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  • Coupling ultracold matter to dynamical gauge fields in optical lattices: From flux attachment to ℤ 2 lattice gauge theories
Title: Coupling ultracold matter to dynamical gauge fields in optical lattices: From flux attachment to ℤ 2 lattice gauge theories
From the standard model of particle physics to strongly correlated electrons, various physical settings are formulated in terms of matter coupled to gauge fields. Quantum simulations based on ultracold atoms in optical lattices provide a promising avenue to study these complex systems and unravel the underlying many-body physics. Here, we demonstrate how quantized dynamical gauge fields can be created in mixtures of ultracold atoms in optical lattices, using a combination of coherent lattice modulation with strong interactions. Specifically, we propose implementation of ℤ 2 lattice gauge theories coupled to matter, reminiscent of theories previously introduced in high-temperature superconductivity. We discuss a range of settings from zero-dimensional toy models to ladders featuring transitions in the gauge sector to extended two-dimensional systems. Mastering lattice gauge theories in optical lattices constitutes a new route toward the realization of strongly correlated systems, with properties dictated by an interplay of dynamical matter and gauge fields.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1734011
PAR ID:
10171790
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Science Advances
Volume:
5
Issue:
10
ISSN:
2375-2548
Page Range / eLocation ID:
eaav7444
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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