Search

We examine the spectrum and quantum states of small lattices with cylindrical and toroidal topology subject to a scalar gauge potential that introduces a position dependent phase in the inter-site coupling. Equivalency of gauges assumed in infinite lattices is generally lost due to the periodic boundary conditions, and conditions that restore it are identified. We trace the impact of various system parameters including gauge choice, boundary conditions and inter-site coupling strengths, and an additional axial field. We find gauge dependent appearance of avoided crossings and persistent degeneracies, and we show their impact on the associated eigenstates. Smaller lattices develop prominent gaps in spectral lines associated with edge states, which are suppressed in the thermodynamic limit. Toroidal lattices have counterparts of most of the features observed in cylindrical lattices, but notably they display a transition from localization to delocalization determined by the relation between the field parameter and the number of lattice sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a group theory-based formulation that introduces new classes of dihedral-symmetric beams is presented. Our framework leverages the algebraic properties of the dihedral group of rotations and reflections to transform input beams into closed-form families of dihedral-invariant wavefields, which will be referred to as dihedral beams. Each transformation is associated with a specific dihedral group in such a way that each family of dihedral beams exhibits the symmetries of its corresponding group. Our approach is inspired by one of the outcomes of this work: elegant Hermite–Gauss beams can be described as a dihedral interference pattern of elegant traveling waves, a new set of solutions to the paraxial equation also developed in this paper. Particularly, when taking elegant traveling waves as input beams, they transform into elegant dihedral beams possessing quasi-crystalline properties and including features like phase singularities, self-healing, and pseudo-nondiffracting propagation, as well as containing elegant Hermite and Laguerre–Gauss beams as special cases. Our approach can be applied to arbitrary scalar and vector input beams and constitutes a general group-theory formulation that can be extended beyond the dihedral group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum optimal control (QOC) is a set of methods for designing time-varying electromagnetic fields to perform operations in quantum technologies. This tutorial paper introduces the basic elements of this theory based on the Pontryagin maximum principle, in a physicist-friendly way. An analogy with classical Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics is proposed to present the main results used in this field. Emphasis is placed on the different numerical algorithms to solve a QOC problem. Several examples ranging from the control of two-level quantum systems to that of Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) in a one-dimensional optical lattice are studied in detail, using both analytical and numerical methods. Codes based on shooting method and gradient-based algorithms are provided. The connection between optimal processes and the quantum speed limit is also discussed in two-level quantum systems. In the case of BEC, the experimental implementation of optimal control protocols is described, both for two-level and many-level cases, with the current constraints and limitations of such platforms. This presentation is illustrated by the corresponding experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-unitary transformation leading to a Hatano–Nelson problem is performed on an array of equally-spaced optical waveguides. Such transformation produces a non-reciprocal system of waveguides, as the corresponding Hamiltonian becomes non-Hermitian. This may be achieved by judiciously choosing an attenuation (amplification) of the injected (or exciting) field. The non-Hermitian transport induced by such transformation is studied for several cases and closed analytical solutions, not present in the available literature, are straightforwardly obtained. The corresponding non-Hermitian Hamiltonian may represent an open system that interacts with the environment, either loosing to or being provided with energy from the exterior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work develops a quantum control application of many-body quantum chaos for ultracold bosonic gases trapped in optical lattices. It is long known how to harness exponential sensitivity to changes in initial conditions for control purposes in classically chaotic systems. In the technique known as targeting, instead of a hindrance to control, the instability becomes a resource. Recently, this classical targeting has been generalized to quantum systems either by periodically countering the inevitable quantum state spreading or by introducing a control Hamiltonian, where both enable localized states to be guided along special chaotic trajectories toward any of a broad variety of desired target states. Only strictly unitary dynamics are involved; i.e. it gives a coherent quantum targeting. In this paper, the introduction of a control Hamiltonian is applied to Bose–Hubbard systems in chaotic dynamical regimes. Properly selected unstable mean field solutions can be followed particularly rapidly to states possessing precise phase relationships and occupancies. In essence, the method generates a quantum simulation technique that can access rather special states. The protocol reduces to a time-dependent control of the chemical potentials, opening up the possibility for application in optical lattice experiments. Explicit applications to custom state preparation and stabilization of quantum many-body scars are presented in one- and two-dimensional lattices (three-dimensional applications are similarly possible). