical model describing strongly correlated ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices. In particular, we consider the one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model comprising both nearest-neighbor ($t_{1}$) and frustrated next-nearest neighbor ($t_{2}$) hoppings and examine how the interplay of onsite interaction ($U$) and hoppings results in different quantum correlations dominating in the ground state of the system. We then analyze the behavior of quantum entanglement in the model. In particular, we compute genuine multipartite entanglement as quantified through the generalized geometric measure and make a comparative study with bipartite entanglement and other relevant order parameters. We observe that genuine multipartite entanglement has a very rich behavior throughout the considered parameter regime and frustration does not necessarily favor generating a high amount of it. Moreover, we show that in the region with strong quantum fluctuations, the particles remain highly delocalized in all momentum modes and share a very low amount of both bipartite and multipartite entanglement. Our work illustrates the necessity to give separate attention to dominating ordering behavior and quantum entanglement in the ground state of strongly correlated systems.

Adiabatic preparation of entangled, magnetically ordered states with cold bosons in optical lattices

We analyze a scheme for preparation of magnetically ordered states of two-component bosonic atoms in optical lattices. We compute the dynamics during adiabatic and optimized time-dependent ramps to produce ground states of effective spin Hamiltonians, and determine the robustness to decoherence for realistic experimental system sizes and timescales. Ramping parameters near a phase transition point in both effective spin-1/2 and spin-1 models produces entangled spin-symmetric states that have potential future applications in quantum enhanced measurement. The preparation of these states and their robustness to decoherence is quantified by computing the quantum Fisher information (QFI) of final states. We identify that the generation of useful entanglement should in general be more robust to heating than it would be implied by the state fidelity, with corresponding implications for practical applications.

Dynamics of rotated spin states and magnetic ordering with two-component bosonic atoms in optical lattices

The microscopic control available over cold atoms in optical lattices has opened new opportunities to study the properties of quantum spin models. While a lot of attention is focused on experimentally realizing ground or thermal states via adiabatic loading, it would often be more straightforward to prepare specific simple product states and to probe the properties of interacting spins by observing their dynamics. We explore this possibility for spin-1/2 and spin-1 models that can be realized with bosons in optical lattices, and which exhibit $\mathit{XY}$-ferromagnetic (or counterflow spin-superfluid) phases. We consider the dynamics of initial spin-rotated states corresponding to a mean-field version of the phases of interest. Using matrix product state methods in one dimension, we compute both nonequilibrium dynamics and ground and thermal states for these systems. We compare and contrast their behavior in terms of correlation functions and induced spin currents, which should be directly observable with current experimental techniques. We find that although spin correlations decay substantially at large distances and on long timescales, for induction of spin currents, the rotated states behave similarly to the ground states on experimentally observable timescales.

Universal correlations after thermalization in periodic nonlinear systems

The evolution of random fields with known statistical properties is relatively straightforward to analyze in the linear regime, but becomes considerably more involved when nonlinearity, or interactions, are dominant. Previous works have shown that statistical physics techniques can be applied to predict the evolution of such systems. Here we study the evolution of random fields in a one-dimensional lattice of optical waveguides in the presence of strong nonlinearities, using the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Extending the 2009 work by Silberberg et al (Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 233904), we assume input fields with random amplitudes and phases. We derive analytic expressions for the system’s statistical properties at thermodynamic equilibrium. Specifically, expressions for the probability density functions of field intensities, of fields’ phase differences, and an expression for the field correlations. We express these properties in terms of the moments of the assumed statistical excitations, and verify the results with simulations. Most interestingly, we find that at thermodynamic equilibrium, correlations are formed through the interaction between sites. These exponentially decaying fields’ correlations take a universal form that is essentially independent of excitation amplitudes but visibly shrink with increased spread of the exciting amplitudes. Our results are valid not only to nonlinear discrete optical systems, but extend also to the evolution of bosonic atoms in optical lattices in the high-occupancy limit that are governed by the equivalent Gross–Pitaevskii equation.

