State-dependent Optical Lattice Research Articles

Frustrated Extended Bose-Hubbard Model and Deconfined Quantum Critical Points with Optical Lattices at the Antimagic Wavelength.

The study of geometrically frustrated many-body quantum systems is of central importance to uncover novel quantum mechanical effects. We design a scheme where ultracold bosons trapped in a one-dimensional state-dependent optical lattice are modeled by a frustrated Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. A derivation of the Hamiltonian parameters based on Cesium atoms, further show large tunability of contact and nearest-neighbor interactions. For pure contact repulsion, we discover the presence of two phases peculiar to frustrated quantum magnets: the bond-order-wave insulator with broken inversion symmetry and a chiral superfluid. When the nearest-neighbor repulsion becomes sizable, a further density-wave insulator with broken translational symmetry can appear. We show that the phase transition between the two spontaneously symmetry-broken phases is continuous, thus representing a one-dimensional deconfined quantum critical point not captured by the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson symmetry-breaking paradigm. Our results provide a solid ground to unveil the novel quantum physics induced by the interplay of nonlocal interactions, geometrical frustration, and quantum fluctuations.

Many-body correlations in one-dimensional optical lattices with alkaline-earth(-like) atoms

We explore the rich nature of correlations in the ground state of ultracold atoms trapped in state-dependent optical lattices. In particular, we consider interacting fermionic ytterbium or strontium atoms, realizing a two-orbital Hubbard model with two spin components. We analyze the model in one-dimensional setting with the experimentally relevant hierarchy of tunneling and interaction amplitudes by means of exact diagonalization and matrix product states approaches, and study the correlation functions in density, spin, and orbital sectors as functions of variable densities of atoms in the ground and metastable excited states. We show that in certain ranges of densities these atomic systems demonstrate strong density-wave, ferro- and antiferromagnetic, as well as antiferroorbital correlations.

Ab Initio Derivation of Lattice-Gauge-Theory Dynamics for Cold Gases in Optical Lattices

We introduce a method for quantum simulation of U$(1)$ lattice gauge theories coupled to matter, utilizing alkaline-earth(-like) atoms in state-dependent optical lattices. The proposal enables the study of both gauge and fermionic-matter fields without integrating out one of them in one and two dimensions. We focus on a realistic and robust implementation that utilizes the long-lived metastable clock state available in alkaline-earth(-like) atomic species. Starting from an $ab\,initio$ modelling of the experimental setting, we systematically carry out a derivation of the target U$(1)$ gauge theory. This approach allows us to identify and address conceptual and practical challenges for the implementation of lattice gauge theories that - while pivotal for a successful implementation - have never been rigorously addressed in the literature: those include the specific engineering of lattice potentials to achieve the desired structure of Wannier functions, and the subtleties involved in realizing the proper separation of energy scales to enable gauge-invariant dynamics. We discuss realistic experiments that can be carried out within such a platform using the fermionic isotope $^{173}$Yb, addressing via simulations all key sources of imperfections, and provide concrete parameter estimates for relevant energy scales in both one- and two-dimensional settings.

Realization of a supersolid phase in a two-channel model

We construct a two-channel model based on the one-dimensional extended Bose–Hubbard model, by including a second channel of free bosons. We use the mean-field theory to map the system to a reduced single-channel one and solve this system by means of the density matrix renormalization group method. We find the region where the superfluid and density-wave orders coexist which signals a supersolid state. Our theory can be realized experimentally with state-dependent optical lattices.

Probing Transport and Slow Relaxation in the Mass-Imbalanced Fermi-Hubbard Model

Constraints in the dynamics of quantum many-body systems can dramatically alter transport properties and relaxation timescales even in the absence of static disorder. Here, we report on the observation of such constrained dynamics arising from the distinct mobility of two species in the one-dimensional mass-imbalanced Fermi-Hubbard model, realized with ultracold ytterbium atoms in a state-dependent optical lattice. By displacing the trap potential and monitoring the subsequent dynamical response of the system, we identify suppressed transport and slow relaxation with a strong dependence on the mass imbalance and interspecies interaction strength, consistent with eventual thermalization for long times. Our observations demonstrate the potential for quantum simulators to provide insights into unconventional relaxation dynamics arising from constraints.