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear feedback between the gauge field and the material field can yield novel quantum phenomena. Here, the interplay between a density-dependent artificial gauge field and Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) trapped in an optical lattice is studied. The energy spectrum and superfluidity represented by energetic and dynamical stabilities of the system are systematically discussed. A density-dependent artificial gauge field with a back-action between the BECs dynamics and the gauge field induces an effective atomic interaction that depends on the quasi-momentum and density of the condensates, resulting in a symmetry-broken energy spectrum and exotic stability phase diagram, that is, the system is only stable in a certain range of atoms density and under a limited lattice strength. The density-dependent artificial gauge field changes the sequence for the emergence of energetic and dynamical instability and the regimes of the energetic and dynamical instabilities are significantly separated, offering an efficient way to examine the energetic and dynamical instabilities of superfluids separately. In particular, the density-dependent artificial gauge field, as a mechanism for transferring momentum to the fluid, results in dynamic instability of the condensates even in free space. Our results provide deep insights into the dynamical response of superfluid systems to gauge fields and have potential applications for the coherent control of exotic superfluid states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic topological photonics is a novel research field, combining the time-domain optics and topological physics. In this review, the recent progress and realization platforms of dynamic topological photonics have been well introduced. The definition, measurement methods and the evolution process of the dynamic topological photonics are demonstrated to better understand the physical diagram. This review is meant to bring the readers a different perspective on topological photonics, grasp the advanced progress of dynamic topology, and inspire ideas about future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soliton sheets are observed in Bose–Einstein condensates in optical lattice which are formed by superposition of condensates occupying different single-particle states. These structures consist of one-dimensional stationary solitons distributed in the x -direction arranged continuously along the peaks of the optical lattice in the y -direction. Notably, the phase difference across the soliton sheets is periodic and varies linearly with y within each period. So, we refer to this configuration as a ‘soliton sheet’. A velocity difference in the y -component is observed between the two sides of the soliton sheets. Similar velocity distributions can be achieved by aligning an infinite number of isotropic vortices along the peaks of the optical lattice. And the soliton sheets are distinguished by their lack of dependence on phase singularities. This independence enables the formation of soliton sheets even in the absence of phase singularities, highlighting a unique aspect of this structure.

Lattice polarons, quasiparticles arising from the interaction between an impurity and its surrounding bosonic environment confined to a lattice system, have emerged as a platform for generating complex few-body states, probing many-body phenomena, and addressing long-standing problems in physics. In this study, we employ a variational ansatz to investigate the quasiparticle and spectral properties of an impurity coupled to a condensate gas of hard-core bosons in a two-dimensional optical lattice. Our findings demonstrate that the polaron features can be tuned by adjusting the filling factor of the bath, revealing intriguing polaron characteristics in the strongly interacting regime. These results offer valuable insights for lattice polaron experiments with ultracold gases and can serve as a guide for new experiments in emergent quantum devices, such as moiré materials, where optical excitations can be described in terms of hard-core bosons.

We consider a condensate of ultra-cold bosonic atoms in a linear optical cavity illuminated by a two-pump configuration where each pump makes different angles with the direction of the cavity axis. We show that such a configuration allows a smooth transition from a one-dimensional quantum optical lattice configuration to a two-dimensional quantum optical lattice configuration induced by the cavity–atom interaction. Using a Holstein–Primakoff transformation, we find the atomic density profile of such a self-organised ground state in the super-radiant phase as a function of the angular orientations of the pumps in such a dynamical quantum optical lattice, and also provide an analysis of their structures in coordinate and momentum space. In the later part of the paper, we show how the corresponding results can also be qualitatively understood in terms of an extended Bose–Hubbard model in such a quantum optical lattice potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate theoretically the formation of an ultracold CsYb molecule in the absolute ground state by full optical control. The laser-assisted self-induced Feshbach resonance takes place when the trap state in the optical lattice is coupled with a rovibrational state of the ground electronic state. The Feshbach molecule is formed in the resonant rovibrational state via an adiabatic population transfer by ramping the frequency of a chirped pulse. Two schemes are designed to prepare the absolute ground-state molecule starting from the Feshbach molecule: a pumpâ€"dump scheme controlled by short pulses and a stimulated-Raman-adiabatic-passage (STIRAP) scheme steered by long pulses. The probabilities of converting the Feshbach molecule to the absolute ground state molecule by using the pumpâ€"dump and the STIRAP schemes are 16% and 99%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scheme to directly probe the Wigner function of the motional state of a neutral atom confined in an optical trap. The proposed scheme relies on the well-established fact that the Wigner function at a given point (x, p) in phase space is proportional to the expectation value of the parity operator relative to that point. In this work, we show that the expectation value of the parity operator can be directly measured using two auxiliary internal states of the atom: parity-even and parity-odd motional states are mapped to the two internal states of the atom through a Ramsey interferometry scheme. The Wigner function can thus be