Quantum simulation of the Abelian-Higgs lattice gauge theory with ultracold atoms

We present a quantum simulation scheme for the Abelian-Higgs lattice gauge theory using ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices. The model contains both gauge and Higgs scalar fields, and exhibits interesting phases related to confinement and the Higgs mechanism. The model can be simulated by an atomic Hamiltonian, by first mapping the local gauge symmetry to an internal symmetry of the atomic system, the conservation of hyperfine angular momentum in atomic collisions. By including auxiliary bosons in the simulation, we show how the Abelian-Higgs Hamiltonian emerges effectively. We analyze the accuracy of our method in terms of different experimental parameters, as well as the effect of the finite number of bosons on the quantum simulator. Finally, we propose possible experiments for studying the ground state of the system in different regimes of the theory, and measuring interesting high energy physics phenomena in real time.

Toolbox for Abelian lattice gauge theories with synthetic matter

Fundamental forces of Nature are described by field theories, also known as gauge theories, based on a local gauge invariance. The simplest of them is quantum electrodynamics (QED), which is an example of an Abelian gauge theory. Such theories describe the dynamics of massless photons and their coupling to matter. However, in two spatial dimension (2D) they are known to exhibit gapped phases at low temperature. In the realm of quantum spin systems, it remains a subject of considerable debate if their low energy physics can be described by emergent gauge degrees of freedom. Here we present a class of simple two-dimensional models that admit a low energy description in terms of an Abelian gauge theory. We find rich phase diagrams for these models comprising exotic deconfined phases and gapless phases - a rare example for 2D Abelian gauge theories. The counter-intuitive presence of gapless phases in 2D results from the emergence of additional symmetry in the models. Moreover, we propose schemes to realize our model with current experiments using ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices.

Coherent backscattering in the Fock space of ultracold bosonic atoms

We present numerical evidence for the occurrence of coherent backscattering in the Fock space of a small disordered Bose‐Hubbard system consisting of four sites and containing five particles. This many‐body interference phenomenon can most conveniently be seen in time evolution processes that start from a Fock state of the Bose‐Hubbard system. It manifests itself in an enhanced detection probability of this initial state as compared to other Fock states with comparable total energy. We argue that coherent backscattering in Fock space can be experimentally measured with ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices using state‐of‐the‐art single‐site detection techniques. A synthetic gauge field can be induced in order to break time‐reversal symmetry within the lattice and thereby destroy coherent backscattering. While this many‐body interference effect is most prominently visible in the presence of eigenstate thermalization, we briefly discuss its significance in the opposite regime of many‐body localization.image

Ultracold bosons with cavity-mediated long-range interactions: A local mean-field analysis of the phase diagram

Ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices self-organize into a variety of structural and quantum phases when placed into a single-mode cavity and pumped by a laser. Cavity optomechanical effects induce an atom density modulation at the cavity-mode wavelength that competes with the optical lattice arrangement. Simultaneously short-range interactions via particle hopping promote superfluid order such that a variety of structural and quantum coherent phases can occur. We analyze the emerging phase diagram in two dimensions by means of an extended Bose-Hubbard model using a local mean-field approach combined with a superfluid cluster analysis. For commensurate ratios of the cavity and external lattice wavelengths, the Mott insulator-superfluid transition is modified by the appearance of charge density wave and supersolid phases, at which the atomic density supports the buildup of a cavity field. For incommensurate ratios, the optomechanical forces induce the formation of Bose-glass and superglass phases, namely, nonsuperfluid and superfluid phases, respectively, displaying quasiperiodic density modulations, which in addition can exhibit structural and superfluid stripe formation. The onset of such structures is constrained by the on-site interaction and is favorable at fractional densities. Experimental observables are identified and discussed.

Theoretical analysis of the spectroscopy of atomic Bose-Hubbard systems

We provide a numerical method to calculate comprehensively the microwave and the laser spectra of ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices at finite temperatures. Our formulation is built up with the sum rules, up to the second order, derived from the general principle of spectroscopy. The sum rule approach allows us to discuss the physical origins of a spectral peak shift and also a peak broadening. We find that a spectral broadening of superfluid atoms can be determined from number fluctuations of atoms, while that of normal-state atoms is mainly attributed to quantum fluctuations resulting from hopping of atoms. To calculate spectra at finite temperatures, based on the sum rule approach, we provide a two-mode approximation assuming that spectra of the superfluid and normal state atoms can be calculated separately. Our method can properly deal with multi-peak structures of spectra resulting from thermal fluctuations and also coexisting of the superfluid and the normal states. By combining the two-mode approximation with a finite temperature Gutzwiller approximation, we calculate spectra at finite temperatures by considering realistic systems, and the calculated spectra show nice agreements with those in experiments.