Orbital ordering of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in optical lattices

We report on a dynamical mean-field theoretical analysis of emerging low-temperature phases in multicomponent gases of fermionic alkaline-earth(-like) atoms in state-dependent optical lattices. Using the example of $^{173}$Yb atoms, we show that a two-orbital mixture with two nuclear spin components is a promising candidate for studies of not only magnetic but also staggered orbital ordering peculiar to certain solid-state materials. We calculate and study the phase diagram of the full Hamiltonian with parameters similar to existing experiments and reveal an antiferroorbital phase. This long-range-ordered phase is inherently stable, and we analyze the change of local and global observables across the corresponding transition lines, paving the way for experimental observations. Furthermore, we suggest a realistic extension of the system to include and probe a Jahn-Teller source field playing one of the key roles in real crystals.

State-Dependent Optical Lattices for the Strontium Optical Qubit.

We demonstrate state-dependent optical lattices for the Sr optical qubit at the tune-out wavelength for its ground state. We tightly trap excited state atoms while suppressing the effect of the lattice on ground state atoms by more than 4 orders of magnitude. This highly independent control over the qubit states removes inelastic excited state collisions as the main obstacle for quantum simulation and computation schemes based on the Sr optical qubit. Our results also reveal large discrepancies in the atomic data used to calibrate the largest systematic effect of Sr optical lattice clocks.

Interaction-induced topological bound states and Thouless pumping in a one-dimensional optical lattice

We study topological features of interacting spin- 1 2 particles in one-dimensional state-dependent optical lattices. Due to the co-translational symmetry, we introduce the center-of-mass Zak phase with the help of center-of-mass momentum. There appear topological bound states composed by two particles in different spin states via tuning hopping and interaction strengths. Under symmetric open boundary conditions, topological edge bound-states appear as a result of the non-trivial center-ofmass Zak phase of bound-state band, which is protected by the center-of-mass inversion symmetry. The interaction plays a crucial role in the appearance of topological bound states and the system becomes completely trivial if the interaction is switched off. By periodically modulating the hopping and interaction strengths, we show how to implement topological Thouless pumping of bound states, in which the quantized shift of center-of-mass can be described by a non-trivial center-of-mass Chern number.

Cold atoms in twisted-bilayer optical potentials

The possibility of creating crystal bilayers twisted with respect to each other has led to the discovery of a wide range of novel electron correlated phenomena whose full understanding is still under debate. Here we propose and analyze a method to simulate twisted bilayers using cold atoms in state-dependent optical lattices. Our proposed setup can be used as an alternative platform to explore twisted bilayers which allows one to control the inter/intra-layer coupling in a more flexible way than in the solid-state realizations. We focus on square geometries but also point how it can be extended to simulate other lattices which show Dirac-like physics. This setup opens a path to observe similar physics, e.g., band narrowing, with larger twist angles, to rule out some of the mechanisms to explain the observed strongly correlated effects, as well as to study other phenomena difficult to realize with crystals. As an example of the latter we explore the quantum optical consequences of letting emitters interact with twisted bilayer reservoirs, and predict the appearance of unconventional radiation patterns and emitter interactions following the emergent Moir\'e geometry.

Quasiexact Kondo Dynamics of Fermionic Alkaline-Earth-Like Atoms at Finite Temperatures.

A recent experiment has observed the antiferromagnetic interaction between the ground state ^{1}S_{0} and the metastable state ^{3}P_{0} of ^{171}Yb atoms, which are fermionic. This observation combined with the use of state-dependent optical lattices allows for quantum simulation of the Kondo model. We propose that in this Kondo simulator the anomalous temperature dependence of transport, namely, the Kondo effect, can be detected through quench dynamics triggered by the shift of a trap potential. For this purpose, we improve the numerical efficiency of the minimally entangled typical thermal states (METTSs) algorithm by applying additional Trotter gates. Using the improved METTSs algorithm, we compute the quench dynamics of the one-dimensional Kondo model at finite temperatures quasiexactly. We find that the center-of-mass motion exhibits a logarithmic suppression with a decrease in the temperature, which is a characteristic feature of the Kondo effect.

Engineering and Harnessing Giant Atoms in High-Dimensional Baths: A Proposal for Implementation with Cold Atoms.

Emitters coupled simultaneously to distant positions of a photonic bath, the so-called giant atoms, represent a new paradigm in quantum optics. When coupled to one-dimensional baths, as recently implemented with transmission lines or SAW waveguides, they lead to striking effects such as chiral emission or decoherence-free atomic interactions. Here, we show how to create giant atoms in dynamical state-dependent optical lattices, which offers the possibility of coupling them to structured baths in arbitrary dimensions. This opens up new avenues to a variety of phenomena and opportunities for quantum simulation. In particular, we show how to engineer unconventional radiation patterns, like multidirectional chiral emission, as well as collective interactions that can be used to simulate nonequilibrium many-body dynamics with no analog in other setups. Additionally, the recipes we provide to harness giant atoms in high dimensions can be exported to other platforms where such nonlocal couplings can be engineered.