measured point-by-point in phase space with a single, direct measurement of the internal state population. Numerical simulations show that the scheme is robust in that it applies not only to deep, harmonic potentials but also to shallower, anharmonic traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vortex-bright (VB) soliton can precess around a fixed point. Here, we find numerically that the fixed point and the associated precessional orbits can be shifted by applying a constant driving force on the bright component, the displacement is proportional to the force with a minus sign. This robust dynamics is then discussed theoretically by treating the VB soliton as an effective point particle. By appropriately tuning the force, the VB soliton can be guided following an arbitrary trajectory with very weak density modulations, including that it can be repeatedly pinned and released at will. This finding opens a highly flexible and controllable approach of engineering the dynamics of vortical structures in Boseâ€"Einstein condensates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We implement a simple method for fast and precise delivery of ultracold atoms to a microscopic device, i.e. a Fabryâ€"Perot microcavity. By moving a single beam optical dipole trap in a direction perpendicular to the beam axis with an acousto-optical deflector, we transport up to 1 million atoms within 100 ms over 1 cm. Under these conditions, a transport efficiency above 95% is achieved with only minimal heating. The atomic cloud is accurately positioned within the microcavity and transferred into an intra-cavity optical lattice. With the addition of a secondary guiding beam, we show how residual sloshing motion along the shallow axis of the trap can be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical Ramsey spectrum is experimentally realized in an 87Sr optical lattice clock, and the measured linewidth agrees well with theoretical expectation. The coherence time between the clock laser and the atoms, which indicates the maximum free evolution period of using Ramsey detection to measure the atom-laser phase information, is determined as 340(23) ms by measuring the fringe contrasts of the Ramsey spectrum as a function of the free evolution period. Furthermore, with the same clock duty cycle of about 0.1, the clock stability is measured by using the Ramsey and Rabi spectra, respectively. The experimental and theoretical results show approximately the same stability as the two detection methods, which indicates that Ramsey detection cannot obviously improve the clock stability until the clock duty cycle is large enough. Thus, it is of great significance to choose the detection method of a specific clock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present analytical solution, which is periodic in nature, for a driven cubicâ€"quartic nonlinear Schrödinger equation (DCQNLSE) is placed in a bi-chromatic optical lattice. The solution indicates the creation of density wave. Since, beyond mean-field contribution in quasi one dimensional and one dimensional geometry differs on the even exponents of the nonlinearity thus we extend our analysis toward quadraticâ€"cubicâ€"quartic and quadraticâ€"cubic nonlinearities as well. Later, we study the dynamics of DCQNLSE. Our study indicates the existence of stripe phase along with considerable phase coherence. These findings allow us to comment on the possible emergence of supersolid phase in a condensate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the architecture of a new optical processor specialized in matrix-by-vector multiplication via the manipulation of the light wavefront. This processor can reach up to 1.2 Giga MAC (multiply-accumulate) operations per second using commercially available devices. Moreover, this architecture is compatible with a hardware upgrade with the potential to achieve a processing speed of above Tera MAC per second. We initially present the optical processor and then discuss the use of such a processor for tackling a special class of the one-dimensional distance geometry problem, which is a well-known NP-hard problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme to realize the SU(3) spinâ€"orbit coupled three-component fermions in an one-dimensional optical lattice. The topological properties of the single-particle Hamiltonian are studied by calculating the Berry phase, winding number and edge state. We also investigate the effects of the interaction on the ground-state topology of the system, and characterize the interaction-induced topological phase transitions, using a state-of-the-art density-matrix renormalization-group numerical method. Finally, we show the typical features of the emerging quantum phases, and map out the many-body phase diagram between the interaction and the Zeeman field. Our results establish a way for exploring novel quantum physics induced by the SOC with SU (N) symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongly interacting fermionic systems host a variety of interesting quantum many-body states with exotic excitations. For instance, the interplay of strong interactions and the Pauli exclusion principle can lead to Stoner ferromagnetism, but the fate of this state remains unclear when kinetic terms are added. While in many lattice models the fermions’ dispersion results in delocalization and destabilization of the ferromagnet, flat bands can restore strong interaction effects and ferromagnetic correlations. To reveal this interplay, here we propose to study the Hofstadter–Fermi–Hubbard model using ultracold atoms. We demonstrate, by performing large-scale density-matrix renormalization group simulations, that this model exhibits a lattice analog of the quantum Hall (QH) ferromagnet at magnetic filling factor ν = 1. We reveal the nature of the low energy spin-singlet states around ν ≈ 1 and find that they host quasi-particles and quasi-holes exhibiting spin-spin correlations reminiscent of skyrmions. Finally, we predict the breakdown of flat-band ferromagnetism at large fields. Our work paves the way towards experimental studies of lattice QH ferromagnetism, including prospects to study many-body states of interacting skyrmions and explore the relation to high- $T_\mathrm{c}$ superconductivity.