Quantum Two-breathers Formed by Ultracold Bosonic Atoms in Optical Lattices

Two-discrete breathers are the bound states of two localized modes that can appear in classical nonlinear lattices. I investigate the quantum signature of two-discrete breathers in the system of ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices, which is modeled as Bose–Hubbard model containing n bosons. When the number of bosons is small, I find numerically quantum two-breathers by making use of numerical diagonalization and perturbation theory. For the cases of a large number of bosons, I can successfully construct quantum two-breather states in the Hartree approximation.

Measuring entanglement entropy in a quantum many-body system.

Entanglement is one of the most intriguing features of quantum mechanics. It describes non-local correlations between quantum objects, and is at the heart of quantum information sciences. Entanglement is now being studied in diverse fields ranging from condensed matter to quantum gravity. However, measuring entanglement remains a challenge. This is especially so in systems of interacting delocalized particles, for which a direct experimental measurement of spatial entanglement has been elusive. Here, we measure entanglement in such a system of itinerant particles using quantum interference of many-body twins. Making use of our single-site-resolved control of ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices, we prepare two identical copies of a many-body state and interfere them. This enables us to directly measure quantum purity, Rényi entanglement entropy, and mutual information. These experiments pave the way for using entanglement to characterize quantum phases and dynamics of strongly correlated many-body systems.

Massive Goldstone (Higgs) mode in two-dimensional ultracold atomic lattice systems

We discuss how to reveal the massive Goldstone mode, often referred to as the Higgs amplitude mode, near the Superfluid-to-Insulator quantum critical point (QCP) in a system of two-dimensional ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices. The spectral function of the amplitude response is obtained by analytic continuation of the kinetic energy correlation function calculated by Monte Carlo methods. Our results enable a direct comparison with the recent experiment [M. Endres, T. Fukuhara, D. Pekker, M. Cheneau, P. Schau{\ss}, C. Gross, E. Demler, S. Kuhr, and I. Bloch, Nature 487, 454-458 (2012)], and demonstrate a good agreement for temperature shifts induced by lattice modulation. Based on our numerical analysis, we formulate the necessary conditions in terms of homogeneity, detuning from the QCP and temperature in order to reveal the massive Goldstone resonance peak in spectral functions experimentally. We also propose to apply a local modulation at the trap center to overcome the inhomogeneous broadening caused by the parabolic trap confinement.

Exploring dynamical phase transitions and prethermalization with quantum noise of excitations

Dynamical phase transitions can occur in isolated quantum systems that are brought out of equilibrium by sudden parameter changes. We discuss the characterization of such dynamical phase transitions based on the statistics of produced excitations. We consider both the O(N) model in the large N limit and a spin model with long range interactions and show that the dynamical criticality of their prethermal steady-states manifests most dramatically not in the average number of excitations but in their higher moments. We argue that the growth of defect fluctuations carries unique signatures of the dynamical criticality, irrespective of the precise details of the model. Our theoretical results should be relevant to quantum quench experiments with ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices.

Critical parameters from trap-size scaling in systems of trapped particles

We investigate the critical behavior of trapped particle systems at the low-temperature superfluid transition. In particular, we consider the three-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model in the presence of a trapping harmonic potential coupled with the particle density, which is a realistic model of cold bosonic atoms in optical lattices. We present a numerical study based on quantum Monte Carlo simulations, analyzed in the framework of the trap-size scaling (TSS). We show how the critical parameters can be derived from the trap-size dependencies of appropriate observables, matching them with TSS. This provides a systematic scheme which is supposed to exactly converge to the critical parameters of the transition in the large-trap-size limit. Our numerical analysis may provide a guide for experimental investigations of trapped systems at finite-temperature and quantum transitions, showing how critical parameters may be determined by looking at the scaling of the critical modes with respect to the trap size, i.e., by matching the trap-size dependence of the experimental data with the expected TSS ansatz.

Spectral functions of the Higgs mode near two-dimensional quantum critical points

We study the Higgs excitation in the Goldstone phase of the relativistic O(N) model in two spatial dimensions at zero temperature. The response functions of the order parameter, and its magnitude-squared, become universal functions of frequency in the vicinity of the quantum critical point described by the Wilson-Fisher fixed point, and we compute them to next-to-leading order in 1/N. The Higgs particle has an infrared singular decay to gapless Goldstone excitations, and its response functions are characterized by a pole in the lower-half of the complex frequency plane. The pole acquires a non-zero real part only at next-to-leading order in 1/N, demonstrating that the Higgs excitation has an oscillatory component even in the scaling limit. Both the real and imaginary parts of the pole position vanish with the correlation length exponent \nu upon approaching the critical point. We present evidence that the spectral density of the O(N)-invariant amplitude-squared of the order parameter has a peak at a non-zero frequency in the scaling limit. We connect our results to recent experimental studies of the superfluid-insulator quantum phase transition of ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices.