Stern–Gerlach detection of neutral-atom qubits in a state-dependent optical lattice

We demonstrate qubit state measurement for ~160 Cesium atoms in a 3D optical lattice based on coherent spatial splitting of the atoms' wavefunctions. The measurement fidelity is 0.9994, essentially independent of the number of qubits measured. The detection scheme is reminiscent of the Stern-Gerlach experiment, but carried out in light traps. The measurement causes no loss, which allows us to demonstrate re-initialization of the 3D qubit array after state measurement, including the replacement of an atom lost to a background gas collision.

Non-Markovian Quantum Optics with Three-Dimensional State-Dependent Optical Lattices

Quantum emitters coupled to structured photonic reservoirs experience unconventional individual and collective dynamics emerging from the interplay between dimensionality and non-trivial photon energy dispersions. In this work, we systematically study several paradigmatic three dimensional structured baths with qualitative differences in their bath spectral density. We discover non-Markovian individual and collective effects absent in simplified descriptions, such as perfect subradiant states or long-range anisotropic interactions. Furthermore, we show how to implement these models using only cold atoms in state-dependent optical lattices and show how this unconventional dynamics can be observed with these systems.

Coherent and radiative couplings through two-dimensional structured environments

We study coherent and radiative interactions induced among two or more quantum units, by coupling them to two-dimensional lattices acting as structured environments. This model can be representative of atoms trapped near photonic crystal slabs, trapped ions in Coulomb crystals or to surface acoustic waves on piezoelectric materials, cold atoms on state-dependent optical lattices, or even circuit QED architectures, to name a few. We compare coherent and radiative contributions for the isotropic and directional regimes of emission into the lattice, for infinite and finite lattices, highlighting their differences and existing pitfalls, e.g. related to long-time or large-lattice limits. We relate the phenomenon of directionality of emission with linear-shaped isofrequency manifolds in the dispersion relation, showing a simple way to disrupt it. For finite lattices, we study further details as the scaling of resonant number of lattice modes for the isotropic and directional regimes, and relate this behavior with known van Hove singularities in the infinite lattice limit. Further we export the understanding of emission dynamics with the decay of entanglement for two quantum, atomic or bosonic, units coupled to the 2D lattice. We analyze in some detail completely subradiant configurations of more than two atoms, which can occur in the finite lattice scenario, in contrast with the infinite lattice case. Finally we demonstrate that induced coherent interactions for dark states are zero for the finite lattice.

Superexchange-mediated magnetization dynamics with ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in an optical lattice**Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0301504).

Superexchange and inter-orbital spin-exchange interactions are key ingredients for understanding (orbital) quantum magnetism in strongly correlated systems and have been realized in ultracold atomic gases. Here we study the spin dynamics of ultracold alkaline-earth atoms in an optical lattice when the two exchange interactions coexist. In the superexchange interaction dominating regime, we find that the time-resolved spin imbalance shows a remarkable modulated oscillation, which can be attributed to the interplay between local and nonlocal quantum mechanical exchange mechanisms. Moreover, the filling of the long-lived excited atoms affects the collapse and revival of the magnetization dynamics. These observations can be realized in state-dependent optical lattices combined with the state-of-the-art advances in optical lattice clock spectroscopy.

Analysis of non-Markovian coupling of a lattice-trapped atom to free space

Behavior analogous to that of spontaneous emission in photonic band gap materials has been predicted for an atom-optical system consisting of an atom confined in a well of a state-dependent optical lattice that is coupled to free space through an internal-state transition [de Vega et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 260404 (2008)]. Using the Weisskopf-Wigner approach and considering a one-dimensional geometry, we analyze the properties of this system in detail, including the evolution of the lattice-trapped population, the momentum distribution of emitted matter waves, and the detailed structure of an evanescent matter-wave state below the continuum boundary. We compare and contrast our findings for the transition from Markovian to non-Markovian behaviors to those previously obtained for three dimensions.