It is known that the interplay of the spinâ€"orbit-coupling (SOC) and mean-field self-attraction creates stable two-dimensional (2D) solitons (ground states) in spinor Boseâ€"Einstein condensates. However, SOC destroys the system’s Galilean invariance, therefore moving solitons exist only in a narrow interval of velocities, outside of which the solitons suffer delocalization. We demonstrate that the application of a relatively weak moving optical lattice (OL), with the 2D or quasi-1D structure, makes it possible to greatly expand the velocity interval for stable motion of the solitons. The stability domain in the system’s parameter space is identified by means of numerical methods. In particular, the quasi-1D OL produces a stronger stabilizing effect than its full 2D counterpart. Some features of the domain are explained analytically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of non-Hermitian optics and photonics rooted in quantum mechanics and photonic systems has recently attracted considerable attention ushering in tremendous progress on theoretical foundations and photonic applications, benefiting from the flexibility of photonic platforms. In this review, we first introduce the non-Hermitian topological physics from the symmetry of matrices and complex energy spectra to the characteristics of Jordan normal forms, exceptional points, biorthogonal eigenvectors, Bloch/non-Bloch band theories, topological invariants and topological classifications. We further review diverse non-Hermitian system branches ranging from classical optics, quantum photonics to disordered systems, nonlinear dynamics and optomechanics according to various physical equivalences and experimental implementations. In particular, we include cold atoms in optical lattices in quantum photonics due to their operability at quantum regimes. Finally, we summarize recent progress and limitations in this emerging field, giving an outlook on possible future research directions in theoretical frameworks and engineering aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the existence and dynamical stability of multipole gap solitons in Boseâ€"Einstein condensate loaded in a deformed honeycomb optical lattice. Honeycomb lattices possess a unique band structure, the first and second bands intersect at a set of so-called Dirac points. Deformation can result in the merging and disappearance of the Dirac points, and support the gap solitons. We find that the two-dimensional honeycomb optical lattices admit multipole gap solitons. These multipoles can have their bright solitary structures being in-phase or out-of-phase. We also investigate the linear stabilities and nonlinear stabilities of these gap solitons. These results have applications of the localized structures in nonlinear optics, and may helpful for exploiting topological properties of a deformed lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several types of research are performed on flow control and this fact highlights the importance of this topic. Over the last two decades, actuators based on acoustic waves have attracted much attention and have been used in widespread applications from mixing to pumping. This paper reveals the effects of some control parameters such as wave amplitude and wave frequency on the dynamical behavior of a sessile drop in order to change the flow characteristics. For this purpose, the removal of water from surfaces and drop movement against gravity are considered. Flow dynamics is simulated using lattice Boltzmann method. The results show that the drop can be removed from the surface in a short period of time (about one-tenth of the normal time) without moving upstream. In the microgravity condition, the dynamical behaviors of drop are affected by Bond number. There is a critical Bond number, when the Bond number is less than this parameter, drop slides on the wall. In this situation, when the wave amplitude is set to be 2.5 nm, the drop is pinned to the wall. If the wave amplitude is increased, the drop moves against gravity. Also, when the Bond number is greater than its critical value, we only can stop or remove the drop using the SAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact coherent x-ray sources have been the focus of extensive research efforts over the past decades. As a result, several novel schemes like optical and nano-undulators for generating x-ray emissions in 'table-top' setups are proposed, developed, and assessed. Despite the extensive efforts in the past decades, there exists no operational FEL based on optical or electromagnetic undulators. By combining the particle confinement capability of optical cavities with wiggling motion inside an optical undulator, this paper proposes a new concept for making a compact coherent x-ray source. The full-wave solution of first-principle equations based on finite-difference time-domain and particle-in-cell is performed to simulate inverse-Compton scattering (ICS) off both free and confined electrons. It is shown that the strong space-charge effect in a low-energy electron beam (5 MeV) is the main obstacle in acquiring coherent gain through the ICS mechanism with a 10 micrometer laser. Subsequently, it is shown that by confining the electron beam at the field nodes of an optical cavity, the space-charge effect is compensated, and additionally, the ultrahigh charge density enables high FEL-gain at confinement spots. The full-wave numerical simulations predict enhancement of about three orders of magnitude in the radiation efficiency when ICS is carried out with confined electrons compared to free electrons. These theoretical results show promising potential as a new scheme for implementing a compact coherent x-ray source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the growing interest in probing many-body phases in novel two-dimensional lattice geometries we investigate the properties of cold atoms as they could be observed in an optical Lieb lattice. We begin by computing Wannier functions localised at individual sites for a realistic experimental setup, and determining coefficients for a Hubbard-like model. Based on this, we show how experiments could probe the robustness of edge states in a Lieb lattice with diagonal boundary conditions to the effects of interactions and realise strongly correlated many-body phases in this geometry. We then generalise this to interacting particles in a half-filled 1D Lieb ladder, where excitations are dominated by flat band states. We show that for strong attractive interactions, pair correlations are enhanced even when there is strong mixing with