Double-well Lattice Research Articles

Observation of the Sign Reversal of the Magnetic Correlation in a Driven-Dissipative Fermi Gas in Double Wells.

We report the observation of the sign reversal of the magnetic correlation from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic in a dissipative Fermi gas in double wells, utilizing the dissipation caused by on-site two-body losses in a controlled manner. We systematically measure dynamics of the nearest-neighbor spin correlation in an isolated double-well optical lattice, as well as a crossover from an isolated double-well lattice to a one-dimensional uniform lattice. In a wide range of lattice configurations over an isolated double-well lattice, we observe a ferromagnetic spin correlation, which is consistent with a Dicke type of correlation expected in the long-time limit. This work demonstrates the control of quantum magnetism in open quantum systems with dissipation.

Many-body Landau-Zener transition in cold-atom double-well optical lattices

Ultracold atoms in optical lattices provide an ideal platform for exploring many-body physics of a large system arising from the coupling among a series of small identical systems whose few-body dynamics is exactly solvable. Using Landau-Zener (LZ) transition of bosonic atoms in double-well optical lattices as an experimentally realizable model, we investigate such few- to many-body routes by exploring the relation and difference between the small few-body (in one double well) and the large many-body (in double-well lattice) nonequilibrium dynamics of cold atoms in optical lattices. We find the many-body coupling between double wells greatly enhances the LZ transition probability. The many-body dynamics in the double-well lattice shares both similarity and difference from the few-body dynamics in one and two double wells. The sign of the on-site interaction plays a significant role in the many-body LZ transition. Various experimental signatures of the many-body LZ transition, including atom density, momentum distribution, and density-density correlation, are obtained.

Interaction-induced excited-band condensate in a double-well optical lattice

We show theoretically that interaction effects in a double-well optical lattice can induce condensates in an excited band. For a symmetric double-well lattice, bosons condense into the bottom of the excited band at the edge of the Brillouin zone if the chemical potential is above a critical value. For an asymmetric lattice, a condensate with zero momentum is automatically induced in the excited band by the condensate in the lowest band. This is due to a combined effect of interaction and lattice potential, which reduces the band gap and breaks the inversion symmetry. Our work can be generalized to a superlattice composed of multiple-well potentials at each lattice site, where condensates can be induced in even higher bands.

Condensates induced by interband coupling in a double-well lattice

We predict novel inter-band physics for bosons in a double-well lattice. An intrinsic coupling between the s and px band due to interaction gives rise to larger Mott regions on the phase diagram at even fillings than the ones at odd fillings. On the other hand, the ground state can form various types of condensates, including a mixture of single-particle condensates of both bands, a mixture of a single-particle condensate of one band and a pair-condensate of the other band, and a pair-condensate composed of one particle from one band and one hole from the other band. The predicted phenomena should be observable in current experiments on double-well optical lattices.

Trapped Ultracold Fermions in Double-Well Optical Lattices

We study the ground state properties of ultracold fermions trapped in a one-dimensional double-well optical lattice by using the density-matrix renormalization group method. The system is described by an extended Hubbard model with alternating hopping integrals and an external harmonic confining potential. We clarify the characteristic features of the metal–insulator phase transition originating from the double-well structure of the lattices. Several different types of insulating regions coexist when the number of atoms at each site is an integer or a half integer. We found that each insulating phase except for a band insulator exhibits rather large local density fluctuations, reflecting the strong dimerization of atoms within the unit cells of double-well lattices. The phase characteristics are elucidated in detail by investigating the profiles of the local density of atoms, the local density (spin) fluctuations, the double-occupancy probability and the spatially extended sp in correlations.

Ground-state properties of fermions in double-well optical lattices

We investigate the ground-state properties of fermions trapped in a one-dimensional double-well optical lattice by means of the density-matrix renormalization group method. A weak harmonic confinement potential inherent in real experiments, which makes the system inhomogeneous, is also considered. Under certain conditions for interactions, we find that two kinds of insulating regions coexist at half-filling and three-quarters filling due to the double-well structure and the system inhomogeneity. We further study the dynamical properties of the system by employing the adaptive time-dependent density-matrix renormalization group method. When the double-well lattice is suddenly changed into a normal single-well lattice, the two insulating regions gradually disappear under time evolution, which is accompanied by oscillating behavior of the local density characteristic of many-body fermionic systems.

Tunneling phase gate for neutral atoms in a double-well lattice

We propose a two-qubit phase gate for ultracold atoms in a tilted double-well optical lattice. Such a lattice is capable of confining pairs of atoms in a two-dimensional array of double-well potentials where both the barrier height and the energy difference of the minima of the two wells (known as the ``tilt'') can be controlled. The four lowest single-particle motional states can be used to form spatially separated qubits. We present a time-dependent scheme to manipulate the tilt to induce tunneling oscillations which produce a collisional phase gate. Numerical simulations demonstrate that this gate can be performed with high fidelity.

Sublattice Addressing and Spin-Dependent Motion of Atoms in a Double-Well Lattice

We load atoms into every site of an optical lattice and selectively spin flip atoms in a sublattice consisting of every other site. These selected atoms are separated from their unselected neighbors by less than an optical wavelength. We also show spin-dependent transport, where atomic wave packets are coherently separated into adjacent sites according to their internal state. These tools should be useful for quantum information processing and quantum simulation of lattice models with neutral atoms.

Relaxation Mode Theory of Hopping Conduction. II

Non-local theory of hopping conduction of classical particles is developed on the basis of the perturbation theory, to obtain the conductivity formula which is expressed in terms of the dynamical correlation function. The relaxation mode theory is utilized to evaluate this conductivity formula in a one-dimensional double-well lattice and to apply it to the ultrasonic attenuation. It turns out that the Hutson-White type of ultrasonic attenuation formula, confirmed to be valid in semiconductors, holds even in the hopping conduction system.

Relaxation Mode Theory of Hopping Conduction

Non-local theory of hopping conduction of classical particles is developed on the basis of the perturbation theory, to obtain the conductivity formula which is expressed in terms of the dynamical correlation function. The relaxation mode theory is utilized to evaluate this conductivity formula in a one-dimensional double-well lattice and to apply it to the ultrasonic attenuation. It turns out that the Hutson-White type of ultrasonic attenuation formula, confirmed to be valid in semiconductors, holds even in the hopping conduction system