Multisite mean-field theory for cold bosonic atoms in optical lattices

We present a detailed derivation of a multi-site mean-field theory (MSMFT) used to describe the Mott-insulator to superfluid transition of bosonic atoms in optical lattices. The approach is based on partitioning the lattice into small clusters which are decoupled by means of a mean field approximation. This approximation invokes local superfluid order parameters defined for each of the boundary sites of the cluster. The resulting MSMFT grand potential has a non-trivial topology as a function of the various order parameters. An understanding of this topology provides two different criteria for the determination of the Mott insulator superfluid phase boundaries. We apply this formalism to $d$-dimensional hypercubic lattices in one, two and three dimensions, and demonstrate the improvement in the estimation of the phase boundaries when MSMFT is utilized for increasingly larger clusters, with the best quantitative agreement found for $d=3$. The MSMFT is then used to examine a linear dimer chain in which the on-site energies within the dimer have an energy separation of $\Delta$. This system has a complicated phase diagram within the parameter space of the model, with many distinct Mott phases separated by superfluid regions.

Measuring Entanglement Growth in Quench Dynamics of Bosons in an Optical Lattice

We discuss a scheme to measure the many-body entanglement growth during quench dynamics with bosonic atoms in optical lattices. By making use of a 1D or 2D setup in which two copies of the same state are prepared, we show how arbitrary order Rényi entropies can be extracted by using tunnel coupling between the copies and measurement of the parity of on-site occupation numbers, as has been performed in recent experiments. We illustrate these ideas for a superfluid-Mott insulator quench in the Bose-Hubbard model, and also for hard-core bosons, and show that the scheme is robust against imperfections in the measurements.

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect of Lattice Bosons Near Commensurate Flux

We study interacting bosons on a lattice in a magnetic field. When the number of flux quanta per plaquette is close to a rational fraction, the low-energy physics is mapped to a multispecies continuum model: bosons in the lowest Landau level where each boson is given an internal degree of freedom, or pseudospin. We find that the interaction potential between the bosons involves terms that do not conserve pseudospin, corresponding to umklapp processes, which in some cases can also be seen as BCS-type pairing terms. We argue that in experimentally realistic regimes for bosonic atoms in optical lattices with synthetic magnetic fields, these terms are crucial for determining the nature of allowed ground states. In particular, we show numerically that certain paired wave functions related to the Moore-Read Pfaffian state are stabilized by these terms, whereas certain other wave functions can be destabilized when umklapp processes become strong.

Three-body on-site interactions in ultracold bosonic atoms in optical lattices and superlattices

The Mott-insulator--superfluid transition for ultracold bosonic atoms in an optical lattice has been extensively studied in the framework of the Bose-Hubbard model with two-body on-site interactions. In this paper, we analyze the additional effect of the three-body on-site interactions on this phase transition in an optical lattice and the transitions between the various phases that arise in an optical superlattice. Using the mean-field theory and the density matrix renormalization group method, we find the phase diagrams depicting the relationships between various physical quantities in an optical lattice and superlattice. We also propose a possible experimental signature to observe the on-site three-body interactions.

Multi-orbital and density-induced tunneling of bosons in optical lattices

We show that multi-orbital and density-induced tunneling have a significant impact on the phase diagram of bosonic atoms in optical lattices. Off-site interactions lead to density-induced hopping, the so-called bond-charge interactions, which can be identified with an effective tunneling potential and can reach the same order of magnitude as conventional tunneling. In addition, interaction-induced higher-band processes also give rise to strongly modified tunneling, on-site and bond-charge interactions. We derive an extended occupation-dependent Hubbard model with multi-orbitally renormalized processes and compute the corresponding phase diagram. It substantially deviates from the single-band Bose–Hubbard model and predicts strong changes of the superfluid-to-Mott-insulator transition. In general, the presented beyond-Hubbard physics plays an essential role in bosonic lattice systems and has an observable influence on experiments with tunable interactions.