the Dirac cone. These findings in 1D raise interesting questions about the phases in the full 2D Lieb lattice which we show can be explored in current experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the direct generation of optical vortex lattice (OVL) modes from a diode-pumped Pr3+:LiYF4 (Pr:YLF) laser achieved by employing off-axis (transverse) and defocused (longitudinal) pumping geometries in the laser medium. OVL modes with more than 40 phase singularities are generated. The experimentally observed OVL modes are well supported by a theoretical analysis based on the superposition of Hermite-Gaussian modes. We also discuss the intracavity frequency doubling of the OVL modes. The proposed OVL mode laser system can be applied to fundamental optical science and advanced material engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physics of flat band is novel and rich but difficult to access. In this regard, recently twisting of bilayer van der Waals (vdW)-bounded two-dimensional (2D) materials has attracted much attention, because the reduction of Brillouin zone will eventually lead to a diminishing kinetic energy. Alternatively, one may start with a 2D kagome lattice, which already possesses flat bands at the Fermi level, but unfortunately these bands connect quadratically to other (dispersive) bands, leading to undesirable effects. Here, we propose, by first-principles calculation and tight-binding modeling, that the same bilayer twisting approach can be used to isolate the kagome flat bands. As the starting kinetic energy is already vanishingly small, the interlayer vdW potential is always sufficiently large irrespective of the twisting angle. As such the electronic states in the (connected) flat bands become unstable against a spontaneous Wigner crystallization, which is expected to have interesting interplays with other flat-band phenomena such as novel superconductivity and anomalous quantum Hall effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We periodically modulate the lattice trapping potential of a 87Sr optical clock to Floquet engineer the clock transition. In the context of atomic gases in lattices, Floquet engineering has been used to shape the dispersion and topology of Bloch quasi-energy bands. Differently from these previous works manipulating the external (spatial) quasi-energies, we target the internal atomic degrees of freedom. We shape Floquet spin quasi-energies and measure their resonance profiles with Rabi spectroscopy. We provide the spectroscopic sensitivity of each band by measuring the Fisher information and show that this is not depleted by the Floquet dynamical modulation. The demonstration that the internal degrees of freedom can be selectively engineered by manipulating the external degrees of freedom inaugurates a novel device with potential applications in metrology, sensing and quantum simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of beams of antihydrogen atoms using the dipole force provided by a travelling optical lattice to accelerate a sample of the anti-atoms held in a magnetic gradient atom trap is investigated. By considering current and near-future antihydrogen trapping capabilities we find that useful fluxes of the anti-atoms can be achieved with directional properties that can be manipulated using laser parameters such as pulse duration and frequency chirp rate. Applications of the beams are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effect of dephasing on the spin-mixing dynamics of a spinor Bose–Einstein condensate. We focus on a short-time dynamics and derive an analytical dynamics equations for the system by using mean-field approximation. We show the spin-mixing is suppressed via a quantum Zeno effect (QZE) in which the phase-noise intensity is much stronger than the inverse correlation time of the stimulated process. We also investigate the spin-nematic squeezing in the process of spin-mixing dynamics and show the squeezing is restrained by the QZE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bosonic two-ring ladders constitute an important class of atomtronic circuits, where coherent current flows not only can offer a new insight into many-body physics, but also can play the role of actual degrees of freedom, and hence allow for a viable implementation of cold-atom based devices and qubit systems. In this work, we exhaustively investigate the ground state properties and the low-lying energy spectrum of two linearly coupled Bose–Hubbard rings. We show that the competition among interactions, intra- and inter-ring hopping processes gives place to a rather rich physical scenario, where Mott-like states and (different kinds of) superfluid-like states emerge. The latter ones depend also on the (in)commensurate filling of the atoms. Our analysis, carried out within a simple analytical framework and by means of the exact numerical diagonalization of the system Hamiltonian, provides one with a rather complete characterization of the static properties of the two-ring ladder, including, but not limited to, coherence, fragmentation, correlations, and entanglement. We complement our investigation by studying how these indicators depend on the commensurability of the total number of bosons with respect to the total number of sites and show that the two stacked rings are always entangled for an odd number of atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the Hall effects of quadratic band crossing (QBC) fermions in a square optical lattice with spin–orbit coupling and orbital Zeeman term. We find that the orbital Zeeman term and shaking play critical roles in the systems, which can drive a topological transition from spin Hall phases to anomalous Hall phase with nonvanishing (spin) Chern numbers. Due to the interplay among the orbital Zeeman term, spin–orbit coupling, and the shaking, the phase diagram of the system exhibits rich phases, which are characterized by Chern number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the stabilization properties of dipolar Bose–Einstein condensate in a deep one-dimensional optical lattice with an additional external parametrically modulated harmonic trap potential. Through both analytical and numerical methods, we solve a dimensionless nonlocal nonlinear discrete Gross–Pitaevskii equation with both the short-range contact interaction and the long-range dipole–dipole interaction. It is shown that, the stability of dipolar condensate in modulated deep optical lattice can be controled by coupled effects of the contact interaction, the dipolar interaction and the external modulation. The system