Phase coherence and fragmentation of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates loaded in state-dependent optical lattices

A binary mixture of interacting Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) in the presence of fragmentation-driving external lattice potentials forms two interdependent mean-field lattices made of each component. These effective mean-field lattices, like ordinary optical lattices, can induce additional fragmentation and phase coherence loss of BECs between lattice sites. In this study, we consider the nonequilibrium dynamics of two hyperfine states of one-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates, subjected to state-dependent optical lattices. Our numerical calculations using the truncated Wigner approximation (TWA) show that phase coherence in a mixture of two-component BECs can be lost not just by optical lattices, but by mean-field lattices gradually formed by other components, and we reveal that such an effect of internal mean-field lattices, however, is limited, contrary to external optical lattices, in regard to phase decoherence.

Creating State-Dependent Lattices for Ultracold Fermions by Magnetic Gradient Modulation.

We demonstrate a versatile method for creating state-dependent optical lattices by applying a magnetic field gradient modulated in time. This allows for tuning the relative amplitude and sign of the tunneling for different internal states. We observe substantially different momentum distributions depending on the spin state of fermionic ^{40}K atoms. Using dipole oscillations, we probe the spin-dependent band structure and find good agreement with theory. In situ expansion dynamics demonstrate that one state can be completely localized while others remain itinerant. A systematic study shows negligible heating and lifetimes of several seconds in the Hubbard regime.

Trimer superfluid and supersolid on two-dimensional optical lattices

By the photoassociation method, the trimer superfluid phase disappears in the one dimensional state-dependent optical lattice if the ratio of the three-body interaction $W$ to the trimer tunneling $J$is kept at $W/J=12$ [Phys Rev A. {\bf 90}, 033622(2014)]. To search for a trimer superfluid and trimer supersolid, we load the cold atom into two-dimensional lattices, whose coordinate number $z$ and kinetic energy $-zJ$ are respectively larger and lower than those of a one dimensional lattice. Herein, we study the Bose-Hubbard model, which has an additional trimer tunneling term, a three-body interaction and a next-nearest repulsion. The on-site trimer and trimer superfluid exist if the on-site two-body repulsion and three-body repulsion are smaller than some thresholds. With atom-tunneling terms, the phase transitions from trimer superfluid phase to both atom superfluid and atom supersolid phases are first order. With $W/J=12$, in a one dimensional lattice, the trimer superfluid phase does not exist at all. In contrast, the trimer superfluid phase, exists in the lower density regions $0 \textless \rho \textless2$ on the square lattice if $J$ is not very large. The trimer superfluid phase emerges in a wider range $0 \textless \rho \textless3$ in the triangular lattice, or in the cubic lattice ($z=6$). When the three-body interaction is turned on, a trimer supersolid phase emerges due to the classical degeneracy between the quasi trimer solid and the trimer solid being broken by the quantum fluctuation. The phase transitions from the trimer supersolid phase to quasi trimer solid are first order and the phase transition from the trimer supersolid phase to trimer solid is continuous. Our results, obtained by mean-field and quantum Monte Carlo methods, will be helpful in realizing the trimer superfluid and supersolid by cold atom experiments.

Trimer superfluid induced by photoassocation on the state-dependent optical lattice

We use the mean-field method, the Quantum Monte-carlo method and the Density matrix renormalization group method to study the trimer superfluid phase and the quantum phase diagram of the Bose-Hubbard model in an optical lattice, with explicit trimer tunneling term. Theoretically, we derive the explicit trimer hopping terms, such as $a_i^{3\dagger}a_j^3$, by the Schrieffer-Wolf transformation. In practice, the trimer super\-fluid described by these terms is driven by photoassociation. The phase transition between the trimer super\-fluid phase and other phases are also studied. Without the on-site interaction, the phase transition between the trimer superfluid phase and the Mott Insulator phase is continuous. Turning on the on-site interaction, the phase transitions are first order with Mott insulators of atom filling $1$ and $2$. With nonzero atom tunneling, the phase transition is first order from the atom superfluid to the trimer superfluid. In the trimer superfluid phase, the win\-ding numbers can be divided by three without any remainders. In the atom superfluid and pair superfluid, the vorticities are $1$ and $1/2$, respectively. However, the vorticity is $1/3$ for the trimer superfluid. The power law decay exponents is $1/2$ for the non diagonal correlation $a_i^{\dagger 3} a_j^{3}$, i.e. the same as the exponent of the correlation $a_i^{\dagger}a_j$ in hardcore bosons. The density dependent atom-tunneling term $n_i^2a_i^{\dagger}a_j$ and pair tunneling term $n_ia_i^{\dagger2}a_j^2$ are also studied. With these terms, the phase transition from the empty phase to atom superfluid is first order and different from the cases without the density dependent terms. The ef\-fects of temperature are studied. Our results will be helpful in realizing the trimer superfluid by a cold atom experiment.