can be stabilized when the dipolar interaction, the contact interaction, the average strength of potential and the ratio of amplitude to frequency of the modulation satisfy a critical condition. In addition, the breather state, the diffused state and the attractive-interaction-induced-trapped state are predicted. The dipolar interaction and the external modulation of the lattice play important roles in stabilizing the condensate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a formalism for photoionization (PI) and potential energy curves (PECs) of Rydberg atoms in ponderomotive optical lattices and apply it to examples covering several regimes of the optical-lattice depth. The effect of lattice-induced PI on Rydberg-atom lifetime ranges from noticeable to highly dominant when compared with natural decay. The PI behavior is governed by the generally rapid decrease of the PI cross sections as a function of angular-momentum (ℓ), lattice-induced ℓ-mixing across the optical-lattice PECs, and interference of PI transition amplitudes from the lattice-mixed into free-electron states. In GHz-deep lattices, ℓ-mixing leads to a rich PEC structure, and the significant low-ℓ PI cross sections are distributed over many lattice-mixed Rydberg states. In lattices less than several tens-of-MHz deep, atoms on low-ℓ PECs are essentially ℓ-mixing-free and maintain large PI rates, while atoms on high-ℓ PECs trend towards being PI-free. Characterization of PI in GHz-deep Rydberg-atom lattices may be beneficial for optical control and quantum-state manipulation of Rydberg atoms, while data on PI in shallower lattices are potentially useful in high-precision spectroscopy and quantum-computing applications of lattice-confined Rydberg atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the behavior of mixtures of 173Yb (with symmetry up to SU(6)) and 171Yb (up to SU(2)) fermionic isotopes loaded in one-dimensional (1D) optical lattices. To do so, we solved the Schrödinger equation describing different systems using a diffusion Monte Carlo technique. We considered continuous Hamiltonians in which the interactions between atoms of different species (isotopes and/or spins) were modeled by contact potentials with parameters derived from their experimental scattering lengths. This implies that we can find both attractive and repulsive interactions between fermion pairs in the same cluster. The strength of those interactions can be changed by varying the transverse confinement, leading to different cluster behaviors. Only balanced clusters, i.e. with the same number of 173Yb and 171Yb atoms were considered. We found that the standard state for these clusters is a metallic-like one with different populations of 173Yb–171Yb molecule-like pairs in each optical lattice potential well. However, for big enough clusters, insulator-like states are also possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of static artificial magnetic fields in ultracold atomic systems has become a powerful tool, e.g. for simulating quantum-Hall physics with charge-neutral atoms. Taking an interacting bosonic flux ladder as a minimal model, we investigate protocols for adiabatic state preparation via magnetic flux ramps. Considering the fact that it is actually the artificial vector potential (in the form of Peierls phases) that can be experimentally engineered in optical lattices, rather than the magnetic field, we find that the time required for adiabatic state preparation dramatically depends on which pattern of Peierls phases is used. This can be understood intuitively by noting that different patterns of time-dependent Peierls phases that all give rise to the same magnetic field ramp, generally lead to different artificial electric fields during the ramp. As an intriguing result, we find that an optimal choice allows for preparing the ground state almost instantaneously in the non-interacting system, which can be related to the concept of counterdiabatic driving. Remarkably, we find extremely short preparation times also in the strongly-interacting regime. Our findings open new possibilities for robust state preparation in atomic quantum simulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a one-dimensional optical lattice model to simulate and explore two-dimensional topological phases with ultracold atoms, considering the phases of the hopping strengths as an extra dimension. It is shown that the model exhibits nontrivial phases, and corresponding two chiral-edge states. Moreover, we demonstrate the connections between changes in the topological invariants and the Dirac points. Furthermore, the topological order detected by the particle pumping approach in cold atoms is also investigated. The results obtained here provide a feasible and flexible method of simulating and exploring high-dimensional topological phases in low-dimension systems via the controllable phase of the hopping strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel type of composite light–matter magnetometer based on a transversely driven multi-component Bose–Einstein condensate coupled to two distinct electromagnetic modes of a linear cavity. Above the critical pump strength, the change of the population imbalance of the condensate caused by an external magnetic field entails the change of relative photon number of the two cavity modes. Monitoring the cavity output fields thus allows for nondestructive measurement of the magnetic field in real time and we show that the sensitivity of the proposed magnetometer exhibits Heisenberg-like scaling with respect to the atom number. For state-of-the-art experimental parameters, we calculate the lower bound on the sensitivity of such a system to be of the order of fT –pT for a condensate of 104 atoms with coherence times on the order of several ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the dynamics of a two-level impurity embedded in a two-dimensional Bose–Hubbard (BH) model at zero temperature from an open quantum system perspective. Results for the decoherence across the whole phase diagram are presented, with a focus on the critical region close to the transition between superfluid and Mott insulator. In particular we show how the decoherence and the deviation from a Markovian behaviour are sensitive to whether the transition is crossed at commensurate or incommensurate densities. The role of the spectrum of the BH environment and its non-Gaussian statistics, beyond the standard independent boson model, is highlighted. Our analysis resorts on a recently developed method (2020 Phys. Rev. Res. 2 033276) – closely related to slave boson approaches – that enables us to capture the correlations across the whole phase diagram. This semi-analytical method provides us with a deep insight into the physics of the spin decoherence in the superfluid and Mott phases as well as close to the phase transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a physical scheme to realize optical lattices that are symmetric under a combination of parity and time () reversal. The -symmetric structures can be constructed with periodical gain and loss profiles in a coherently prepared four-level N-type atomic system under the effects of cross-Kerr nonlinearity and Doppler broadening. The atoms are considered in the Gaussian density distribution loaded into the dipole traps of one- and two-dimensional optical lattices. The spatial modulation of the probe field susceptibility is achieved by a proper combination of standing wave strong control fields. With proper detunings and coupling field Rabi frequencies, we find the conditions of achieving -symmetry in optical lattices of nonlinear atoms. We show that the -symmetry can be realized when the cross-Kerr nonlinearity is significantly enhanced, and further demonstrate that it survives the Doppler broadening. Our model is based on experimentally observable and effectively controllable scheme which may find potential applications in optical information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a cluster mean-field study for ground-state phase diagram and many-body dynamics of spin-1 bosons confined in a two-chain Bose–Hubbard ladder (BHL). For unbiased BHL, we find superfluid (SF) phase and integer filling Mott insulator (IntMI) phase. For biased BHL, in addition to the SF and IntMI phases, there appears half-integer filling Mott insulator (HIntMI) phase. The phase transition between the SF and IntMI phases can be first order at a part of phase boundaries, while the phase transition between the SF and HIntMI phases is always second order. By tuning the bias energy, we report on the change of the nature of SF–MI phase transitions. Furthermore, we study the effect of the spin-dependent interaction on the many-body population dynamics. The spin-dependent interaction can lead to rich dynamical behaviors, but does not influence the particle transfer efficiency. Our results indicate a way to tune the nature of the SF–MI phase transition and open a new avenue to study the many-body dynamics of spinor bosons in optical lattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically and experimentally explore the emergence of a dynamical density wave (DW) order in a driven dissipative atom–cavity system. A Bose–Einstein condensate is placed inside a high finesse optical resonator and pumped sideways by an optical standing wave. The pump strength is chosen to induce a stationary superradiant checkerboard DW order of the atoms stabilized by a strong intracavity light field. We show theoretically that, when the pump is modulated with sufficient strength at a frequency ωd close to a systemic resonance frequency ω>, a dynamical DW order emerges, which oscillates at the two frequencies ω> and ω< = ωd − ω>. This order is associated with a characteristic momentum spectrum, also found in experiments in addition to remnants of the oscillatory dynamics presumably damped by on-site interaction and heating, not included in the calculations. The oscillating density grating, associated with this order, suppresses pump-induced light scattering into the cavity. Similar mechanisms might be conceivable in light-driven electronic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-cold atoms provide ideal platforms for interferometry. The macroscopic matter-wave property of ultra-cold atoms leads to large coherent length and long coherent time, which enable high accuracy and sensitivity to measurement. Here, we review our efforts to improve the performance of the interferometer. We demonstrate a shortcut method for manipulating ultra-cold atoms in an optical lattice. Compared with traditional ones, this shortcut method can reduce the manipulation time by up to three orders of magnitude. We construct a matter-wave Ramsey interferometer for trapped motional quantum states and significantly increase its coherence time by one order of magnitude with an echo technique based on this method. Efforts have also been made to enhance the resolution by multimode scheme. Application of a noise-resilient multi-component interferometer shows that increasing the number of paths could sharpen the peaks in the time-domain interference fringes, which leads to a resolution nearly twice compared with that of a conventional double-path two-mode interferometer. With the shortcut method mentioned above, improvement of the momentum resolution could also be fulfilled, which leads to atomic momentum patterns less than 0.6 ℏkL. To identify and remove systematic noises, we introduce the methods based on the principal component analysis (PCA) that reduce the noise in detection close to the of the photon-shot noise and separate and identify or even eliminate noises. Furthermore, we give a proposal to measure precisely the local gravity acceleration within a few centimeters based on our study of ultracold atoms in precision measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlInGaN lattice-matched to GaN is proposed as a barrier for double-barrier single quantum well structure resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), and it achievesnearly strain-free RTD with low In composition and thereby relatively high manufacturability. Compared with the lattice-matched ternary Al0.83In0.17N/GaN RTD, three lattice-matched InAlGaN/GaN RTD samples exhibit peak current density JP over 20 times larger than that of the lattice-matched ternary RTD in numerical simulations. Simultaneously, two shallow defect levels (E1 = 0.351 eV, E2 = 0.487 eV) are considered at the RTD heterointerface to reveal the I–V characteristics under different defect densities. Negative differential resistance characteristics of the three quaternary RTDs are still available even though the defect density is up to ∼1018 cm−3, while that of the lattice-matched ternary RTD almost disappears when the defect density is ∼1017 cm−3 as a result of the lager ionization rate. Further, we introduce a deep-level defect Et = 1 eV at the heterointerface and perform multiple forward voltage sweeps. Simulations show that the quaternary RTD samples have better reproducibility in spite of the defect density being 100 times larger than that of the lattice-matched ternary RTD. This work illustrates that InAlGaN can provide greater flexibility for the design and fabrication of GaN-based RTDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We combine a slave-spin approach with a mean-field theory to develop an approximate theoretical scheme to study the density, spin, and, pairing correlation functions of fermionic polar molecules. We model the polar molecules subjected to a one-dimensional periodic optical lattice potential using a generalized t–J model, where the long-range part of the interaction is included through the exchange interaction parameter. For this model, we derive a set of self-consistent equations for the correlation functions, and evaluate them numerically for the long-distance behavior. We find that the pairing correlations are related to spin correlations through the density and the slave-spin correlations. Further, our calculations indicates that the long-range character of the interaction can be probed through these correlation functions. In the absence of exact solutions for the one-dimensional t–J model, our approximate theoretical treatment can be treated as a useful tool to study one dimensional long-range correlated fermions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate single-site-resolved fluorescence imaging of ultracold 87Rb atoms in a triangular optical lattice by employing Raman sideband cooling. Combining a Raman transition at the D1 line and a photon scattering through an optical pumping of the D2 line, we obtain images with low background noise. The Bayesian optimisation of 11 experimental parameters for fluorescence imaging with Raman sideband cooling enables us to achieve single-atom detection with a high fidelity of (96.3 ± 1.3)%. Single-atom and single-site resolved detection in a triangular optical lattice paves the way for the direct observation of spin correlations or entanglement in geometrically frustrated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a square optical lattice in which some of neighbor hoppings have a Peierls phase. The Peierls phase makes the lattice have a special band structure and induces the existence of Dirac points in the Brillouin zone, which means that topological semimetals exist in the system. The Dirac points move with the change of the Peierls phase and the Dirac cones are anisotropic for some vales of the Peierls phase. The lattice has a novel hidden symmetry, which is a composite antiunitary symmetry composed of a translation operation, a sublattice exchange, a complex conjugation, and a local U(1) gauge transformation. We prove that the Dirac points are protected by the hidden symmetry and perfectly explain the moving of Dirac points with the change of the Peierls phase based on the hidden symmetry protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analytically and numerically investigate the dynamical properties of the tilted dispersion relativistic quasiparticles emerged in a cold atomic optical lattice system. By introducing the next nearest neighboring (NNN) hopping term into Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model, the Dirac quasiparticles with tilted dispersion relation are realized. The results show that the tilted dispersion causes a drift in relativistic quasiparticles rather than affecting interference behavior between inner states. To be specific, the relativistic phenomena of the quasiparticles induced by the inner state interference (such as Zitterbewegung, Klein paradox, etc.) is completely unaffected by the tilted dispersion. In order to distinguish the drift induced by tilted dispersion and common initial velocity, we calculate the momentum distribution of the relativistic quasiparticles. We obtain the difference between the drift induced by initial velocity and tilted dispersion. The former affects the ZB, while the latter does not. By using this character, we propose a quench dynamics scheme to obtain a stable mono-spin state. The proposed cold atomic lattice system would provide a promising platform in exploring the intrinsic exotic physics of relativistic quasiparticles and the related systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of quantum many body systems, which have to fulfill an extensive number of constraints, appears as a formidable challenge within the field of quantum simulation. Lattice gauge theories are a particular important class of quantum systems with an extensive number of local constraints and play a central role in high energy physics, condensed matter and quantum information. Whereas recent experimental progress points towards the feasibility of large-scale quantum simulation of abelian gauge theories, the quantum simulation of non-abelian gauge theories appears still elusive. In this paper we present minimal non-abelian lattice gauge theories, whereby we introduce the necessary formalism in well-known abelian gauge theories, such as the Jaynes–Cumming model. In particular, we show that certain minimal non-abelian lattice gauge theories can be mapped to three or four level systems, for which the design of a quantum simulator is standard with current technologies. Further we give an upper bound for the Hilbert space dimension of a one dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory, and argue that the implementation with current digital quantum computer appears feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnon excitations play an important role in understanding quantum magnetism and magnon bound states observed with ultracold atoms in optical lattices. Here, we investigate how gradient magnetic field and periodically modulated spin-exchange strength affect the two-magnon excitations. In the Stark resonance where the driving frequency matches and smooths the potential bias, the system gains translational invariance in both space and time in the rotating frame, and thus we can develop a Floquet–Bloch band theory for two magnons. We find a new kind of bound states with relative distance no less than two sites, apart from the conventional bound states with relative distance at one site, which indicates the modulation-induced long-range interaction. We analytically derive an effective Hamiltonian via the many-body perturbation theory for a deeper understanding of such novel bound states and explore the interplay between these two types of bound states. Moreover, we propose to probe modulation-induced bound states via quantum walks. Our study not only provides a scheme to form long-range magnon bound states, but also lays a cornerstone for engineering exotic quantum states in multi-particle Floquet systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]